It was a statement of allegiance I wasn’t sure I deserved. Haki refused to let me flinch away as he enfolded me in a strong embrace. “Be safe,” he whispered to me. Then, as he stepped back, he added, “And if you botch this, I’m coming for you.”
I managed an upward twitch of my lips, and then he and Kala passed through the gate. It fluoresced before settling once more.
Jacques snugged his trench coat closer as he faced the gate and pulled a series of crystals from his pocket. He selected one that shone bright and new.
If I had any idea where we were going, I wouldn’t have needed it. But I placed my hand on Jacques’s shoulder as we passed through.
A tingle that penetrated to my very core, icy cold, then heat—and we popped into another world.
And I froze.
Because I’d been here before. Not in reality. But in my dreams.
My heart pounded. While chained in Xumi’s stronghold, I’d drifted in and out of consciousness, and I’d seen the white castle sitting by the crescent-shaped lake, surrounded by a mix of forest and meadow.
That wasn’t all I’d seen. More images raced through my brain. A woman, her honey-blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail that swung enticingly with her hips. A fit, but feminine, figure. A heart-shaped face with high cheekbones, and beautiful, expressive, unusual eyes. One a pale-caramel color, the other a light, silvery blue.
Gorgeous.
My blood pounded in my veins. She was only a dream. How could she cause such chaos within me?
Caught up in the powerful imagery, I didn’t at first see who awaited us on the path to the castle. A small woman with white braids hanging almost to her waist. The strong breeze off the lake tossed them, and the crystals interwoven through her white hair clinked musically.
Her power swept over me. Calm, reassuring. A Watcher, and a powerful one. My unknowing accomplice in Kala’s careful plan.
To her, I was a weapons dealer looking for a new start at life. If she knew the truth, she’d never have helped me. I was a creature of death, and she was one that valued life.
Those shrewd blue eyes assessed me, and I wondered just how long I could fool one such as her.
“Hello, Talakai,” she said. And then she smiled and offered the rest of it. “Welcome to the Cryptid Council’s Academy of Shades.”
1
Anna
Dammit.I reached inside the neck of my tee shirt, grabbed the strap on my new sports bra, and yanked on it. Hard.
Despite clothing failures, I loved most everything about training. The tap of my runners against pavement. The fresh night air, even when damp, against my face. The push and pull of muscle and tendon. My honey-blonde ponytail swaying, marking time with every stride, while every hair did its level best to break free from its bonds.
I didn’t begrudge their desire for freedom. My breasts, on the other hand...
They bounced as I jumped the curb, as I ran on the walk, and, in fact, pretty much continually. So much for advertising claims—another purchase will hit thenever wear while runningpile.
As always, my faithful Trix jogged alongside me. At least her boobs didn’t bounce. But tonight, my mixed border collie best bud had bigger issues. Her gaze flitted around, and she flinched every time the wind moved the trees overhead.
At the moment, in true horror-movie, heroine-about-to-be-knifed fashion, her focus was riveted across the street, and the black and white fur along her spine stood on end.
“Easy, girl.” My heart got into the spirit of things, offering a few minor palpitations. “What do you smell?”
She shot me a pleading look from her bicolored eyes—so similar to my own, but more vivid. That very look had enchanted me at the animal shelter.
The rest, as they say, was history. We belonged together.
The fact that I had infinite respect for her opinion on life in general had my feet moving faster than usual. I kept tracking her stare. Was there something stalking us?
C’mon Anna. Get a hold of yourself.
I respected that my Trix’s doggie nose was way more sensitive than my human one. The problem was, her nose tended to react to things that didn’t interest me. Like, for instance, squirrels.
