Shadow Effect - 20. Chapter 20

“Two hours. If I’m not back in two hours, you take the laptop and haul your ass to Montana. You got the address and all the phone numbers I gave you?” Elijah’s nerves were shot, even though he knew Tyler had the bases covered.

“Don’t worry, I got everything.”

Therein lay the problem. Elijah was worried. He couldn’t help it. Trevor showing up at the house had thrown him for a loop. He couldn’t figure out why. If the purpose was to throw Elijah off his game, then he succeeded. The last thing he wanted was any more surprises. From now on, he and Tyler needed to think smart.

“Can we go over the details one more time?”

Tyler smiled at him like a mother would at her five-year-old when they asked for the hundredth time if Santa is real before placating them with what they want to hear, just so they’d shut up.

“I’m going to wait in the coffeehouse in the plaza, and you’ll walk to the address. While you’re doing whatever it is you’ll be doing, I’ll putz around on my laptop pretending to be doing something, while trying not to go crazy wondering what kind of trouble you’re getting into. Still not liking this one bit.”

Elijah understood his concern. He would feel the same if the tables were turned.

With a frown still furrowing his face, Tyler continued. “When you come back to the coffeehouse, we’ll get out of Dodge and haul our asses to Montana as you so succinctly put it.”

“If I don’t come back after two hours?” Elijah prompted.

“Then I call your friends and get the hell out of here.” Tyler’s disdain for that option was quite obvious in the sarcastic tone of his voice.

Elijah immediately felt calmer as Tyler gripped the back of his neck. He wasn’t sure Tyler knew what the gesture meant. It was something he picked up from Papi. Tyler had always been tactile in showing affection, just like his dad. Right now, his touch went a long way in soothing Elijah’s jangled nerves.

“Hey, it’ll be okay. You’ll be back before the two hours are up. I just know it. We’re going to Montana. Both of us. So let’s do this. You ready?”

Elijah gripped Tyler’s forearm, giving it a reassuring squeeze, and nodded. “Yeah, let’s go.”

They gathered their bags and gave the room one last look through before leaving. As they stepped out into the sunny day, Elijah had a feeling it might be a while before he saw this state again.

They loaded the bags into the back of the Nissan and Elijah let Tyler drive, knowing he was too nervous to concentrate on the road. He got lost in his own thoughts during the brief trip. Tyler pulled into a parking space not far from the entrance to Full of Beans. The engine idled momentarily before he pressed the stop button on the dashboard. Silence reigned for several long seconds until Elijah opened his door, shutting it softly once he got out. The world outside moved on in its normal routine. He pulled at the sleeves of his hoodie nervously, before giving Tyler a nod and walking off in the direction of the address he’d been texted.

Elijah strolled leisurely, just some young guy out for a walk. This is not the shapeshifter you’re looking for. Nothing to look at folks, move along. Being late morning, there wasn’t much traffic. He doubted anyone even noticed him. A couple of blocks down, he turned the corner onto a pleasant tree-lined street, its canopy providing cool shade. The street he needed was another block away. It wasn’t long before he stopped in front of a plain, nondescript, ranch-style home. Somewhere in the neighborhood, children’s screeches could be heard above the distant drone of a lawnmower. Birds chittered amongst themselves, conversing in a language only they understood.

He approached the front door, noting the camera mounted in the eaves of the overhang, protecting the door from the elements. He gave the bell on the intercom box a brief push, hearing the chime distantly from inside.

There was a soft buzz, along with the barest hint of static. “Please come in. The kitchen is straight down the hallway,” a man’s voice instructed.

Elijah heard a soft click as the lock disengaged. The handle turned easily beneath his shaky hand and he pushed the door open to cross the threshold. ‘Here goes nothing,’ he thought.

Polished wood lined the hallway, leading to a bright, open floor plan combining the kitchen, dining area, and a living room. It wasn’t the gleaming appliances, or the well-appointed cabinets that caught his attention. It was the man sitting casually at the head of a solid oak table. He was sipping a cup of coffee and a newspaper lay open on the table before him. Who the hell reads newsprint anymore?

“Hello Elijah, thank you for coming. Please, have a seat.” The man gestured at the chair opposite the table from him. “Would you care for something to drink?”

Elijah shook his head and slid into the indicated spot. He wasn’t surprised Kage’s boss knew who he was. After all, how many other people would have gotten a text from him with a random address? Not knowing what to make of the man sitting before him, his fingers fidgeted. The man was stunning, if nothing else. Dark blond hair, a strong, bearded jaw, straight nose, and high cheekbones that could cut glass. Ice-blue eyes pierced the air around him. His body was nothing short of perfection from what he could see.

Elijah sat in silence, still assessing his surroundings, wary of the stranger across from him. Nervously, he interlocked his fingers to stop their twitching and rested them on the table. He wasn’t sure what he expected from Kage’s boss, but the man sitting before him caught him off guard. He’d expected more of a Marlon Brando Godfather, not Chris Hemsworth Thor. Fuck.

“I’m sorry we have to meet under these circumstances.”

“Who are you?” Elijah blurted out, his mouth engaging before his brain even registered he’d spoken.

“I was Kage’s employer.”

“I fucking know that!” he spat, anger welling up unexpectedly. “Who the fuck are you?”

The man smiled sadly. “My name is Cassiel. I am a Fae Prince.”

Elijah stared. What the ever-loving fuck?

“I can see you’re a bit stunned. Would you care to reconsider a drink?”

Elijah shook his head. He had a feeling he’d need all of his wits about him for the impending conversation. “Please, elaborate.” Inwardly, he cringed. One did not just ask a Fae prince to explain.

This time, Cassiel’s smile hinted at amusement. “I am the thirteenth son of King Auberon, ruler of all Fae. Not that it holds much significance, other than a fancy title. With all of the procreating my older brothers have engaged in. At last count, I was ninety-eighth in line for the throne and dropping rapidly. I am perfectly fine with that, as it is a position I would only wish upon my worst enemy.”

Elijah gaped at him, not exactly the answer he was expecting. Fae royalty? Huh.

Cassiel continued. “Long ago, my father assigned me the task of overseeing the human realm. I am what you humans call a peacekeeper.”

Wait. How the fuck was he a peacekeeper if he sent his minions out to assassinate people?

Cassiel must have seen the confusion on Elijah’s face. Kage always did say he wore his emotions on his sleeve. “I sense your skepticism. My line of work requires me to identify and eliminate threats to our world. Those who endanger it are the individuals for whom it necessitates the unsavory act of killing. You are aware that the energy created by human ignorance of our existence is what strengthens the Veil?”

“Yes.”

“Then you understand why I have men and women like Kage in my employ.”

“I get that part. If that’s the case, then why didn’t you get rid of Harold Alberts and his associates? Why are Huntington and his snotshitwad minions still alive? Hell, why didn’t you have me killed like you really wanted to?”

“I am not infallible,” Cassiel admitted. “Alberts managed to stay off of my radar until it was too late. The damage had already been done. However, I am sorry I did not identify him as a threat earlier. Kasar Huntington is another matter altogether. The lion shifter is crafty. I only recently discovered he has been afforded a measure of protection under one of my brothers.”

Elijah’s heart sank as he processed the information. “Your misidentification is what got Kage killed.”

“I am well aware of that. It is something I will always regret. As for you, Kage had some very strong arguments for your continued existence. The realization that he was willing to disobey a direct order from me is what swayed me. In this case, he was right. I did not have all the facts before Kage enlightened me. You see, my decisions are made with the information I have on hand. All evidence pointed to your parents being directly involved with Huntington, coerced or not. You were an unknown, but now that you are here, I understand better. ”

“I loved him.”

“I know.”

Tears slipped down Elijah’s cheeks, unchecked for the millionth time since Kage died. He hung his head, heels of his hands pressed against his eyes, unable to stop the flow. Cassiel got up to retrieve a box of tissues, which he placed next to Elijah.

When the torrent abated, Elijah wiped his eyes and blew his nose before looking up and being pulled into the ice-blue depths which pinned him in their gaze.

“He told me more than once that I was the best thing about him. It broke my heart knowing a man as loving as Kage couldn't see how special he was,” Elijah reflected sadly.

“Kage was very special, Elijah. But at the same time, the life he lived and how he was raised, did not leave much space for love. He was absolutely right. You were the best thing about him. But he was not the best thing about you. Your future lies elsewhere.”

Elijah was confused. How could Kage not be the best thing about him? “What do you mean?”

“Your other half, your soul-mate, is still out there. Kage was not meant for you. His energy will live on. Someday it will manifest again. It may be tomorrow, next week, next year, or even a thousand years from now. In a distant future, who knows? You may meet again. But in this lifetime, you were not meant for each other.”

“Stop! I don’t want to hear another word. I loved Kage. I loved him!” Elijah cried, unwilling to hear whatever it was the Fae prince was trying to say.

“Elijah, do you know why you are a shapeshifter?”

Elijah was caught off guard abruptly enough that it ebbed the flow of tears.

“Shapeshifters are an anomaly in the supernatural world. They should not exist. Animal shifters are bred from their DNA, as are vampires. There is no specific DNA for non-animal shifters. Shapeshifters, shadow shifters, light shifters—”

“Light shifters?” Elijah interrupted. “What the hell are light shifters?”

Cassiel cocked his head. “All elements have shifters, Elijah. Light, Shadow, Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Warning; be careful if you run across a fire shifter. They are rather insane. Have you ever wondered where the term pyromaniac came from? There are super rare instances when an animal shifter can also be an elemental shifter. For example, a wolf shifter may also be able to control the earth.”

“You mean move dirt and rocks, cause earthquakes?”

“Yes, elementals have the dual ability to become the element, as well as control it.”

“Son of a bitch!” Elijah was momentarily stunned. He’d never get used to the extent of the supernatural world.

Cassiel smiled indulgently before continuing his lesson. “Shifters, such as yourself and Kage, are created when two individuals who have a small amount of some sort of supernatural heritage create another being. Your mother’s great-great-great grandfather was a direct relation to my father, the king. Your father was descended from a wolf shifter, yes?”

Elijah nodded.

“You see, because there is no such thing as a shapeshifter, or shadow shifter gene, it is a one-in-a-billion chance encounter. You and Kage beat tremendous odds just to exist. But you were never meant for each other,” Cassiel said gently.

“How can you be so sure?”

“I just am. I can see it in your aura. There’s a thread that reaches out from you, searching for its perfect match. If it had been Kage, it would not be the bright golden color it is now, and it would bear the scars of his passing. I am truly sorry, Elijah. Your love for Kage is just as real. I can see the broken thread which connected you. In time, it will heal. I promise you. The hurt will always be there, but one day it will not be so frayed. Someday, it will abate and you will remember Kage without feeling so much pain.”

Elijah wanted to believe him, but right now, the wound was too fresh. Blood still seeped freely. He didn’t want to move on. He wanted Kage.

“I don’t want anyone else,” he whispered.

“You have the right to feel that way. When the time comes, it will be up to you to decide to accept your mate, or reject them if you cannot move past Kage. It will impact you, yes. It will impact your mate, but the decision will still be yours to make.”

“What happens now? What am I supposed to do? Are you even trying to put some of these puzzle pieces together? I mean, you’re supposed to tip the balance back when it goes off-kilter, right? You said Huntington was being protected by your brother. Isn’t that counterintuitive to what your king wants you to do? We all know Huntington is involved in the hybrid pups’ trafficking ring. He’s the one who’s probably in charge of it. How can you not deal with him?”

“I really cannot answer that clearly. I am not here to restore balance. I am here to eliminate threats. The Fae world dictates the terms under which I must abide. Watching, protecting from afar, and most importantly, not directly interfering with humans are part of those terms. The protection my brother placed over Kasar Huntington is an obstacle which I am currently dealing with. The Royal Court is not happy. At this point, the only one who can undo the magic used to place the protection is the King. I have addressed the situation with him and he has agreed to attend to the matter. It will, however, take time. As for yourself, I cannot tell you what you are supposed to do. You are the only one who can decide what path you will take to decide your future.”

“Speaking of eliminating threats, did you know that your boy, Trevor, is the one who killed Kage?” Elijah felt a white-hot thread punch through him, just mentioning the asshole’s name.

That got Cassiel’s attention. The Fae’s golden beauty turned dark. His visage became a mask, giving him a hard edge. He was a man not to be messed with in this mood. “What? Tell me how you know this.”

“Kage told me, right before he took his last breath in my arms and then disappeared. Trevor shifted into Huntington to ambush Kage. He was caught off guard. He wanted you to know, presumably, so you can do something about it.” Elijah wasn’t one-hundred percent certain this was true, but it was the only plausible explanation he could come up with. “So are you? Going to do something about it?”

“I will take care of it,” Cassiel gritted out, his voice as cold as ice. The man seemed truly taken off guard at the revelation.

Despite the chill of fear that shivered up his spine at the pure rage emanating from the Fae, that one statement spoke volumes. Realization hit him and he couldn’t help blurting out, “You loved him too.”

Cassiel snapped out of the haze of anger he hadn’t been able to conceal.

“Not like you loved him, but yes. I did love Kage. He was like my offspring. I saw him grow from the time he was an infant into adulthood. When my father assigned me to this realm, he entrusted Kage’s upbringing to me. I taught him everything he knew. I could not show him how I felt. It is not allowed in our realm. But yes, he was my favorite prodigy.”

“Favorite prodigy!?” Elijah said incredulously. “He was a person, not a puppet you could mold into whatever you wanted and make him do your bidding. Jesus Christ, what the hell? You’re an asshole.”

Cassiel seemed taken aback for all of two short seconds before he laughed. Not an outright uncontrolled belly laugh, Elijah was sure he wasn’t capable of that. It was more of a self-assured laugh, one that indicated he knew exactly how much of an asshole he was.

“I like you, young Elijah. I can see why Kage was so smitten with you. Very few insult a member of the royal Fae family and live to tell the tale. I am not like most of my family, however, which is why I was banished to this side of the Veil,” Cassiel said when his laughter died away.

“I thought you said your father ‘tasked’ you to protect this side of the Veil from threats to your side?” Elijah called the man out.

“He did. Tasked, banished. In his eyes, they are one and the same. I, for one, am eternally grateful. The Royal Court is a tiresome place to be. One must always be proper, always be on their very best behavior, and above all else, must not embarrass the family. I excelled at being proper, but when it came to being on my very best behavior and not embarrassing the family, let me say I had a difference of opinion from my parents as to what constituted as best behavior. Oftentimes, my antics were a worse gaff than the laundress hanging my mother’s royal undergarments out to dry on the clothesline for all to see.”

Elijah didn’t know what to make of the man. Kage had made him out to be standoffish and rather serious. Elijah was seeing a glimpse of dry humor.

“Why didn’t you ever tell Kage your name?”

“He never asked,” Cassiel replied.

Well, that was not anything close to what he thought. All Kage had to do was make a little effort and he wouldn’t have been in the dark his whole life. A small giggle slipped out of Elijah. In the dark. A shadow shifter. ‘Get it?’ he asked himself.

Cassiel gave him an indulgent smile, as if he knew exactly what Elijah was thinking.

Still smiling, Elijah remarked, “Kage could be a little obtuse sometimes, but you strung him along, didn’t you?”

“Yes. I am still on good terms with most of my brothers and I had a bet with a few of them that Kage would never ask. It is one bet of which I am sorry I won.”

“That’s messed up. Why would you bet on something like that?”

A contemplative look crossed Cassiel’s face. “Are you familiar with the name Puck?”

Elijah searched his limited knowledge of Fae lore before answering. “Isn’t he like your court jester or something?”

“Yes, or something. One of Puck’s favorite forms of entertainment is facilitating bets between members of the royal family. The wagers are rarely serious and the payouts are often frivolous. A few hundred years ago, Puck pitted two of my brothers against each other in winning the affection of a lovely maiden in a little English town called Pwllgwyngyll. The brother who lost had to let the winner rename the village. The winning brother chose Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch. Puck had a lovely time convincing the villagers to go along with it.”

“What the hell does that even mean?”

Cassiel’s laughter filled the room. When it died he explained, “If it were translated from Faeish today it would be Imtheidiotwholostabetandmybrothermademeusethelongestassnameforavillage.”

Elijah’s jaw dropped. Jesus, these Fae were fucked up.

Cassiel became serious once more and cleared his throat. “Is there anything else you want to know, or think I need to know about Kasar Huntington or Trevor?”

Elijah’s thoughts flashed to the laptop, but he wasn’t about to divulge that piece of information. As much as he thought he actually liked Cassiel, he didn’t trust him any further than he could throw him. Knowing the role the cursed electronic played in Kage’s death made Elijah all the more determined to find out what was on it.

“Just–” Elijah took a steadying breath. “Make them pay. Just make them pay.”

Cassiel’s eyes flashed with heat. “I promise you, I will make sure of it. My brothers are not the only ones who can afford a measure of protection over those who dwell in this world.” His gaze locked with Elijah’s for another couple of seconds, silently sealing his vow. From Elijah’s chest, a low buzzing sensation emitted a brief flash of heat. In the next instant, the Fae’s unreadable facade slipped back into place. “Let me give you another number which you can reach me at. The one you sent the text to will no longer exist now that we have met.”

Elijah pulled out his phone and tapped in the number as Cassiel recited it. He saved the contact under ‘B’, just like Kage had.

“Thank you, Elijah, for coming today and for teaching Kage that love exists. Because of that, he will always be with you,” Cassiel said, looking directly at Elijah where Kage’s final white light had left its small, heart-shaped scar.

“Thank you for not killing me on sight.”

Cassiel chuckled. “Elijah, I am not an assassin. If I really wanted you dead, you would have been so already. You are not a threat, like I originally believed. As a matter of fact, I have a feeling you are going to play an important role in straightening out this whole situation with the missing hybrid wolf children. You are meant for good things, and you have some of Kage’s goodness to help. The voice inside you? Listen to it. I wish you the best of luck, young man. If you ever need to contact me, please do so. I look forward to meeting you again when the Fates allow.”

“I look forward to it, too.” Elijah was surprised to feel it was the truth.

Cassiel walked with him to the entryway. Elijah stopped at the end of the driveway and turned back. The man raised one hand and nodded before closing the door. Well, that went much better than he expected. He had no doubt that Kage’s boss would make good on his promise to take care of Huntington and his little lap dog, Trevor.

Elijah saw Tyler at a booth in the back corner of the coffee shop. When his friend looked up, he gave a half-wave and nodded before getting into the short line. He desperately needed a jolt of caffeine. When his turn came, he got an iced coffee for himself and a hot one for Tyler. They had a long drive ahead, and it was already mid-afternoon. After paying for the coffees, he met Tyler at the pickup counter.

Tyler’s brow was etched with concern as he looked Elijah up and down, as if searching for any signs of harm. “How’d it go?”

“It was fine. I’ll give you the details when we get on the road. We can make it to Portland tonight before it gets too late and still be able to get on the road early tomorrow. It’ll mean a long day of driving, unless you want another overnight stop.”

“No, let’s plan on driving the rest of the way tomorrow. I feel like we need to get the laptop to your friends as soon as possible. Speaking of, why don’t I drive the first leg? That way you can fill me in on what happened before you call your Alpha guy.”

“You know his name is Sebastian, not ‘Alpha Guy’. Don’t worry, I’ll give you some shifter protocol lessons so you won’t make an ass of yourself when we get there.” Elijah laughed, feeling better now that his anxiety over the meeting with Cassiel was gone.

“Suck my balls, Garrison.”

“In your dreams, Williamson.”

Tyler tucked his coffee into the cupholder and waited for Elijah to buckle up before pulling out and directing the car north toward Portland. It was just under six hours if they didn’t make too many stops.

“So, don’t keep me in suspense. What the fuck happened back there? You seem pretty calm for someone who worked themselves into a damn lather not three hours ago.”

Elijah gave him a rundown of what transpired at Cassiel’s house, as well as his impression of the Fae prince.

“Hot damn. Go big or go home. Fae royalty huh? That wasn’t on the radar,” Tyler remarked sarcastically.

“No. He seemed, well, he seemed pretty normal actually. Don’t worry, I wasn’t fooled. I’m sure the man is capable of many a sinister plot, but I’m pretty sure he meant what he said and it’s limited to those who threaten supernaturals. I’ll have to get Rosalie and Silas’ take on it when we get to Montana.”

“Which ones are they again?”

Elijah gave Tyler a crash course on who was who in Montana. He was still a little fuzzy on a few names, but knew Zev and Ben would refresh his memory once they were there. At the end of the lesson, he pulled out his phone and called Sebastian, who answered on the second ring.

“Elijah! It’s good to hear from you. Zev told me you’d be calling.”

“Hi, Sebastian. Yeah, well a lot has happened since I saw you. As a matter of fact, I’m headed back your way right now with my friend, Tyler. He’s the one I told you about, the one who knows about shifters, and a helluva lot more now, too, as it turns out. We’re going to stop in Portland tonight and then drive straight through to your place tomorrow, if that’s okay.”

“Of course it is,” Sebastian assured him. “It’s going to be a long day for you, though.”

“Yeah, we’ll take turns driving. It won’t be too bad. There’s so much we have to tell you and something even more important to show you. We have a laptop that might have information pertaining to the hybrid pups on it. We can’t get into the system, but figured you have the know-how, or at least know someone who can,” Elijah said, not wanting to get into the details just yet.

“Wow, that’s great news, if that’s what it turns out to be. You’re right, if my team can’t access it, I know someone who can. I’ll have a room ready for you, or will you need two?” That was Sebastian’s subtle way of asking if they were together-together.

“Either is fine, but if it’s one room, we prefer two beds. Tyler hogs the covers and I tend to toss and turn too much,” he replied, knowing Sebastian would understand the implication.

“Two rooms it is, then. Let us know when you’re about an hour out and I’ll make sure you’re fed properly. Sandi’s been fretting ever since you left.” Sebastian chuckled.

“Tell her we’re looking forward to it. See you tomorrow.” He ended the call and looked over at Tyler. “You want me to drive?”

“Yeah, I need to stop soon and stretch my legs. Are you hungry?”

“I could eat.” Elijah realized he’d hardly eaten anything all day. He never did when anxiety took over.

Tyler had to drive another half an hour before finding a town which had more than one traffic light. The only quick option was a Burger King. Neither wanted to take the time to stop at the Applebees they passed.

It felt good to stretch their legs. After filling their bellies and emptying their bladders, Elijah took over driving, finally arriving in Portland around eight. Tyler went online and found them a room at yet another three star hotel. Elijah couldn’t help but think of the luxury accommodations he and Kage shared. He didn’t think he would ever be able to go back to San Francisco again.

There was a convenience store next to the hotel and after checking in they walked over to stock up on some bottled water and snacks for the ride tomorrow. Twenty-four hours and he’d be back in the thick of the wolf shifter pack, taking Tyler with him. Elijah smiled. It felt like he was going home.

Llanfair­pwllgwyngyll­gogery­chwyrn­drobwll­llan­tysilio­gogo­goch