Twelfth Moon (30 page)

“We belong to the
Fraternitatis Lucis
,” Mr. Mean said. “It’s our job to rid the world of abominations like you, who pose a threat to the rest of us normal people.”

Cadence would beg to differ about how normal these two were.

“Brotherhood of Light,” Jonah said. “It’s Latin. I’m surprised you two river rats even know how to pronounce it.”

Cadence angled a quizzical glance at Jonah.
Latin? Jonah knew Latin?

Mr. Mean repositioned his rifle, taking aim at Jonah’s chest, his eyes narrowing. “You just watch your mouth, scum, or I’ll shoot a hole right through the middle of you.”

Wasn’t that what they planned to do anyway?
It was then Cadence noticed the tattoo on the inside of Mr. Mean’s wrist. It was a pyramid with an open eye in the middle. She looked over at Mr. Blond and sure enough, he had one, too.

There was something else about all this – these men and this
Fraternitatis Lucis
– something more meaningful, but Cadence couldn’t get a clear grasp of what it was. “How long has the
Fraternitatis Lucis
been around?”

Mr. Mean curled his lip again. She was beginning to doubt whether he was capable of any other expression. “Longer than you’ve been alive, dearie. Our brethren have been hunting down and exterminating your kind for centuries.”

The way he kept saying, ‘
your kind,’
implied there were others out there that were like her, yet not decedents of her gypsy ancestor. She decided to give up the pretense of hiding what she was. “There are others, besides me?” She made sure not to mention her sisters. So far they’d given no indication that they were aware of them.

Mr. Blond laughed, but the humor failed to reach his eyes. “You’d be surprised.”

Her gaze was drawn to the tattoo on Mr. Blond’s wrist again. There was something about it that jarred her memory. It was the eye inside the pyramid. Yes, that was it.

All at once she felt dizzy and nauseated, her chest constricting as scenes of the past filtered through her mind. She remembered her father telling them that just before Syrianna had died, she kept whispering the same word over and over:
eye
.

Cadence choked. “My mother. Your people killed her, didn’t they?”

Mr. Mean negligently shrugged a shoulder. “She was an abomination, just like you and had to be eliminated.”

Cadence shook with rage. The desire to kill these men rose up like a geyser preparing to erupt. Jonah must have felt it. He leaned in closer and lightly tugged her arm. Her fury was palpable, like a living thing, growing and writhing inside her. She didn’t have to look at herself to know her eyes were feral and glittering, especially when the two strangers tensed. Mr. Blond actually backed up a step.

She was going to kill them. Most likely she would die with them. She was fast, but not fast enough to dodge one of their bullets. With their rifles trained on her and Jonah, by the time she shifted and lunged, they would each get a shot off. It didn’t matter.

Jonah whispered near Cadence’s ear. “Don’t do it.” He knew what she was planning to do and he sure as hell was not going to allow her to endanger herself. There would be another time to hunt these two down and seek revenge.

As he’d stood there listening, running several ideas for escape through his mind, Jonah had felt a strange energy flow into his body. He wasn’t sure what it could mean, but the power gradually built in pressure, growing stronger and stronger.

He knew Cadence was about to shift into her panther form by the tensing of the muscles in her arm, her rapid breathing, and an almost undetectable jolt zapping through her body. She was going to spring at the two men. The instant before she acted, he envisioned her room back at her father’s house, wishing they were there and that she was safe from harm.

In an instant, the air whooshed around them, followed by a blinding flash of light. The sound of twin rifle shots echoed in his ears and he felt a burning pain in his shoulder. The next thing Jonah knew, they were standing in the middle of her bedroom.

What the hell?

The abrupt change in location was disorienting and it took him a moment to get his bearings. He looked over at Cadence. She bent over at the waist, breathing hard, resting her hands on her knees.

He quickly checked his shoulder where blood oozed from the wound. The bullet had only nicked him, but
damn
, it hurt like hell and needed tending. He’d worry about that later. He wanted to know how he’d been able to flash them here from the forest with just a thought, but there was no time to contemplate it right now. His first priority was to see to Cadence. She could have taken one of those bullets. The possibility of it terrified him.

He went to her, grasping her arms, pulling her upright. His hands moved to her face, tilting it up. Her eyes were bright and glittering. “Cadence.” She didn’t respond to the sound of his voice and she was trembling as though she was in shock. A tremor of fear ran through him. “Are you hurt?” His heart pounding, he ran his hands up and down her arms, then over the rest of her body to check for wounds.

She twisted away from him. “Take me back!”

He’d found no sign of blood on her and was enormously relieved she hadn’t been shot as he’d feared.

Jonah realized, then, that she wasn’t in shock, but held in the grip of intense rage. He could understand her need to spill their blood. They may not be the ones who’d actually killed her mother, but they belonged to the same brotherhood that was responsible. And now they were out to murder Cadence. Fortunately, they didn’t seem to be aware of her sisters, but it was only a matter of time before they found out about them.

Those men had to be eliminated. Cadence and her family would never be safe, otherwise.

He had to go back there.

Somehow, he’d managed to transport them here by gathering that energy he’d felt and imagining this room. He did it once. He could do it again, only in reverse.

“They killed her.” She growled. “
They killed my mother!
I want to tear them to shreds until there’s nothing left!”

“I know, sweetheart.” He grasped her arms and as gently as he could, guided her backward to the bed. When the backs of her legs hit the edge, she was forced to sit with a plop. He waited a moment until her breathing slowed and her trembling gradually faded away. She blinked several times before her eyes cleared and she focused on him.

He looked into her luminous eyes, placing his palm on her cheek. “I love you,” he said softly. “I’ll be right back.” And then he vanished.

Not wanting to materialize in the same spot they’d just escaped from, Jonah flashed to an area nearby. It wouldn’t do him any good to appear right in front of the two men, offering himself up for target practice.

As soon as he recovered from the instant change in scenery, he realized the men were no longer there. Not that he’d expected them to be, but a man could only hope. Using his heightened senses, he scanned the area for any sign of their presence. He’d been tracking since he’d been old enough to walk and now that experience, combined with his new abilities as a shape-shifter, made it a simple matter to pick up their trail.

They hadn’t gone far, lumbering clumsily through the forest like a couple of oversized elephants. They’d left in their wake broken twigs, bent leaves, and footprints that Jonah found easy to follow. Either they were extremely stupid, or their arrogance lent them a false sense of security.

Before long, he picked up the sound of angry voices.

“You should have killed them immediately, Colby, but no, instead you had to stop and chat with them like we were at a picnic outing.”

Jonah recognized the whining voice as belonging to the younger of the two.

There was a low growl of anger. “Shut up you little whelp, before I knock you senseless. It’s not like you didn’t have a gun in your hand. You could have done it just as easily, but you were too busy eyeballing the girl’s tits.” It was the older man – Colby, the young one had called him, the sneer in his tone unmistakable.

A cloud of red descended over Jonah’s vision, his fury building to lethal levels. The younger one had been looking at Cadence in a way that made him want to pluck out the little shit’s eyes. Oh, but he’d do more than that. Remaining out of sight, Jonah followed them, silent as a specter.

“Okay, but hurry it up,” grumbled Colby. “I don’t want to be stuck in these woods after dark.” He looked around warily. “No telling what’s out here.”

He had no idea.
Jonah grinned evilly with anticipation.

He was enjoying this hunt. It had been different when he’d chased down the doe. That had been for food. These men posed a real threat to the life of the woman he loved and her family. The fact that they were after him as well didn’t bother Jonah so much. He could fend for himself – and live with the consequences.

Cadence and even sweet, gentle Jaelene, and without a doubt, Kara, would have no trouble turning these two into kibble. But Jonah had already seen first hand what the stigma of having thought she’d killed a man had done to Cadence. He didn’t want her or her sisters to have to live with that for the rest of their lives. Not if he could help it.

Jonah noiselessly approached the young man from behind. Quick as lightning, he placed his arm around the man’s neck and with his other hand, cupped the man’s mouth to prevent him from yelling out. A firm grip on the jawbone and a quick, powerful twist resulted in the inevitable crunch of the man’s neck snapping. Jonah quietly laid him on the ground, and then turned his attention to the other man.

Colby called out in the direction his partner had gone. “Johnson, you about done, boy?” When there was no answer, he stiffened and reached for his rifle, jumping up from the fallen tree he’d been sitting on. “Johnson?”

Jonah launched himself at him. Before Colby was able to take aim and fire, Jonah tackled him to the ground, using his good shoulder, knocking the rifle from Colby’s hands. Jonah could have changed into the panther, ending it quickly, but he wanted to fight as a man.

They rolled, locked together in a life and death struggle, each of them straining for the dominant position. Fists flew and elbows slammed. His injured shoulder throbbed, but he ignored it. Whoever ended up on the bottom would be at a serious disadvantage. That’s why Jonah decided to change tactics by breaking away, jackknifing to his feet.

Colby quickly followed suit, swinging his meaty fist at Jonah’s nose. Jonah ducked just in time to avoid it, coming up to plant his own fist in Colby’s side. Colby grunted, staggering back, but he was quick to recover. He was an inch or two shorter than Jonah, but he was solidly built. Johnson had been a younger man, less experienced, making it much easier for Jonah to subdue him and take him out.

“Don’t get your hopes up, Shirley, it’s just a scratch.” That earned a scowl from Colby. Jonah stepped in then, planting him a facer, splitting his lip.

Colby shook his head as though to clear it. His tongue flicked out, licking at the wound. He touched his fingers to his mouth, lowering them to look at the blood left behind. His gaze flying to Jonah, he narrowed his eyes. Making a low, angry sound in the back of his throat, he came at Jonah like a runaway locomotive.

Jonah could only block and duck the man’s punches as he was put on the defensive. One solid punch got through, hitting him in the jaw. Pain exploded in the side of his face.

Colby laughed. “Guess I’ll have my chance, after all.”

But Jonah quickly rebounded, returning the favor. He drew his fist back and let it fly, connecting with Colby’s nose. He felt cartilage crack beneath his knuckles as blood gushed. Colby howled in pain. He staggered back, bent over, tenting his hands over his face. His eyes were watering and he choked, gasping for air as he tried to breathe past the blood. He roared in rage, swinging out blindly.

Jonah knew he now had the upper hand and a sense of calmness settled over him. One more direct hit to Colby’s temple and he dropped quicker than a saloon whore’s knickers. Without giving it a second thought, Jonah fell on him, and using his elbow, delivered a fatal blow to the throat, ending the man’s life.

Twenty Five

CADENCE WAS READY to kill Jonah. He’d just left her there, on the bed, to wait for him like some damsel in distress. He’d gone back. He’d returned to the forest to deal with the two strangers – without her.

At least now they knew what his gift was. Apparently, he had the ability to travel from one place to the other with a single thought – remarkable. She had heard of only one ancestor, a great-great aunt, who’d had that ability.

He’d gone back there alone in order to protect her, she knew that much.