Chapter 2
When No Isn’t an Option
Ash continued to pull Ivy forward until they were out of the gates. To her chagrin, the elegant and incredibly scary man and his companion followed them without speaking to her, but they were speaking in whispers behind her. Occasionally, the thief could hear the anger and frustration in the male shifter's voice, and she knew that he would have killed her by now if not for the intervention of the person she had actually robbed. That was when she was grateful for the woman at his side because it was obvious that she was the one keeping his temper in check. Ash was eerily silent after what had happened in the inn, and he wasn’t even giving her a backward glance as they moved swiftly through the town’s streets. Something about the tone of the male’s voice caused shivers up and down Ivy’s spine, although she wasn’t entirely sure why. When Ash began to slow down a little ways from the gates to the west, Ivy automatically moved closer to him, trying to keep that shifter between her and the one who was clearly angry about the current situation. She didn’t need for the shifter to give her any kind of encouragement. At this point she was moving on instinct, and her instincts were sending off all kinds of alarms about Ash’s shifter friend. Unsure why she should be so scared, Ivy was trying to hide her fear, but she also knew that she couldn’t show that fear. Trying to play herself off as the damsel in distress, she decided that now was the best time to try to really put pressure on Ash’s obvious desire to help those most in need.
Batting her eyelashes at Ash, Ivy purred, “Thank you very much, Ash. I really owe you.”
He pulled his hand away from hers and took a step back. “I’m so glad you feel that way because-”
The second shifter folded his arms across his chest. “I’ll give you one minute to convince me that this creature doesn’t deserve to die.”
Ivy’s heart dropped as her eyes opened wide. Turning her head slowly to look at the now terrifying shifter, she fought a desire to simply flee as fast as she could. Something about the guy told her that she would not get far, and that there would be nothing Ash could do if she didn’t stick by him. She noticed that the woman at his side had placed a hand on his arm and was trying to get him to calm down. However, the woman remained silent as the guy looked at Ash expectantly.
“That’s easy. As this creature just admitted, she really owes me. Using that, I’m giving her to you to help with your search.”
Ivy’s head whipped around to look at him to see if he was joking as the other shifter made a low growling noise.
It was the woman who spoke, though. “I’m sorry, but I really don’t see how you think this is a good joke. Please, just get her far from here and join us a little further down the road.”
The man by her side looked down at her with a frown as Ash responded. “I am so sorry, Noely. I really hope we have a chance for you to learn my sense of humor, although it’s not going to be right now. I am absolutely serious about you taking this girl with you. I feel it is most unfortunate, but something has come up.” Ivy bristled at the way he called her a girl. It was true that she looked young, but she was probably about the same age as the medic. It was becoming obvious that his reasons for saving her had nothing to do with her.
The man beside the woman named Noely was frowning as he responded, “This is not a suitable substitute for what you were supposed to do on this trip. You were the last one to see him, so you will have certain advantages on more quickly picking up on his trail. And that is in addition to your other talents that the rest of us lack.”
“I am so sorry, Cyprian, but if I do that, I will lose something else. And she is not a substitute for me. She is in addition to my substitute.”
Noely tilted her head to the side. “I have lost him for this long. Is it not important enough to bring him back?”
Ash gave her a sad smile. “I wish that I had found you earlier and learned of his disappearance. Cyprian actually could have said something a few years-”
“How is bringing this up helping?” The shifter named Cyprian looked more annoyed than angry, and Ivy wondered if that was Ash’s tactic – distract them until they forgot their anger at her.
“I am trying to do what is right by everyone. There is someone here that I have to help, or I will lose her. I know you understand how painful that knowledge is, Cyprian. But I won’t be able to get her back because she’s not an angelous. Once she’s gone, I will have only regret.”
“My gods, boy, she’s a human.” There was a definite sound of exasperation and disgust in the words, and suddenly Ivy began to realize that Ash was quite serious about handing her over to someone who clearly had no love for humans. As a human, the scenario that Ash presented was becoming increasingly less appealing.
Ash stopped talking to his friend and turned his full charm on Noely. Ivy could almost see the wheels spinning in his head. “You’ve lived among humans for this long and didn’t know you weren’t human until very recently. Having lived as a human, would you say that they are all horrible creatures that should be slaughtered on sight?”
Cyprian broke in, “I never said-”
Noely quickly cut him off as she raised one of her eyebrows, “I certainly would not agree with such a sentiment, but I think that he is going to need a bit more time. You know what he has been through.”
Ivy was surprised to see something like a point on the elegant shifter’s face. “I am standing right here, you know.” He shifted a little as Noely patted his arm without looking at him.
“I know that it is asking a lot of you, but I honestly believe that having Ivy with you will be much more of a benefit than a drain, particularly given her skills. She just needs someone to keep an eye on her until she unlearns three decades’ worth of lessons.”
Shocked, Ivy turned to look at Ash. Though difficult, she was able to hide the fact that she was baffled by how he knew her age. Everyone thought that she was a teenager, but somehow this guy had figured it out without her saying anything.
Ash continued, “And you are aware of her heritage. After what you told me about your friend – Jaylon was it?” Noely nodded. “Naturally, you have your own experiences, too. You know that it is nearly impossible to accomplish anything without guidance. I can assure you that if you are willing to take her with you, you will not regret it.” He placed his hands in his pockets and rocked a little on his feet, reminding Ivy of a young sapling in a breeze. “Keep in mind she is a thief, too. Given what I’ve been able to determine, Augustin is locked up. Who better than a thief to get him out? I can guarantee that she will be much more beneficial than I could possibly be.”
Noely looked him up and down, and Ivy could see the same thought going through the woman’s mind that she originally had about Ash. For someone who appeared to be so young and carefree, the man was incredibly charming and sweet. Both of these were so obvious that it was nearly impossible to see the way he was manipulating things and persuading people despite their best arguments and feelings about what he was persuading them to do. Finally, Noely smiled. “Whomever she is, I dare say she is quite lucky. It would be nice to have someone so willing to see the good in everyone, even when it is nearly impossible for the rest of us to see.” For a second her eyes darted to Cyprian, and he looked away with a hint of pink in his translucent skin.
Ash’s eyes widened. “Who said anything about a woman? Do you think I would forsake a fellow shifter for a mere human?”
Three voices in unison responded, “Yes.”
There was silence as Cyprian, Noely, and Ivy all exchanged looks, even if Cyprian’s surprise shifted to mistrust after looking at Ivy for a second. The silence was broken when Ash let out a loud laugh. “Well, I guess I am not terribly adept at hiding who I am. Probably for the best, too. I wouldn’t want anyone to mistake my intentions for anything other than what they are.”
Cyprian stepped forward. “I reiterate, she is only human. She certainly isn’t worthy of you.”
Her hackles having raised at the disparagement of her species, Ivy felt inclined to speak up, “She’s a medic, so don’t go judging all humans based on the actions of a few. As poor as my behavior has been, that disgustingly sweet woman can likely be exactly what a naïve little man like Ash needs.” She was almost as shocked by her words as the man at whom she directed the sudden attack.
Cyprian’s eyes were cold as they slowly turned to look at Ivy. She swallowed, but now that she was recovering from the disaster that she had narrowly avoided in Derbe, the young woman felt that she was on more even footing. Of course, she was having to ignore her instincts, but they weren’t always right. It was possible that she had simply overreacted because Cyprian had been so angry. Looking at him now, Ivy didn’t think that things had been as bad as she initially thought. At least that was what she had convinced herself of. There was still a part of her that was terrified of the shifter named Cyprian, but this far from the town, she felt increasingly that she had a chance to escape.
Before Cyprian said anything, though, Noely spoke up. “Are you certain that he is locked up?” It was almost as if she was going to completely ignore everything Ivy had said. The young woman narrowed her eyes at Noely, beginning to suspect that this was no ally.
“Absolutely. It is not a natural prison either. There is something interfering with my ability to detect him and that means that my ability to help is going to be incredibly limited anyway. I can point you in roughly the right direction, but my replacement is likely a much better guide for what you need.”
“Who is your replacement?” Cyprian was glaring at Ivy, but he was clearly still listening to his friend.
Ash tried to hide a smirk as he responded, “Anani.”
Ivy felt relief as Cyprian’s eyes flicked over to Ash, “You must be joking.”
“I’m serious.”
“No one has seen him in twenty-two years. If he had any interest in helping, don’t you think he would have come by now? What makes you think he is going to come back down here and deal with any of this after everything that happened before he left?”
“I asked him to.”
Cyprian ran a thin hand through his beautiful hair, clearly unaware of how handsome the movement made him look. Despite everything, Ivy felt a strong desire to flirt with him, a feeling that she fought to shake off, which was easier when he opened his mouth. “You have no idea how long it takes for him to be grounded after arriving. He will be all but useless to us.”
“And so you have Ivy here to help you while he wakes up to the world down here.” There was a grin on Ash’s face. “I know that you are hiding your real feelings. The idea that you will finally have another old shifter to talk to just excites you to the core. And he doesn't have a distraction now.”
Cyprian bit his lip as Noely gave Ash a confused look. “What kind of distraction?”
The two men were looking at each other when they responded with the same dismissive, “Nothing.” Cyprian looked up at the sky, then back at Ash, something clearly yearning to be said, but the shifter didn’t seem willing or able to broach the subject.
Ash took this silence as agreement with what he said. “See, now, everything will be fine. I can go try to save someone who needs me, and you can be off hunting down Augustin with an old friend and a lovely young woman who desperately needs guidance. Everyone is happy.”
Cyprian simply stared at the young man while Ivy made a derisive noise. Only Noely had something to say. “Happiness isn’t the goal here. What we-”
“I know, Noely. I wasn’t trying to undercut the importance of the situation. Ailey is going to Melzi to deal with the plague there.” Ivy watched as Noely’s eyes widened and Cyprian turned a look of concern to Ash. The young man continued, “We all have something important to do, and I am trying to offer the best solution for us all to accomplish what we feel must be done.”
Cyprian cleared his throat. “Does Anani know what you are planning to do?”
Ash responded with an apologetic smile, “Not yet, but he will once he arrives. I will speak to him first, then I will send him to help you guys.” Ash’s attention was fully on Cyprian. “I’ve no doubt you understand the value in having him if Augustin has been imprisoned since he disappeared. There is nothing you or I can do for him. Of course, given his history with Augustin, you are going to need to make sure that he is careful. Anani doesn’t really do half measures.”
Cyprian sighed, “Yes, I know that at least as well as you. And you are quite right that his experience will be incredibly useful, and his…” the shifter looked nervously at Noely, “special abilities could prove to be invaluable depending on the state Augustin is in when we find him.”
Noely did not miss the look. “What do you mean? What abilities?”
Cyprian continued, his attention on Ash, “However, I don’t see why it is necessary to take the girl with us.”
Ash turned to Noely. “As I'm sure you have realized with Cyprian, we respect the privacy of others of our kind, so Anani would have to answer that for you. And given what he can do, it’s best not to advertise. His kind were hunted nearly to extinction a few millennia ago, around the last sorcerers’ war. They tend to keep to themselves, which is easy given that… well, I feel certain you will learn.”
Noely looked between Ash and Cyprian, but didn’t ask anything else.
Ash then looked at Cyprian. “You can’t ignore her just because you don’t want to answer her. That’s rude, as well as inconsiderate.” Cyprian clenched his teeth as Ash continued, “And as far as the thief goes, what if you need someone who can pick locks and flirt with guards? Do you really want Noely doing that?”
Cyprian looked at Noely with a thoughtful look as Ivy spoke up, “I don’t think you get to speak to what I will and won’t do. I haven’t even agreed to going with them.”
Ash looked at her for the first time with an expression of calculation. “You are right. I can take you back to the town and let them know just what you were actually up to.” Ivy took a step away from him. “I'm sure you will be much better equipped to deal with prison than the expedition they are on. After all, what is a couple of decades of predictability to someone like you?”
Ivy felt the color drain from her face. The man whom she had thought of as a foolish, naïve boy was looking less like someone she could manipulate. “I- I never said that, I just-”
“Good,” his innocent smile returned to his face, “because if you didn’t do this and chose prison, I would still expect you to repay me afterward for having put in the effort. It is good to see you are already learning. There is still hope for you, Ivy.”
“I still don’t see the value in having her.” Cyprian had his arms folded across his chest and from the look on his face there was still a long way to go to persuade him of anything. Ivy felt a twinge of pleasure knowing that Ash wasn’t as capable as he thought.
“Cyprian,” a small delicate hand went to his face as Noely stepped in front of him. “Do you remember what I was like when you found me? How you and Hisa helped me understand who I am and what I can do? I want to be able to do that, and I think that Ivy deserves a chance to become something more. After all, she’s lived a life that was even less kind than the one I led. At least I had a guardian during the early years. All you have to do is look at the girl and you know that she has been on her own her entire life. Would you condemn her simply because she doesn’t know better?”
Cyprian’s expression changed as the woman spoke about their past, but Ivy spoke before he could say anything. “Why do you people keep talking about me like I’m a child? I’m at least as old as him,” her thumb stuck out at Ash, “and I daresay older than her.” She pointed at Noely.
Ash’s hand pushed her hand down. “You may be 33, but I almost double that. And Noely is the oldest one here.” Ivy’s jaw dropped. “Or at least, umm…” He looked at the couple, trying to figure out what he should say.
Cyprian was still looking at Noely. “Is that what you really want?” She looked back at him and a sweet smile spread across her face. The shifter sighed, “Alright, but so help me, if she becomes a problem, I am going to make your lessons that much more difficult.”
It was like light was radiating from her face as Noely threw her arms around him. “Thank you, Cyprian. You won’t regret this.”
For a moment, Ivy saw the way the man looked at Noely, and she felt a twinge of jealousy. His eyes were as clear and beautiful as an untouched lagoon, and the smile that passed over his lips was like the sun on the beach.
Lucky bitch.
She was startled when a voice close to her ear whispered, “Now, now, she just saved you from prison. No thoughts like that. Besides, someday you will find happiness, too. You just need to learn how to be happy first.”
Ivy looked at Ash. The same angelic expression was plastered on his face as when they had first met. “I think that Ailey is luckier than Noely. Shame.” She didn’t wait to see how he reacted as she moved over to pick up the bags that Noely had been carrying.
Unaccustomed to having to think about coordinating, Ivy tried to pull the loving couple back into the task at hand. “Come on, you two. I want to get as far from Derbe as we can before anyone changes their mind. We have to save Augustus.”
Cyprian’s voice was cold as he corrected her, “Augustin.”
“Him, too.” Ivy began marching away from the town.
Noely looked up at Cyprian and grinned, then turned to catch up to Ivy.
Cyprian turned to Ash. “If she causes us any trouble-”
“Noely will take care of it.”
There was a pause and a quick nod as the oldest shifter agreed. “But that doesn’t mean you will be off the hook.”
Ash smiled at him. “I look forward to hearing you apologize for being so overly protective of Noely. Having someone for her to mentor will be invaluable.”
Cyprian’s eyes followed the two women. Noely was attempting to chat with Ivy, who was responding with rather lukewarm answers. “I suppose I can see how that will be valuable.”
“Besides, you two will get farther with a third wheel. After having to listen to you guys last night, I can understand why you haven’t made it very far yet.”
Cyprian’s face was pink as he turned to look at the young shifter, a rebuke difficult to find since the words caught him off guard. Ash simply covered his mouth with his hand, winked, and hurried back into town.
With a heavy sigh, Cyprian shook his head as a smile spread across his face. It had been a long time since he had been able to really enjoy the company of others of his kind. It looked like he had nearly as much to relearn as Noely. “Anani did an excellent job with the young man – he’s got his family’s love for life with a more measured logic. Can certainly see Hisa’s influence, though. I think I have to agree with the girl’s assessment, the medic is much luckier than Ailey.” Cyprian’s eyes narrowed as they shifted toward the town. “Ailey had better be worthy of him.” He ran his hand through his hair again, trying to shake the feeling that things couldn’t be as easy as they currently appeared to be. Something was off, but he couldn’t quite focus enough to figure out what it was. Cyprian drew in a deep breath and looked up at the sky. “Anani, huh? Things just keep getting more complicated.” Turning to see where Noely was, Cyprian picked up the rest of their stuff and headed after the two women as they disappeared from sight.