H.U.M.A.N.S (The Veiled World Book 1) (20 page)

“Yes…for now.” I grinned wickedly on purpose to make him wonder.

The others laughed.

“So how do you want to handle your prisoner and what do you plan on feeding her?” Cole then asked me.

“I don’t know yet but feeding her isn’t on my list of priorities, especially if she doesn’t give me the answers that I want. The other Nocturna that were after her were clearly from the Palace of Night garde. We’re gonna have to figure how to get that Los Muertos port gateway closed quickly before things really get out of hand if it hasn’t already. Gage took care of the boat that they arrived in so it wouldn’t lead to the island here but if they managed to find the island in the first place, then it won’t be long before more come and end up finding us. I don’t know the extent of her powers. I think it’s odd that she was trying to get away from them and I want to know why.”

“I would love to know that myself too.” Cole nodded.

“But if we close it, then won’t it make it even more difficult for you to hunt the Nocturna?” Isis asked.

“Lives are at stake. That’s more important.” I replied.

“So is yours. You have to feed from them to live.” Cole reminded me.

I had no response to that because his concern was valid.

“There will always be Nocturna lurking around somewhere. They have their ways and means of entry into the human world. They’ve been doing it for centuries.” Riza said.

Everyone nodded and agreed in silence.

“It would still make your efforts to find them harder though.” Clee added.

“Yeah, I know but I’ll manage somehow. There’s got to be a way to reverse this change, at least, that’s what Gage thinks and he’s been trying to find that possibility. Also, our weapons aren’t very effective either. Gage pointed that out. We need to come up with something else like the ones they used against us. Their darts delivered both shock and a much stronger paralyzing poison.” “You mean like you said she had the power to do to you?” Marq suddenly asked, breaking his silence.

“Exactly.”

“What kind of power?” Clee perked up.

“Electric shock.” I answered.

“I’ve never heard of a Nocturna with the power to electrocute before.” Riza commented.

“Me either.” Noemi and Elvie nearly said in unison.

“Hmm. I’m curious about that too. At any rate, closing a gateway that big and that well-placed is going to be tricky being that there’s a constant flow of humans in and out of that area.” Clee explained.

“I know.” I said.

“It can be done but we’ll have to be creative about it. It’s going to take a lot of energy and more than just a few of us.” Duncan replied.

“That’s true. Maybe we could arrange and do some sort of a magic show?” Elvie offered.

“Maybe, if it weren’t so busy around that area but we’ll need to do something to get rid of the people, not keep them around. We can’t risk possible witnesses or casualties.” Clee replied.

“Tell me about this Gage. You said he was a hunter too. What’s his class?” Jax asked.

“Phantom Jaguars is all I know.”

The eyes of the other hunters in the room immediately snapped to me with attention. We were all long-time friends who grew up together, with the exception of Maxwell and Stone, as Guardian Tigers. Maxwell and Stone were from the Tracker Wolf Knights.

“The Phantom Jaguars?” Jax said slowly in disbelief as if he hadn’t heard me right.

“Yeah. Why did you repeat it like that?”

“I don’t think I ever came across one but they have a very notorious reputation.” He said.

“I’ve heard the same thing.” Phillip added.

“Notorious? For what?”

“Arrogance, brutality, shifty…” Jax began.

“Don’t forget cold-hearted and invincible.” A voice came from one of the darker corners of the bar.

Everyone jumped to attention, and all of the guys drew their weapons and aimed it at the source.

I knew the voice already and my heart fluttered. I practically leapt off the stage and dove in front of him to keep them all from jumping, shooting at, and attacking him.

“Whoa, wait! This is Gage, everyone. He’s okay, he’s cool!” I quickly stated with my arms out to guard him protectively from any possible onslaught of magic and weapons.

“This is really sweet but not necessary.” He whispered close to my ear. I shivered slightly at the feel of his warm hands resting gently my hips. God, everything about him was so damned delicious. I fought hard to resist the urge to throw my arms around his neck and kiss him right in front of everyone, including Marq.

“I didn’t think you were coming back.” I whispered back.

“Given what you promised me, I’d be a fool not to.”

I turned and looked up at him over my shoulder, meeting his gorgeous face and sexy grin with a naughty grin of my own.

“How the hell did he get in here like that?” Cole inquired with furrowed brows and a serious expression.

“They don’t call them Phantoms for nothing.” Riza said coolly.

“That’s dangerous.” Phillip observed.

“You think? I told you guys.” Jax replied.

“He teleports. Guys, this is Gage.” I introduced him first and then proceeded to introduce everyone else to him.

I hadn’t even realized that Marq had left but Syhenna remained. He was clearly still hostile about Gage.

A sudden, sharp and shrill scream, though muffled, broke through the conversation — coming from the cellar.

Chapter 29

“Look
s
like someone tried to escape.” Clee commented.

“I’ve got this.” I said as
I quickly rushed towards the swinging kitchen doors but stopping in front of Cole first.

“Be nice.” I whispered through clenched teeth.

I knew he was waiting to speak to Gage, in fact, all the guys were watching him suspiciously.

“I’m always nice.” He winked.

I scowled at him.

“Want us to come with you?” Isis asked, already behind me.

“Um…” I was about to decline but Riza, Clee, Noemi, Sage, and Elvie were already in line right behind her with expectant expressions that wouldn’t take no for an answer.

I suppose it might be a good idea. The intimidation might be a good convincing factor, seeing several elementals standing together as a solid front.

“Alright, you guys come but I would rather you stayed here, Clee. Anything could happen and in your condition I don’t want you to be around any possible physical confrontation.”

“I’ll be fine. She’s just a young girl and she’s secured.” Clee assured.

I moved in closer to her. “I kind of wanted you to keep an eye on Cole, you know, to make sure he remains polite towards Gage too…if you don’t mind?”

She smiled and nodded. “I see. Alright then, don’t hesitate to come get me though if you need me.”

“Done.” I sighed with relief, hoping she wouldn’t take offense. It was true though. She was pregnant with my niece or nephew and I didn’t want her in any kind of possible danger whatsoever— not that I thought that little pip-squeak of a Nocturna would be able to touch her but you never know.

Another scream pierced the air just as we all paraded down the small stone steps into the cellar.

She was sweating, and heaving with determination. Her pale skin was a blotchy and her eyes were bloodshot, circles darkening beneath them. She was like a wild, chained up dog who had just been put in her place with that last shock.

“A taste of your own medicine is pretty damned nasty isn’t it?” I commented.

Her head snapped over to us and her eyes rounded when she saw all of us standing in front of the make-shift cell.

She was crouched low, panting as she narrowed her eyes at me. Her hands were curled around the chains binding her legs, ready to tug at them again.

“She’s feisty alright.” Isis whispered.

“Why bother locking me up? You’re going to kill me, aren’t you?” She shot at me.

“That all depends.”

“On what? You said I wasn’t leaving this island!”

I kneeled down in front of the cage, maintaining eye contact to stare her down on purpose.

“Do you have a name?”

“What the hell difference will that make?” She angrily retorted.

“It may make your stay a little humane, you little…”

“Isis.” I cut her off before she could say it.

Isis wasn’t known for her patience and she could be a bit blood thirsty at times.

The young Nocturna began to study each one of us in wonder. I think I knew what she might have been thinking and that had been the goal.

“What’s your name?” I asked her again.

She didn’t answer.

“How did you end up here in the first place?” I then asked, seeing as she was going to be stubborn about it.

Still, she remained silent.

Elvie squatted down in front of the cell and tried a different approach.

“Where did you get those charms on your necklace?” She asked. That would have been my next question but she beat me to the punch.

A brief flash of acquiescence passed in her eyes but it still wasn’t enough to get her talking.

“Maybe she’s hungry.” Riza whispered.

“I doubt she wants a cheeseburger.” I replied under my breath.

“Where are you going to get what she probably does want?” Noemi asked.

“I’m not donating.” Isis said firmly while eyeing the Nocturna up and down in disgust.

“I’m not hungry and I wouldn’t eat anything you guys gave me anyway!”

“You’re not in the best of positions right now, so if I were you I’d tone down that mouth of yours and the attitude. Torture is still very much an option.” Isis warned.

I was beginning to think that all of this wasn’t such a good idea after all. She was hostile, defensive, and probably scared, which meant that we weren’t going to get much out of her.

Noemi knelt down beside me first, and then Isis and Riza followed suit. She leaned over to whisper after observing her for a moment. “Judging by the color of her eyes, she’s royalty. Most of the lower Nocturna possess green eyes. Her eyes are magenta. It’s a start in finding out who she is or what family she may be linked to so I’ll start doing some checking.”

That was interesting.

“That’d be great but keep all of this to yourself. I don’t want anyone past us to know that she’s here.”

With that, Noemi nodded and then stood up again, retreating back up the cellar stairs.

“I can seriously hear you guys whispering. Damn, you’re all lame. I can tell you’ve never had a prisoner before.” She suddenly said with a wry expression and a sarcastic chuckle.

“Let me teach her a quick lesson, Kai.” Isis glared at her, wind gently beginning to pick up and swirl across the floor.

The girl looked at Isis with round eyes, wondering what she meant by that.

“The lullaby dove and cross, do you know what it symbolizes?” Elvie suddenly asked.

Her slanted, magenta eyes cut to her, “Of course I know what they mean.”

“Look, we can do this the easy way or the hard way. Who knows, I may decide to let you go after all but I don’t take too well to hostile bitchiness. You’re more of a burden right now than anything because we don’t keep human blood on the menu, so it would be nothing to me to completely dispose of you in a heartbeat.” I warned her.

She grinned. “You could try.”

It was more of a threat. A reminder of her power and what she had done to me earlier.

“That’s it!” Isis hopped to her feet and cool air began to swirl even more wildly than before.

I stood up and stopped her. “Don’t. Look, why don’t you guys give me a moment alone with her.” I told them.

“Are you sure?” Riza asked.

“Yes.”

Isis pursed her lips. “You lucked out this time, you little leech!” She hissed.

“Yeah, air is very terrifying.” She girl taunted.

“Go. And please make sure that no one else comes down to interrupt me.” I urged Isis, especially.

I waited until they were all gone and the door closed behind Isis, who was reluctantly the last one out, before I turned my attention back to the girl.

She seemed a bit more at ease though she didn’t make eye contact with me. She curled up into a sitting position with her legs drawn up to her chest and her arms hugging her knees, staring the cot, blanket, and pillow.

I sat down on a barrel and watched her silently for a few moments, trying to size her up and think of another approach. I didn’t want to have to kill her but it may not be avoidable and not because she was a little bitch either.

“My name is Kai. My brother and I own this bar… and you were right. Earlier you said that you thought I was a hunter. I am a born hybrid hunter.”

It was as if she didn’t hear me. She continued to stare at the cot blankly.

I sighed.

“Looks like we’re both probably curious about each other. I’m sure you’re wondering why a hunter would behave like a Nocturna and kill them in the same manner. Well, I’d like to know why you wear those charms and why you were running from your own kind.”

“That’s two things.” She suddenly answered and then looked at me.

“What?”

“You’re offering me one and you want to know two about me.”

I thought about that for a moment and her response meant progress.

“Okay, then you get the pick the second thing you want to know about me and you can even go first.” I offered, wanting to establish a sense of trust and take that route to get the information I wanted.

A long pause of silence made me think that she wasn’t going to talk after all, and I could hear the steady drone of voices upstairs. No one was yelling and there was nothing being thrown or broken so far.

All good signs.

“I ran away from home. My father sent those men after me to bring me back. When I saw the open gateway, I went through not knowing where I’d end up. I was lost, scared, and confused…until I saw you. You were heading towards the docks and I knew right away that you were a hunter.

You stopped and looked right at me. You had a kind face but you looked pissed, so I ran away. Even though you were armed, I took a chance and followed you out here hoping that maybe I could make friends and hide out here where they would never find me…at least for a while.”

I was stunned.

It had been her in the crowd near the Los Muertos port. The one Nocturna that I had almost hunted down after leaving Fin’s house until she disappeared into that club. Why was her scent a little different from the regular Nocturna? Because she was royalty? “Why are you running away from home?”

She pinned me with a gaze. “Your turn.”

I exhaled and nodded, waiting for her to ask me her question.

“Weapons, I get, but since when do hunters feed from Nocturna? I thought you all were one of the few noble good guys left…well, most of you anyway.”

I shifted uncomfortably.

“I can’t really answer that one. It’s what I became when I was bitten by one of your kind and…”

“Whoever bit you is not my kind!” She snapped and cut me off, turning away from me again.

My brows furrowed. What did she mean by that?

“Okay. Then what is your kind?”

She shifted and slipped down to lie on her side as if she were done with the conversation, pouting like a little kid.

“Where did you get your charms?” I decided to ask anyway, even though it seemed as if she had shut down on me.

She turned away from me and faced the wall, choosing to remain silent. I expected that response.

Maybe this was enough for tonight. I had a whole slew of questions I wanted to ask but maybe she was right, none of it would matter if I planned to kill her anyway.

She was stubborn as hell but I was just as persistent and stubborn too. I was not going to play this game with her. I knew that by morning, hunger would definitely soften her up a bit. I stood up and began to retreat up the stone steps, deciding to leave the light on for her even though I knew she’d be fine in the pitch darkness.