Rylee Adamson: Shadowed Threads Part 4

CHAPTER 8.

THE ARMORY WAS cool, bare bulbs incased in metal screens hung from the ceiling at five-foot intervals making the room overly bright. I squinted and blinked at the sudden glare.

Here was a veritable treasure trove and I couldnat help but stare at all the weapons. Most were too modern for me to use. But there was a good chunk of old school weapons that would work just fine.

Will handed me a crossbow. aHere, this is very similar to yours.a I took the weapon, went over it, letting my hands feel the curve and flow of the grips and the weight of it. Slightly heavier than mine, it was otherwise identical down to the simple firing mechanism.

aThis will work,a I said, slinging it onto my back. I wore only my long-sleeved s.h.i.+rt and that was still damp from the flight here. I rubbed my arms. aWhat about coats, jackets?a He bent down, grabbed a long leather trench coat from a pile. aHere, this is mine; weare close to the same height, so it wonat drag.a Holding it out for me like a real gentleman, he waited for me to do the girly thing and slip into it. I let out a sigh and turned my back to him, sliding my arms into the coat. The chill of the room disappeared with the weight of the coat. Longer and heavier than I was used to, it would be better than my own jacket when it came to flying.

Will pointed out straps on the inside of the coat. aThose you can wrap around your legs to keep the side panels close to you. Should help when youare up on Eve.a aThanks. I should get going. I donat think Denning would be too happy with me if every time I visit I drag along some new supernatural creature.a aIsnat Deanna doing something for you?a c.r.a.p, his hearing was better even than Alexas.

aYes, but she said it would only take a few minutes.a Willas eyes softened and he lifted a hand to touch my shoulder, brus.h.i.+ng off dirt that didnat exist. aAre you sure you donat want help? I can come with you; Eve could easily carry us both.a The room suddenly felt much smaller than it had just a moment before and I recognized the look in his eye.

Nope, that was so not going to happen. aYeah, Iam good. Iam used to working on my own. Pamela will be p.i.s.sed that I left her behind, but I think maybe the Beast did us both a favor. OaSheaas after witches, Pamelaas a witch, thereas too good of a chance heall go after her.a I was rambling, I knew it, but I couldnat escape the look in Willas eyes, the look that I was trying to avoid.

aWhat if you canat bring him back, what then?a Will swallowed, looked away and then back at me, his eyes that soft hazel with flecks of green that I had no doubt women swooned over. s.h.i.+t, Pamela was gaga for him and she was only fourteen.

aIam bringing him back,a I said, my voice firm as I tightened the straps holding my weapons.

aYou donat know that. He might not be the man you knew. Heas been a wolf for a long time now.a Oh, thatas a good kitty, p.i.s.s off the Tracker.

af.u.c.k you, Will. I will bring him back one way or another. Alive, dead, still a wolf. Whatever the case, OaShea is coming back with me.a I turned my back on him and left him standing in the armory. I didnat want to question why he was suddenly so worried about OaShea coming back. Sure, wead had a few meals together, but that had been all of us, Pamela, Alex, Jack, Deanna and Will. Not exactly what I would call dating. But s.h.i.+t, if he thought for one instant that I would turn my back on OaShea, the kitty cat really had no ideaa"

aAdamson, good to see you here. We need to talk.a Agent Valley, his short squat body moving at a speed I still didnat comprehend how he managed with his stubby legs and rotund gut, was just there at my side, his fingers tightening around my forearm.

aWell, Agent Valley, I thought you would have gone home by now.a Our last meeting hadnat gone so well. A screaming match, a barking werewolf, a young girl ready to light the whole place on fire with her magic. Yeah, not so well at all.

aNo, Iam waiting on my best agent.a I cringed and he let out a barking laugh. aNot you, Adamson. OaShea. Youare going after him, arenat you?a The muscles in my neck and jaw tightened. aYou going to be a pain in my a.s.s if I say yes?a aNo. Iam not. But if you manage to bring him back, I want you working with him.a He let go of my arm and tipped his head back so he could look me in the eyes.

aIam not agreeing to that. I donat know why you would even bother asking.a I tried to brush past him, but he moved to stand in my way.

aThere is a movement for supernaturals to come out to the rest of the world. Do you know what kind of chaos would ensue? I need the best of the best to be working with me on this, to keep a lid on this cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k that is trying to ensue.a I paused, crossed my arms over my chest, the leather of my new/old jacket squeaking. aWhy are you being so open with this?a aDenning wants the world to know about the supernatural. The FBI does not. Interpol is in the middle, not sure what to do. You can help them decide. I want them to see the chaos that is your world, let them see how very bad it would be and how bad it would get if we humans truly understood.a He was confusing the s.h.i.+t out of me, and to be having this conversation in the open, where anyone could hear us? I glanced around, saw that no one was close enough, at least no one that I knew would be able to hear.

aThe zombie attack didnat work?a aNo. Denning brushed it off as a freak accident and panned it to the media as a flash mob gone wrong.a I couldnat help it. I let out a laugh. aA flash a mob?a Son of a b.i.t.c.h, Denning was dumber than he looked.

Agent Valley wasnat laughing with me, so I made an effort to pull my s.h.i.+t together.

aAdamson, this is not funny. The world isnat ready for the supernatural, maybe wonat ever be ready.a I wiped my hand across my lips as if to brush the last of the laughter from me. aYouare right, but you have to admit, it is kinda funny. Zombies as a flash mob? I canat believe the media would buy that s.h.i.+t.a His lip twitched, but he didnat smile, he didnat laugh.

aAre you with me on this?a His eyes were serious, his lips no longer twitching.

I let out a snort and was about to answer him when the screaming started. s.h.i.+t, why was it always the screaming that tipped me off?

We spun as Deanna came running around the corner, grenades in her hands. Yes, I said grenades.

aRylee, run! Heas here for you.a She slammed into me, shoving the two grenades into the deep pockets of the trench coat.

aWhat the h.e.l.l, Deanna!a I dug at them to get them out.

She smacked my hands. aThe spells are inside, pull the pin, throw the grenade and use the ignition word, Capio.a I didnat ask any more questions, just bolted for the stairs. The roar of the Beast behind me pushed me faster and made me angry. Denning popped his head out of a doorway, his eyes widening when he saw me, then narrowed with anger.

I ran past him, couldnat resist slapping him as I pa.s.sed him by. aDenning, youare a f.u.c.king idiot if you want this out with the general public!a Deanna was yelling for people to get out of the way, screaming actually, for them to stand down. No point in getting in the Beastas way, he was only after one thing.

Me.

The stairs flew under my feet and when I reached the top, I careened through the door, slamming it behind me. I ran to Eve and leapt onto her back. I didnat have to say anything. She launched herself into the air as the Beast burst out onto the roof.

His silver eyes followed us as we rose higher, never leaving my face. Eve used the currents to lazily circle upward without much effort on her part. And I warred within myself. I needed to find OaShea, but I hated that I had to leave Alex and Pamela behind. Jack would protect them as best he could, but I hadnat even thought to ask Will and Deanna to look out for my two wards. There just hadnat been time. h.e.l.l, I hadnat even found a phone to check on them.

aRylee, how high do you want me to climb?a Eve tipped her head so she could look at me.

aTo where we canat be seen from below.a I needed a moment to think. Or maybe a few moments.

Eve did as I asked, climbing high enough that the air thinned. I fought a sudden wave of anxiety when the breath I took barely filled my lungs. aHigh enough, Eve.a She banked and dropped down, and the pressure on my lungs eased.

I Tracked OaShea, felt nothing, knew that I would have to cross over to the mainland to try and get a bead on him. Hopefully he was there and not somehow back in the States. Based on what Milly had said, I didnat think he was in the States. But without an ocean between us I should be able to track him. Either way, I would find out soon enough.

Then there was Alex and Pamela. My mind kept circling back to them. Logically, it didnat make sense to take them with me, to bring them into danger when it came to OaShea.

But my gut was telling me otherwise. They were both needed, for some reason, they needed to come with me.

aKeep your blue socks close, you will need them to survive.a The memory of Giselleas admonitions cemented my decision, but didnat make it any easier.

Not for one bit.

CHAPTER 9.

f.u.c.k IT ALL to h.e.l.l and back. How the h.e.l.l was I going to do this?

aEve, we need to go back to Jackas.a aFor Pamela and Alex?a aYes. They need to be with us.a Eve let out a screech that made me cringe and the skin on my neck crawl. Even though I trusted her, there had been more than one time that a Harpy had tried to eat me. Even Eve had at one point sized me up for a McRylee Meal.

She tipped her body to the left and I clung to her with my legs. I really, really had to get a harness set up for her. But with the way my life had been going, there just hadnat been time.

There was never enough time, it seemed.

Before long Jackas mansion came into view.

Along with the Beast, pacing below us. Apparently, we hadnat moved fast enough this time around. d.a.m.n, I should have asked Eve to fly faster.

aRyleea"a aI see him.a I slipped a hand into my pocket. These were for OaShea, but if I had Pamela with me they wouldnat be needed. aLand near the pond and then go get Alex and Pamela. Make sure Pam gets my jacket and her weapons.a aWhat are you going to do?a aIam going to slow that big kitty cat down.a The Beast watched us as we circled to the opposite side of the pond. I slid from Eveas back and loosened up my one sword, pulling it free of the sheath. Eve swept across the pond, screeching in the Beastas face as she went by him. But he never even turned her way, his gaze solely centered on me.

aDo you know that youare being compelled?a I asked as the Beast crept around the pond, stalking me. I kept time with him, like a ridiculous game of ring around the rosie. The only thing left to be seen was which one of us would fall down first.

His voice rumbled across to me, surprising the s.h.i.+t out of me.

aYes, I know Iam compelled. When I am free of the compulsion, I will kill the woman.a Sweet, at least Danielsa death wouldnat end up on my shoulders.

aNo chance we could break the compulsion?a aNo. You will die. For that Iam sorry.a His black lips rippled back over his teeth and he sprinted around the pond.

I pulled a grenade out of my pocket, yanked the pin with my teeth as I ran and threw it at him.

aCapio!a The grenade exploded in a haze of silvery light and sparkles, blurring my vision. The Beast leapt out of the magic made dust, fog, whatever the f.u.c.k it was. s.h.i.+t, it hadnat workeda"or had I missed him? I bolted around the pond, fumbling for the second grenade. If this one didnat work, Iad be forced to stand my ground, and I knew how that would end. Badly, oh so badly.

Maybe Deannaas spell wasnat supposed to work on the Beast; that was possible too. Maybe shead made it specifically for OaShea, or a wolf.

I didnat have a lot of time to think about those possibilities. One second I was running, the next my legs were swept out from under me and I was flat on my back, the wind knocked out of me.

The Beast loomed over me, one front paw pinning my legs, the other planted firmly on my chest, making it impossible to breathe.

aI will avenge your death, Tracker,a he said as his lips drew back over his pearly white fangs.

My fingers slid around the grenade and I frantically worked the pin with my middle finger. s.h.i.+t, this had to work, it had to. The pin popped out and as the Beasts head dropped to my face I shoved the grenade deep into his mouth, my hand swallowed deep into his throat.

With the last breath in me, I whispered, aCapio.a The Beast froze, his eyes bugging wide and he stumbled backward off me, and then he collapsed to the ground beside me.

I rolled to my side, stared into his silver eyes.

aWell played, Tracker. Well played.a His words were a whisper as his body twitched. aYou wonat have long before I revive. Perhaps only minutes. Run while you can.a This was too bizarre. I s.h.i.+fted to my knees, then climbed to my feet and jogged toward the mansion. Movement caught my attention, and I watched as Eve climbed into the sky, two figures with her. I continued to run toward them, glancing back several times to a.s.sure myself that the Beast still lay p.r.o.ne on the ground and hadnat snuck up on me on silent pads.

Eve swept down and I climbed onto her back, tucking myself behind Pamela. Eve held Alex in one talon; there just wasnat enough room for him to ride on her back.

aRylee, I knew youad come back for us.a Pamela glanced over her shoulder, her blue eyes full of trust, and a bruise blooming on the side of her face where Danielsa thugs had knocked her out. d.a.m.n.

aI almost didnat.a Her eyes dulled a little, but that was just it. I didnat want her to think I was infallible. Quite the opposite, if you looked at my track record.

Eve flew us across the channel and as dawn broke we landed in a farmeras field on the outskirts of a town.

The Harpy hopped on one foot, flipping a sleeping Alex out of her grip so she could land easily. He tumbled with a yelp, scrambling awake, his eyes round with that look people get when theyare startled awake. Like they arenat really seeing the real world yet, but still inside the dream theyad been dreaming.

With a full-bodied shake he turned to glare up at Eve. aNot funny, Evie.a She snorted. aDid you want me to land on you?a He sneezed, scrubbed at his muzzle with a paw, and then shook his head. aNo throwing Alex!a They continued to banter back and forth as Pamela and I slid off Eveas back.

aRylee aa I glanced over at Pamela, who was rubbing her hands over her arms. aWhat?a aAre we stopping here to rest?a This was the part Iad not really considered. Alex and Eve could keep up with me, but Pamela was still a kid, and a kid whoad been treated pretty s.h.i.+tty-like prior to me finding her. If I was on my own, Iad start Tracking OaShea and be leaving right away. But with Pamela along for the ride a .

aIam just going to get my bearings, give Eve a chance to rest for bit, and then weall be flying again. You can sleep in the air, okay?a She bit her lower lip and nodded. aOkay. Iam kinda hungry.a aAlex hungry too.a The werewolf went from chattering at Eve to scooting himself in front of me, tongue lolling out. aStarving.a I took in the area. The farmhouse would be as good a place as any to grab something to eat. After all, this was France, the land of good food, good wine, and s.e.xy men. At this point, Iad take the first on the list and ignore the other two.

aYou three stay here.a I pointed at the spot I was standing on and Alex almost shoved me over trying to plant his b.u.t.t where I pointed.

With a shake of my head, I started off toward the farmhouse across the field. As I walked, I sent out a thread to Track OaShea. There was a whisper of him, faint, kinda like he was across the Veil that separated the human world from the hidden supernatural realms, but that wasnat quite right, either.

I stopped and concentrated on the feel of him. He was there, but it was like the signal was being blocked. To the east and the north, he was at least on this continent and then it was as if the thread Iad tied to him was cut. Not like he was dead, or across a large body of water, which blocked my abilities, but cut in half. I Tracked him again, or tried to, got nothing, and then the faint thread that was OaShea fuzzed again. Still to the north east. Like a c.r.a.ppy radio signal dipping in and out of reception.

But this was weird; Iad never felt anything quite like this before. I started to walk again, mulling it over in my head. I knew we didnat have long on the ground; there was no way the Beast would give up so easily, and I had no idea how long Deannaas spell would hold him for. Food was the first thing, and if I was lucky, the farmhouse would have a phone that I could use to call Jack.

I kept Tracking OaShea, or trying to. His threads continued to blur in and out of focus. Like one minute he was there, the next he was gone. What the h.e.l.l was this garbage?

Approaching the farmhouse, I slowed my gait, but walked right up to the front door like I belonged there. No need to go skulking around in the early morning. I tried the doork.n.o.b and it turned easily in my hand. Hard to imagine anyone being so trusting in this world anymore.

Stepping across the threshold, I did a quick sweep of the room with my eyes. Nice furniture, older but well kept, a TV and one wall covered in photographs. Family shots mostly, some school pictures, pictures of people who had nice, normal lives.

If only they knew what had just crept into their home. A shot of embarra.s.sment zipped through me. I made my way through the house, noting the exits, the stairs leading up to the bedrooms. Typical two-story farmhouse. The kitchen was at the back and I hit the jackpot. Rifling through the drawers I found a good-sized paper sack and moved quickly, stuffing it with food. Homemade bread, cheese out of the fridge that looked homemade too by the light coloring, three oversized sausages, a couple of apples, and a gla.s.s jug of milk. Iad just have to make sure Pamela ate first or Alex would eat it all, the piggy werewolf.

I slung the sack over my shoulder and looked around for a phone. There on the wall was an older style rotary phone, which was perfect since I wasnat sure one of the new cordless ones would work for me. I moved to the phone, freezing when I heard a creak of floorboards upstairs and the soft back and forth of voices. s.h.i.+t, I didnat want to face anyone; it was bad enough I was stealing their food.

I lifted the phone and dialed Jackas number. He picked up on the first ring.

aGot to be you, Rylee, feels like Iam picking up the phone with no one on the other end,a he grumbled.

aWeare fine, youare okay?a aFine, just f.u.c.king dandy.a aOaSheaas threads are fuzzing in and out.a I spoke in a rush, the creak of the stairs making me talk fast. aWhy?a aHmm. Not sure.a aHurry. Time crunch.a Jack took a breath and then coughed. aCould be the wolf has taken too much of him. If heas lost to the wolf, it isnat really OaShea youare Tracking anymore. If youare getting a bead on him now, thatas good. But you might run out of time. Might end up having to Track werewolves in general and hope to h.e.l.l you can find him that way.a I didnat answer him, just hung up the phone and moved to stand behind the kitchen door, blocking me from sight as the farmeras wife padded into the kitchen. Her grey hair was braided down her back and she wore a calf length nightgown, white with pink flowers on it. Shead lived her life probably never even knowing the supernatural was real. I didnat want that to change for her.

Denning was wrong. Bringing the supernatural into the open would turn it into a cl.u.s.terf.u.c.k of ma.s.sive proportions. Even though the supernaturals were stronger and faster, there were far fewer of us than them. If it came down to it, we would be overwhelmed with sheer numbers. Like ants, the humans would swarm and devour the world of the supernatural.

As the farmeras wife bent to pull a frying pan out, I slid around the side of the door and jogged quietly to the front door, slipping through it without a sound. These people didnat deserve to be robbed, or to have some great hulking Beast show up just because Iad been here. Let them live their lives not knowing about the supernatural, let them be in their world of family, farming and long white nightgowns that would never be used to sop up blood.

I jogged back to my three wards. Three, how the h.e.l.l had this happened? Jack was right. I had to start saying no. If I didnat, there wouldnat be much time before I was stringing along a f.u.c.king circus behind me on every salvage I went after.

I handed the milk to Pamela, portioning out the rest of the food between her, Alex and myself. Eve took one of the sausages, but nothing else.

The three of them chattered away at each other and I stood back, watching them. They interacted easily, as if theyad known each other for years, and for a split moment it was as if I saw them ten years from now. Older, wiser, still working together. They would make an amazing team, and when that time came, I knew they wouldnat need me anymore.

This was their training grounds, and I was their mentor as Giselle had been to me. More than ever before, I felt the weight of that on my shoulders, the responsibility I had to them and to the world, to make sure they were trained up right. To make sure they didnat end up causing more harm than good.

The last thing the world needed was more supernaturals like Faris.

Or worse yet, more supernaturals like Milly.

CHAPTER 10.