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The muscles in Ethan’s jaw slackened and he swallowed. Glaring at his brother, he turned around and headed for the door.
CHAPTER EIGHT (#ulink_530f7ac0-cce3-53a3-901e-e2f4eda224fa)
Anger churning in his gut, Ethan dodged a grey cat on the sidewalk and bolted up the steps to the roof. The brisk breeze that trailed behind him went ignored.
He went to the railing and drew in a few deep breaths.
The band had tempered their music, opting for more mellow songs to suit the mood. Dozens of fairy lights were cast across the street, creating a blanket of white below him. The air smelt of rain. At the end of the street, the senior kids were preparing for their march, a flurry of wild decor, extravagant floats, and costumes that ticked every colour of the rainbow. Visitors had cleared the street in anticipation, the sidewalks crawling with a stream of people.
Sienna and Kate had settled at a table in the park. Declan and Archer hovered nearby, their heads bowed together in a heated discussion.
Arguing about him, no doubt. He knew they’d be furious he’d gone to search for Hazel alone, but what was the alternative? To wait for another attack?
His chest tightened.
Being a Keeper was all he knew, a destiny he treasured, honoured, but sometimes, like now, he resented the hell out of it because of the stifling confines that came with it. Keepers were good, noble, respected – dedicated to protecting witches and the balance of nature. Protecting the innocent. That was the easy part, something he’d sworn to do, but over time, as their enemies had grown stronger and claimed more loved ones and innocent lives, something had altered inside him. A rebellion against everything he was.
Their war was a constant, monotonous battle, where they only attacked when absolutely necessary. Self defence.
They defended.
And it was bullshit.
Their enemies had killed his parents, Sienna’s parents, Rose, his sister, and many other innocent people. They’d attacked Sienna. Kate.
And yet, despite all that, their nobility and duty prevented any retaliation.
A rush of air swept across the floor, unsettling a pot plant at the top of the stairs. The railing groaned beneath his grip, caving from the pressure. He relaxed his hand, the motion triggering the flow of colour to his whitened knuckles. He frowned at the indentation he’d left in the metal.
Turning back to the street, he breathed in again, but it did nothing for his agitation, only calmed the breeze. The overturned plant he’d deal with later.
“Ethan?” Jenna murmured from the top of the stairs. She’d moved so quietly and he wondered how he’d missed her approach.
A few strands of blond hair had escaped the messy knot at the nape of her neck, softening her features. She wore a sleeveless black shirt tucked into jeans, the cut neat and simple. Not a frill or bow in sight.
She held up two beers, the sight of her easing his frustration. But instead of going to him, she held back and glanced at the steps. “I can leave if you’d prefer to be alone.”
The flash of uncertainty in her eyes surprised him. She was a powerful warrior. A kick-ass ninja. Always sure. Always certain. Seeing that flicker of doubt intrigued him. Why, he wasn’t sure. But it did. More than he’d care to admit.
He motioned her closer with a wave of the hand. “Plying me with alcohol?”
“Always good for easing tension.” She edged into the dim light, handing him a beer. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and for a moment he wasn’t sure if the worry was directed at the reality they faced … or him. She sipped her beer and scanned the street. “Wow. It’s beautiful from up here.”
“It’s one of my favourite places. It all seems so serene from up here, doesn’t it?”
“Which is why I come here.” He nodded at the crowd below. “It’s nice to see everyone so happy. It validates everything we do. They have no idea how fragile their serenity is.”
“If serenity even exists. We’ve had quiet times between trouble, but they’re more like beats, pauses, in a whirlwind of threats.”
He didn’t reply and sipped his beer, absorbing the truth of her words. Cynical but so true.
And it sucked.
She glanced at his brothers in the park below. “They look serious.”
“Archer’s the poster boy for serious.” His brother had a forehead permanently creased into a frown. So different to Declan, the wilder, more reckless brother, who operated without a filter.
“Ten bucks you’re in for a mammoth lecture when we get home.”
“Like I care.” Arguing with his brothers seldom bothered him. Tolerating them was easy. He’d had years of practice. He took what he needed, ignored the rest. Suited him fine.
The grey cat appeared on the top step, leapt onto the metal railing and walked toward them. Silent, casual, purring quietly. A burst of music filled the air, the sound echoing in the darkness that stretched beyond the town. Moments later, the steady rhythm of beating drums joined the melody, followed by an eruption of cheering. Startled, the cat meowed and sauntered off.
Ethan pointed at the parade in the distance. “Your timing is impeccable. This is the best spot to watch the parade and the fireworks.”
“Just as well I brought beer.”
“You’d make an awesome date.”
She snorted. “I haven’t had many of those.”
“I find that hard to believe.”
“Being known as the orphan girl at school had little appeal to the guys.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And once I discovered my strength and abilities, I kept screwing up. Still do. No matter how hard I try to be more feminine, to hide my strength, it always emerges in some way. Besides, it’s not much fun walking on eggshells around a man ‘cause you’re terrified to hurt him.”
He smiled, all too familiar with that feeling. The strength they possessed was exhilarating, but in the company of ordinary humans, restraint was always a challenge.
She grinned. “Thank God for Kate. She keeps me busy, gives my life a purpose. Keeps me from knitting socks and making soup.”
He laughed, not quite able to see her as a knitting, soup-making type of woman. Far from it.
The parade began their march through the street, the band pounding away at their instruments. Floats of all different sizes and colours moved along the street, creative and cleverly designed. Colour and excitement lit the air as the fireworks erupted. They were perfectly timed to the music, extracting murmurs of awe throughout the street.
His brothers had taken up a spot on the table in the park, Kate and Sienna between their legs on the bench in front of them. The women were smiling up at the fireworks, chattering wildly. Despite how calm they appeared, Ethan knew they were all wary.
Two grey cats sat nearby, unperturbed when the sky suddenly erupted into red and white sparks. A mild grin curled Jenna’s lips and she sipped her beer. A gentle breeze toyed with the strands of hair framing her face and he had the urge to reach out and tuck them behind her ear.
His gaze shifted to her lips, full and soft and promising. Tempting. His abdomen tightened at the thought.
A steady pulse beat in her throat. Another round of fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating her face in a colourful glow. Beautiful.
He saw the moment it changed for her. The shatter of stillness.
Her expression tightened and she straightened, staring at the street below. “Ethan,” she said, grabbing his arm. “The cats!”
****
A hot spurt of alarm hit Jenna as she pointed to the cats below. One by one, they transformed effortlessly into humans. The shift was so subtle, so graceful and quick, that it went unnoticed.
“Oh no,” Jenna breathed, an icy sensation raking down her spine. “They’re shifters, Ethan!”
“What the hell?” he grumbled, reaching for his phone.
“Hazel must’ve opened the portal to Ameera.”
What that meant sparked a torrent of emotions that Jenna was quick to sidestep. She couldn’t think about that. Not now.
Ethan had Archer on speed dial, his barked orders swallowed by an explosion of fireworks that lit up the sky in a rainbow of colours. The fires in all the metal bins that lined the street flared brighter.
The bins exploded, in sync with the noise of the fireworks, white sparks flying everywhere. A few people noticed, moved out of the way, but the noise and sparks were so perfectly timed with the parade that it caused little alarm.
One by one, like a snake slithering toward its prey, the bins exploded, moving toward the parade.
Archer and Declan were already on their feet, Sienna and Kate sandwiched between them.
Smoke filtered from the sidewalks. It triggered a few surprised looks from the marching crowd, but they moved on, caught in the excitement of the night.
Energy, noise, and colour filled the street. Music played, people laughed, unperturbed by the explosions. It was all part of the show.
The smoke thickened. A few people coughed and backed away from the parade, arms flailing.
Fireworks exploded. Bins exploded. Perfect synchronisation. Light bulbs erupted. A tree caught alight.
By the time the cries of alarm added to the chaos, Jenna and Ethan were already running.
CHAPTER NINE (#ulink_30840110-cbe1-52be-847b-b6027fdf0b14)
They raced down the stairs and onto the street, merging with the crowd. Confusion had broken up the parade. The music stopped, the explosions continued. Everyone began running. Screaming.
Ethan bolted into the panicked crowd, dodging people and fire, his focus zeroed in on one woman across the road. Sienna.
Jenna felt it too. That burning need to protect her witch above everything else. Despite the anguish. Despite the screams. Their witches came first. Always. She raced through the crowd, searching for Kate through the thickening smoke. Kate!
Declan came up behind her, taking her arm. “You have to get Kate home!” he shouted, tugging her with him as he walked.
“Where is she?”
He turned into the alleyway beside the restaurant. A wave of unease crashed through her as her instincts lit up like a runway. In a brisk movement, she yanked her arm out of his grasp and spun around, delivering a powerful kick that sent him reeling against the wall.
She launched at him before he could recover, slid around him and grabbed his neck between her arms. A death grip that could snap his neck in a heartbeat.
“What the hell was that for?” He gripped her arms, trying to break free. “Kate’s in trouble, you crazy woman!”
“You think I’m stupid?” She tightened her grip, taking satisfaction from his grunt. “Declan would never, ever leave Kate alone during an attack, so next time you try your Mimic crap with me, try a better story.”
He grumbled something beneath his breath, his words barely audible, and grew still. Then he laughed. The image of Declan disappeared to reveal the man beneath the facade. She recognised his mop of black curls and his jagged teeth. One of Hazel’s sidekicks, although Jenna had hardly spoken to him in her time with them. A Mimic. Known for his ability to imitate others.
And now there were shifters too – able to shift into cats at will. Both dangerous and deceptive.
“There are innocent people here!” Jenna said. “Are you all insane?”
Safety aside, a magical display like this risked exposure and severe consequences.
“Mildly, but watching you and the Bennett brothers fight to keep our secret is so entertaining.”
Jenna didn’t respond, distracted by a movement in the distance. Two cats sauntered toward her, unperturbed by the chaos in the background. In a sleek, agile movement, they effortlessly shifted into their human form, two women Jenna had never seen before. They were small in build and had dark hair, porcelain skin and narrow, bright green eyes that smacked of malice.
Jenna heard the rush of air a moment before she felt the impact from above. A third cat collided with her, a light force that instantly grew stronger as it shifted. But Jenna was faster. She dropped the Mimic, simultaneously delivering a vicious elbow to her attacker’s face the moment she became human. The shifter crashed into a dustbin but was on her feet in an instant. She had a similar appearance to the other two, almost identical.
They circled Jenna, snarling softly, the sound emanating from the back of their throats. Three against one. And the damn Mimic. Just her luck. Jenna braced herself as they closed in.
“STOP!” A voice demanded from above. “Get away from her! Hazel was clear this one was hers.”
A young woman leapt from the roof and landed on the ground in front of them. She had short jet-black hair, eyes outlined in dark makeup. Small in build, but a fierce and powerful witch Jenna instantly recognised.
Megan. The young witch her parents had taken in. Despite their mercy, love, and guidance, she’d joined Hazel’s cause anyway. The last time Jenna had seen her had been the night they’d tried to sacrifice Kate.
Jenna’s hands closed into fists, her body flooded by conflicting emotions always sparked by an interaction with Megan. Good versus evil. Right versus wrong. Two women on opposite sides of the war. Bound by a twisted childhood friendship.
Their gazes locked, silent animosity bristling between them. A shared past, a secret they both fiercely protected.
“We were only having some fun,” the Mimic replied, watching Megan with wary eyes.
“Get out of here,” Megan ordered, turning to the shifters. “And tell your people to tone it the hell down. We’re here to deliver a message, not spark a damn war!”
They hurried away, leaving behind two estranged woman and a heavy silence.
Anger soared through Jenna as instincts demanded she avoid Megan. The witch who wouldn’t hesitate to harm them.
The witch who had just helped her.
An age-old voice reared to life within her, a whisper of a twisted loyalty Jenna had always felt but never understood. So compelling. So wrong. Manifested during the years her parents had fostered Megan. They’d both been seven years old when they’d met and had become firm friends. Sisters.
Enemies.
“It would’ve been nice to have a warning before you invaded our town,” Jenna said.
“I warn you and I’m dead, Jenna. Besides, why would I bother? You destroyed any ounce of relationship we had when you betrayed me in New Orleans.”
“You were about to kill my witch!”
“A witch we needed.”
It was an ancient war between them, an inner battle they both fought. In truth, their friendship had altered the night Jenna’s mother had sent them through the portal. They’d parted ways. Jenna had joined the academy and Megan had aligned herself with the very people Jenna’s parents had despised. In time, they’d grown to be enemies, allied in opposite armies.
But somewhere beneath all that was a slither of respect and loyalty neither of them could shed. A legacy of the parents who’d raised them in a glimpse of time when they’d mattered to each other.
And if their alliances ever found out, they’d both be shunned. Or dead.
