Shadow Of Death

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The small fine hairs on his arms rose and Jason had the sensation that he was being watched. He turned his head and narrowed his gaze toward a large tree in the distance. For a moment, he wondered if the apparition of the form he’d just seen was a figment of his imagination or maybe even a ghost.

Jason’s train of thought was disrupted when he suddenly heard something clicking behind him. He spun around thinking a Skitter had somehow survived the cemetery clean up and followed them here.

“Gotcha,” Guy said with a laugh. “You should’ve seen the look on your face. I’m surprised your pants are still dry.”

Jason gave Guy a small smile but didn’t rise to the bait.

Guy stopped laughing, noticing that Jason didn’t look that great. “Are you going to be okay tonight? You’d think a ring that makes you invincible would keep you from being sick.”

“I’m not sick… I just haven’t been sleeping well,” Jason grouched, shoving the hand with the ring deeper into the pocket of his jeans. Maybe it was time to tell someone and Guy wasn’t such a bad choice since he practiced in magic. “It used to be that I had to concentrate to know what Tiara was feeling… now that the ring is back in service I’m getting more than I ever bargained for. Strange thing is… the ring is starting to feel kind of haunted.”

“What do you mean?” Guy asked seriously.

Jason shook his head having no way to explain it, “Nothing, it’s probably just jet-lag… going from human to superman in the equivalent of zero seconds is actually very tiring.”

“I wonder what’s taking Zachary and Tiara so long,” Guy said sitting down on the steps while Jason leaned against one of the posts surrounding the front porch.

“Yeah, I wonder,” Jason wanted to roll his eyes at the question but he silently thanked Guy for getting away from the subject of the ring. He nodded toward the tree, “I think I saw Nighthawk a few minutes ago… out there watching the cabin.”

Guy frowned in the direction Jason indicated. He’d wondered what the Indian was up to. Carley had caught him a few times looking for a spell that would make Nighthawk seeable and told him to leave it alone. She seemed serious, so he’d dropped the idea. He was glad they had moved all their spell books and scrolls to the cabin. It was a great way to kill time and also drowned out the… noise.

“He’s not exactly friendly is he?” Jason asked.

Guy shrugged, “He doesn’t have to be, his loyalty is to Tiara.”

Nighthawk moved past them and into the cabin. His trek on the spirit road took him to Tiara’s bedroom… a place he’d been several times but never stayed long. He was suddenly there in the room, silently watching Tiara and Zachary as they finished getting dressed.

Zachary walked up behind Tiara as she pulled on a pair of panties and slid his arm around her. “The worst part of the whole day is when you decide to get dressed,” he teased kissing her bare shoulder.

Tiara giggled and reached for the skirt before Zachary talked her into laying out of work tonight.

‘We will see Craven alone tonight,’ Nighthawk told her.

Tiara jumped and placed a hand over her heart. “Don’t scare me like that.”

“Like what?” Zachary asked in confusion.

“Not you… Nighthawk,” Tiara said with a soft smile but quickly started wrapping the skirt around her. It was bad enough she hadn't even started on the top half.

“Who, that illusive, invisible Indian who has no sociability skills or personality and likes to walk into people’s bedrooms while they’re having a private moment?” Zachary demanded as the temperature in the room rose by several degrees.

Tiara repressed the urge to giggle again as she lied, “He’s not like that and you know it.”

“I don’t know it,” Zachary growled. “For all I know, he’s watching us right now and listening to every word I’m saying about him. All this watching you from some invisible vantage point is more than a little creepy.”

Nighthawk suddenly appeared not an inch away from Zachary making the blonde man jump back in surprise. Tiara didn’t bother to hide it this time and started laughing softly as she tied on her top.

“You had that one coming,” Tiara managed after calming down a little bit.

Zachary grabbed his jacket and slid it over his shoulders. “Yeah, yeah… so where are we going tonight Tonto?”

“We are not going,” Nighthawk said in an emotionless voice. “Tiara and I are going to meet Craven alone.”

“Why alone?” Tiara asked as she slid on her shoes.

“He wishes to teach you something new,” Nighthawk answered and grasped Tiara’s arm.

Tiara’s eyes widened and all that was left of her was the echoing sound of a gasp as she disappeared.

As soon as they vanished, Zachary stormed out of the bedroom and headed toward the front door … not so calmly slamming it behind him.

“Let’s go,” Zachary thundered seeing Guy and Jason waiting.

“What about Tiara?” Guy asked looking back toward the cabin.

“She’s gone,” Jason answered and followed Zachary to the car.

Zachary glared at him, “That damn invisible, stalking, voyeur Indian took her for some special training with Craven and didn’t tell me where they were going. So I need you to turn that damn ring on and find out where the hell she is.”

Jason looked over at Guy, “I’m sitting in the back with you.”

Chapter 4

Mrs. Tully walked through the front door of Moon Dance and immediately approached Envy, who was sitting in a booth near the bar. She frowned noting Trevor and Devon standing at different ends of that same bar.

“Now,” she said getting straight down to business, “how about telling me what happened?”

“I’m fine,” Envy insisted waving her hand dismissively, “I think I just got too excited or something.”

“I see,” Mrs. Tully raised an eyebrow. “I take it you faint a lot then?”

Envy frowned at her deciding not to even answer. The truth was… she’d never fainted before.

Mrs. Tully pointed to the side door, “Upstairs now.”

Trevor rushed forward to open the door for them. He even kept it open, letting Devon go in before him then growled when Devon tried to close it behind him. Jerking the door out of Devon’s grip he passed him on the stairs with a smirk and again opened the door for Envy when she reached her room.

He looked around the bedroom then back at Devon, “You wanted to grow up to be a teenager… didn’t you.”

Devon’s lips hinted at a smile as they faced off. He and Envy had made love only a couple hours ago right here in this room and their scent was still strong… strong enough for Trevor to get the message.

Chad rolled his eyes at the two knuckleheads and focused his attention on Envy.

“Tell me how you were feeling just before you fainted dear,” Mrs. Tully asked once she had Envy sitting on her bed.

Envy sighed, “I just felt a little lightheaded… it was a fuzzy feeling but nothing too serious.”

Mrs. Tully frowned, “I’ll be the judge of that.” She immediately turned to the men clustered just inside the door. “Out… out, out, out.”

“Can Chad stay?” Envy asked quietly.

Mrs. Tully looked at the young man in question before nodding her head, “The brother can stay… the rest of you leave.”

Devon and Trevor silently grumbled to themselves as Mrs. Tully ushered them out and soundly closed the door behind them.

“What in the hell have you been doing to her?” Trevor demanded in a low hiss. “She’s never passed out like that since I’ve known her.”

Devon glared at him, “If I knew why she passed out, I wouldn’t have agreed with your decision to call Mrs. Tully.”

“You need to start taking better care of her,” Trevor growled. “She’s human and I bet you’ve been treating her like a shifter.”

Devon did indeed feel a bit guilty for Envy not getting enough sleep recently but he’d thought he’d fixed that over the last week.

“You haven’t been here,” Devon stated. “I’ve been with her everyday so I think I know better than you do about her wellbeing.”

“I have a job to do,” Trevor rumbled, “and it involves keeping the streets safe for people like Envy to walk down without worry.”

“Sure,” Devon drawled, “whatever you say government man.”

The door to the bedroom flew open revealing a miffed Mrs. Tully who gave them the glare only a mother or grandmother could muster.

“If you two don’t shut up, I’ll send you downstairs and make you wait for my diagnosis,” She threatened before slamming the door closed again.

“Okay,” Trevor said in a weak voice while backing away from the door.

Devon looked at Trevor, “You think we overdid it?”

“I think we should shut up,” Trevor whispered.

Devon couldn’t help but nod his head in agreement.

Inside the bedroom, Envy remained patient while Mrs. Tully looked her over with a practiced eye. She frowned however when Mrs. Tully didn’t do much more than press a hand to her forehead.

Mrs. Tully finally sat down on the bed next to the red head and debated on how to approach the subject. She had a pretty good idea of what was wrong with Envy but wasn’t sure if she should say anything with Chad in the room.

Seeing the worried expression on her face, Envy’s eyes filled with concern. “Is something wrong with me?”

“I wouldn’t say something is wrong,” Mrs. Tully began, “but I’m not sure if this is the proper environment to tell you my suspicions.”

Envy smiled, “Whatever it is, you can say it in front of Chad.”

Mrs. Tully sighed, she loved Trevor like her own grandson and knew he had claimed Envy as his mate before the woman decided to accept Devon’s suit. It was now a question of which man was responsible for Envy fainting.

“Are you sure you want your brother to stay?” she asked again.

Chad leaned back in the chair he was sitting in and crossed his arms over his chest, “I want to know Mrs. Tully. At this point, I wouldn’t leave even if you tried to make me. She’s my little sister.”

“Fine, just remember there are two men right outside the door that will hear you if you raise your voices.” She gave the stern warning before pointing at Chad. “I don’t want to hear a peep out of you, understand?”

“Yes ma’am,” Chad said, suddenly feeling like he was twelve years old again and in the principal’s office.

“You’re more than likely pregnant,” Mrs. Tully said in an abrupt but whispered voice then pointed at Chad again when his mouth dropped open and he stood up from the chair like a Jack-in-the-Box.

Envy shook her head and pulled on Chad’s hand until he sat down on the bed beside her. “Mrs. Tully, that can’t be right. I’ve been on birth control since before I had my first date,” She whispered making sure to follow Mrs. Tully’s example now that she understood why.

Mrs. Tully frowned sympathetically at the girls naiveté, “Neither of the men out in the hall are human Envy… birth control has never worked against their potency. The moment you crossed that line, the drug was completely useless.”

Envy swallowed hard and she suddenly went pale. “Both of them,” she repeated Mrs. Tully’s words and her eyes widened. She hadn't had her monthly since a couple weeks before meeting Devon… she had no idea who would be the father.

“How do you know that’s what’s wrong with her?” Chad hissed under his breath. “Don’t you need blood test for something like that?”

Envy silently agreed with Chad, wanting more than just someone looking at her and saying it, “If it’s true, then with the blood test you could also tell when it happened… right?”

Mrs. Tully nodded and pulled her medical bag onto her lap. Rummaging around, she took out a hypodermic needle, “I can let you know for sure in a couple days.”

Envy had turned her face away when Mrs. Tully drew blood but found herself face to face with Chad. Looking him straight in the eyes, she gave him his first threat, “If you tell either one of them before I’m ready, then you’d better hope Kriss and Dean did make you immortal… because I will kill you.”

Chad nodded in understanding not really wanting to be the one to light the fuse that would probably blow them all sky high. Both men had their good points, but he found himself rooting for team Trevor… though he would do so silently.

Mrs. Tully clicked her case shut with an amused smile before getting up to head for the door.

“Just take it easy,” Mrs. Tully said loud enough to get the attention of the two men waiting in the hall. “You don’t have to stay in bed but I wouldn’t overdo it.”

Opening the bedroom door, she stared at the two brooding men and waited for them to stop fidgeting. “Envy is just a little under the weather and needs to relax so… do not add to her stress. She doesn’t need bed rest but I don’t want her doing any hard labor either.” She sent Chad one last warning glare over her shoulder before leaving the room. “You two mules can go in now.”