Loved by a Dragon (No Such Thing as Dragons Book 3) by Lauren Lively (2)

“Uh huh,” she chirped. “Do you have a history of seizures, Ms. Diaz? I didn't see anything in your –”

“No,” I said. “Not at all. I've never had a seizure and have always been in very good health.”

As I tried to reconcile what she was telling me, I began to wonder if what I was experiencing was related to what happened in that alley.

“Well I'm going to grab the doctor and let him know you're up,” she said. “I'm Rebecca, in case you need anything.”

“Thanks, Rebecca,” I said absently.

I was counting down the seconds until she'd be out of the room so I could have a little peace and think things through. Not to mention the fact that I simply wanted to be alone. That was so not like me – I'd always been very sociable. But maybe I was still having some after-effects of what happened. It was something to talk to the doctor about, for sure.

Rebecca scurried out of the room and finally left me in peace and quiet. I closed my eyes, trying to block out all the lights and noise of the hospital – and that's when I saw Glyn's face in my mind again. He was smiling at me, and that smile was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen in my entire life. In my head, I wanted to tell him I loved him, but that made no sense to me. I didn't know that man. Had no real connection to him – and yet, at the same time, it felt like I did.

He whispered, “I love you too,” and my heart, filled with joy, nearly exploded within my chest.

“Ms. Diaz?” a male voice said, pulling me out of my fantasy and back into that hospital room again.

I opened my eyes and stared at a middle-aged, balding man I'd seen around, but whose name escaped me. I'd worked with him at one time, I was sure of it. But I couldn't place his name for the life of me.

“I'm Dr. Paulson,” he said.

Right. Paulson. I remembered now – mostly. There were a lot of blank spots in what I remembered about him, but I did recall that he was a nice guy. Good doctor.

“I've looked over all your tests from your ER visit last night,” he said, “and I'm still not seeing anything else that's a real cause for concern. I think we might want to try an MRI...”

His voice trailed off as I fell back into my fantasy. I saw Glyn again, and this time, I knew I had to go to him. Had to see him. Talk to him. Tell him I was okay. It was almost like another person was inside of my head, telling me what to do.

“Did you hear me, Ms. Diaz?” the doctor asked.

“Uhh yeah, I'm sorry,” I said. “I think I'm going to have to pass on the MRI. I have stuff I need to do.”

The voice coming out of me didn't sound anything like me. Not to mention the fact that I'd had no intention of telling the doctor I didn't want the MRI. I was concerned about myself, but also felt the urge to leave, to find Glyn. The impulse was strong – stronger than my desire to figure out what was going on in my head.

And I thought that it was Glyn, not modern medicine, that would provide me with those answers.

“Are you sure? You had a seizure, Ms. Diaz,” he said. “That's not something you want to mess around with. As a nurse, you –”

“I'm sure. I'm already feeling better,” I said. “I'll come back in if I have another.”

The flippant attitude toward my health wasn't like me. I always did my best to take good care of myself. But for whatever reason, I knew I needed to get out of that bed. Knew I needed to find Glyn.

I rushed through the checkout procedure, denied any medical treatment and got the hell out of there. Once the paperwork was done, I stepped into the bathroom to change. I also needed to see if my hair still had that streak in it, or if I'd imagined all of it.

No, the white streak was still there. If anything, it seemed to have grown a bit. And when I looked at my reflection, I saw something else that almost pulled a scream out of me. I managed to check myself just in time – the last thing I needed was nurse Rebecca to come flouncing in to check up on me.

It was impossible. There was no way I could have been seeing what I was seeing – my brown eyes had changed. They were no longer the dark brown color they'd always been. No, now they were a very light, crystal blue. They were almost white. Eerie looking, but beautiful – but they weren't my eyes.

“What in the hell is going on?” I asked, staring at myself in disbelief.

The voice in my head said, “Find Glyn. He will understand. He will be able to help you.”

“But where? Where can I find Glyn?” I spoke the words into the mirror out loud.

A woman – one of the hospital's janitorial staff – who'd been coming into the bathroom stared at me with an incredulous expression on her face. But then she turned around and walked back out without saying a single word.

“You'll know. Just follow your heart.” the voice whispered to me.

Follow your heart? Really? What kind of crappy, fortune cookie answer was that?

“Yeah, great,” I said into the mirror. “Thanks for nothing.”

~~ooo000ooo~~

Needing to get out of there as quickly as possible, I walked out of the hospital and didn't even bother reporting back into my supervisors. I wasn't sure why, but I knew I had to find Glyn. Immediately. Whatever was going on with me, he knew. He had to. Or at least have a better idea than I did. I had no reason to believe that – I only had a voice in my head telling me so – but I did. I believed it and needed to find Glyn.

My instinct told me to not go back to the scene of the crime. I somehow knew there would be nothing for me there. I just felt that there was no way Glyn would go back there – not so soon. But as I thought about it, I thought there was someone else I needed to track down.

The homeless man I'd almost run into as I rushed down the alley that night.

I recalled that he'd been muttering something about dragons – something I'd assumed was the crazy mumbling of a mentally unwell man at the time. But now – now things had changed. I wasn't so sure those were crazy mumblings – not unless I was becoming mentally unwell myself. Which, wasn't entirely outside the realm of possibility.

I certainly felt like I was losing my mind.

But I thought that maybe, if I could track him down, he'd be able to confirm my visions. Or if not that, then to just confirm that I was also as crazy as he was.

I had no idea how I was going to track down one homeless man in a city filled with them, but that was all I had to go on. And the voice in my head said to follow my heart – so I followed my heart right down to Hollywood.

Where I was going to have my work cut out for me.

I thought back, straining my mind, trying to remember what the homeless man looked like. There were so many homeless living in Hollywood – and LA in general – that I had no idea where to start. And I knew that just because he'd been in the area that night, he might not still be there. Many homeless people were transient, moving from place to place almost daily. And if I were him and I thought I'd seen dragons and murder, I'd probably get the hell out of dodge too.

My phone buzzed in my pocket and made me jump. I'd been so wrapped up in my head that I'd almost completely forgotten about it. I looked at the caller ID and saw that it was Kelsey. I punched the button and held it to my ear as I walked down Hollywood Boulevard.

“Hey, where are you, chica?” she asked me.

“At work,” I lied. “Why?”

“I've been trying to call you,” she said. “I've been worried about you. I heard there was an attack or something in the area after we left last night. I just wanted to make sure you were okay.”

“I'm fine,” I said, lying again and feeling slightly guilty about it, “I went home and went to bed.”

“Well that's good,” she said. “But you still could have returned my calls.”

Honestly, I hadn't even noticed my phone ringing. I'd been a little preoccupied.

“Sorry, it was on silent,” I explained. “And I was running late this morning, so I didn't get around to checking it.”

Partial lie. My phone was on vibrate and I just hadn't noticed it. It wasn't all that important, I guess. Not when I was in the middle of having seizures and fantasizing about dragons who could somehow become human. Not when my hair and my eyes were changing colors and there was a voice in my head whispering to me about some mysterious man named Glyn.

“I'll forgive you this time, Nessa,” she said with a chuckle. “Have a good day at work.”

“You too, Kels,” I said.

Even though she was my best friend, it felt like I'd had that entire conversation with a complete stranger. I'd known Kelsey for a long time – most days, it felt like I'd known her my whole life. We'd gone to college together, were roommates for a bit, went on double dates, and hung out most weekends. She was like a sister to me.

So, how could someone I knew and loved so well feel like a complete stranger to me?

“Find Glyn,” the voice said, more insistent this time. “He'll have the answers you seek.”

“Fine,” I muttered, feeling frustrated with myself – and the voice in my head – for not making this easier.

I felt lost. Adrift. Like something was wrong with me. Where was that happy, optimistic person I'd been just the day before? I just didn't feel like me anymore.

~~ooo000ooo~~

As I walked around Hollywood, I felt something inside of me, a familiar feeling that was pulling me in certain directions. I thought that maybe it was the voice in my head – maybe it was helping to guide me along. I was trusting in that voice and letting my heart lead me.

At first, I thought it might lead me to the homeless man. I walked for what felt like hours and instead of finding the homeless man, I found myself sitting outside of an apartment complex I didn't recognize. We were no longer in the derelict part of Hollywood though, we were in West Hollywood – a nicer, more affluent part of the city.

I stared at the apartment complex and felt a connection to the place. But I'd never seen the building before, which left me confused. I couldn't shake the feeling though, that the place was familiar. Like, this was home, for some reason.

For some reason, I felt like I belonged here.

I walked around the block, stopped at a coffee shop and tried to get my bearings. I'd never been to that apartment complex, or that coffee shop, but somehow, everything just felt familiar to me. Which was absurd. I got to this part of the city maybe once a year with Kelsey. Certainly, never enough to feel as familiar with the area as I did. And yet, I couldn't shake the feeling of familiarity.

As I stepped into the coffee shop, I was so consumed with my thoughts that it didn't even occur to me until after the fact that I hadn't even looked at the menu before ordering.

“Aztec Mocha, please,” I said.

I had no idea what I'd just ordered, but I just let it go. And as the barista handed it to me, I took a sip, expecting some sweet beverage. But it was spicy. Like chili pepper spicy. The spice was mixed with coffee and chocolate, of course, which made it bearable.

It was an interesting combination and wasn’t a drink I'd have ordered normally, but I had to admit I liked it.

As I stepped outside again, I felt drawn back to the apartment complex once more. Figuring I'd already come as far as I had, I decided I might as well see what came of it. If anything. I sat down on the steps of the complex and waited – because I just had a feeling I needed to wait.

And for some unknown reason, I was getting good at listening to my feelings and hunches.

Wait for what though? I had no idea who or what I was waiting for, but I had a feeling I'd be one step closer to getting some much-needed answers.

Chapter Eleven

Glyn

I was so caught up in my own head that I hardly noticed the woman sitting outside my apartment complex. It wasn't unusual for people to hang around on the street, so I didn't even pay any attention to her. I was heading inside when her voice stopped me.

“Glyn?”

My body tense, my hand already reaching for the dagger on my belt, I stopped in place and turned toward her. And when she looked up at me, giving me a good view of her eyes, I almost lost it. Those were her eyes – Onda's eyes. The woman looked at me, her eyes wide, a look of near panic on her face.

Overcome with emotion, visions of Onda swirling through my head, I fought the urge to reach out and touch the strange woman. I shook my head, cleared my throat, and tried to check the wave of emotion that had risen up within me.

Onda was dead. The woman who sat before me obviously had eyes that were similar and it was that similarity that had thrown me for a loop – for a moment.

I was back in control of myself again.

“Yes? Who are you?” I snapped.

“My name is Vanessa,” she said, stepping toward me. “I was the nurse who tried to help –”

I stopped her right there, not wanting to answer any more questions. She couldn't know what happened. She needed to forget that she'd ever seen me or watched Onda die. She just needed to go away and go on with her life – like I was trying to go on with mine.

“I have no idea what you're talking about,” I said. “So, if you'll excuse me, it's been a long night and I'd like to get some sleep.”

“Your name is Glyn, right?” she said. “And your girlfriend – her name was Onda?”

“Miss, you have the wrong person,” I said.

She had to have heard our names that night. I thought back and remembered that I'd told her mine – and I guessed that she'd heard me talking to Onda. That was the only logical explanation I could come up with for how she knew our names.

“My name isn't Glyn,” I said. “And I have never heard of somebody named Onda. I'm sorry, you have the wrong person. I really must go now.”

As soon as those words came out of my mouth though, a strange expression crossed the woman's face. An expression of pain. Her eyes welled with tears and I thought she might cry. And as I looked at her, saw the obvious pain she was in, I just wanted to reach out and touch her, comfort her.

What I really wanted though, was to comfort Onda.

But this wasn't Onda. This was a woman named Vanessa. I still wasn't sure how her eyes could be so crystalline blue – just like Onda's had been – but I had to remind myself again that they weren't Onda's eyes. This woman obviously wasn't Onda and I needed to pull myself together.

“Listen, Glyn,” she continued, even though I'd denied who I was. “Something's been happening to me since that night in the alley. I'm – well – I'm changing. First, this white streak in my hair popped up overnight, and then my eyes –”

“Let me stop you right there,” I said. “Vanessa, seriously, I appreciate that you're trying to figure out what happened to you, but please, it's better for all of us if you just go back home and forget I exist. Forget everything that happened to you in that alley. Got it?”

“Your girlfriend,” she asked again, undeterred. “Where is she?”

That was the last straw. With my fists clenched at my sides, I walked past her and punched in the code that would let me into the lobby of my apartment complex. I closed the door after me, making sure it locked behind me. I stared at Vanessa through the glass and found her staring straight back at me. As I stared into her eyes, I couldn't deny that I felt a connection. I quickly pulled myself away, shifting my gaze away from her eyes.

It was a trap. I was grieving. I wasn't myself. So many excuses ran through my mind for how I felt, for the urges I was struggling with.

“She's gone, Vanessa,” I said. “And you need to be gone too. If you know what's good for you.”

Even though it pained me to turn away, I did so. I walked past the elevator and took the stairs to my apartment, refusing to look back – even though it felt like Onda was calling out to me through the eyes of a live woman.

But Onda was dead. She was gone. There was no way she was calling to me. It was my grief and it was all in my head.

And as much as I hated turning my back on the woman who'd tried to help us, I had no other choice. Even a simple thanks would give her too much information. As a human, she shouldn't have been there in the first place. Shouldn't have seen what she did. But she had been, and now whatever was happening to her wasn't something I could help her with.

Besides, she was safer without my help.

~~ooo000ooo~~

Quint tried to talk me into staying home that night, to let him send someone else out on patrol. But I wouldn't have it. Not even after the debacle the night before. Following up on the Xar nest, making sure we'd either gotten all of them or had driven them deep underground, I went back to the same darkened alley and looked at the tunnel coming from the building.

There was no sound from inside the tunnel. No sign of any creatures scurrying about. It wasn't surprising – without their Queen, the Xar were more or less useless. They'd move on to find another colony or would simply die off on their own eventually. The Queen was the glue that held the entire colony together.

I was just about to call the whole mission a success and move on to something else I could kill when I heard something. Holding my sword in my hand, I listened and waited, barely drawing a breath, and not moving in the least. My body was tense and I was ready for a fight.

Footsteps. And they were coming this way. I moved quickly and silently, sliding myself behind the dumpster and slid my dagger out of its sheath. It could be a homeless person scrounging for food or it could be some other creature of the night – until I saw it, I wouldn't know. But I'd be ready.

“Hello?” a female voice called out, her voice echoing around the alley. “Glyn, I know you're here.”

I sighed and hung my head. Great. She was the last thing I needed at the moment. I stood up and stepped around the dumpster, catching sight of Vanessa in the moonlight.

“What in the hell are you doing?” I fumed. “Are you stalking me now?”

She stood tall and jutted her chin out – a very Onda-like gesture if I'd ever seen one – and walked toward me. There was something in the way she walked, something that reminded me of Onda, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Call it her swagger, whatever, but the way she moved, with a fluid grace, sent chills down my spine and for a second, I thought maybe it was Onda walking toward me.

But, of course, it couldn't be. Onda was dead. It seemed I needed to remind myself of that fact over and over again. I quickly sheathed my blades, hoping she hadn't caught sight of them – that might be difficult to explain. Especially, in light of the wound that had killed Onda.

“We need to talk,” she said. “And I'm not going to take no for an answer this time. Something's happening to me and I think you know exactly what it is.”

“I told you, there's nothing to talk about,” I said. “I don't know you. You don't know me. Let's just move on with our lives.”

“Uh huh. So, you just randomly roam the dark alleys of Los Angeles at night, by yourself?” she asked dryly.

“It's my – it's my job,” I said sternly.

“Your job?” she asked, the sound of laughter in her voice. “And what exactly is your job title, Glyn?”

“Security,” I said matter-of-factly.

“Bullshit,” she said. “In fact, you don't even need to answer because I already know what you do. You're a Ranger. That's your official job title.”

My eyes grew wide and my mouth fell open. I was stunned by what she'd just said.

“How did you –”

She shrugged. “I wish I knew,” she said. “That's why I need to talk to you. I just know things, Glyn. I know things I shouldn't know and I don't know how it's possible. Like how did I know where to find you?”

“You followed me?” I said. “I mean, just a guess, but I assumed that's –”

“I didn't follow you,” she said. “Believe it or not, I left your apartment and went home. But then later, I had an urge to go for a walk and I ended up here. And I knew you were here too because I could feel you. Could you feel me, Glyn?”

“Not really,” I said, seriously debating whether Vanessa was certifiably insane or not.

She closed the distance between us. “How about now, Glyn? Can you feel me now?”

She laid her hand gently on my cheek and there was a warmth on my skin, as if I was surrounded by a warm, familiar light. But I was imagining it – I had to be.

“No, Vanessa, listen –” I started to cut her off when I heard a familiar sound.

Scurrying. The sound of nails on concrete. I felt my pulse quicken, knowing what was coming.

Xars.

“What was that?” she asked, her eyes growing wide.

As I looked at her, I would have sworn that those were Onda's eyes staring back at me. I shook my head. It wasn't Onda. Onda wouldn't have had fear in her eyes at the sound of the Xars approaching. She would have grinned, relishing the chance to cut some of them down. I needed to get it through my head once and for all – Vanessa was not Onda and Onda was not Vanessa. Period.

“They're rats,” I lied. “Big rats. And you should probably get out of here. Okay?”

“I'm not going anywhere,” she said, crossing her arms in front of her. “Not until I get some answers from you.”

The sound of more of the hateful little creatures scurrying our way filled the air. Dammit. I didn't have time for this. They were going to be on us in a matter of seconds.

“Fine,” I snapped. “Then get out of the way, will you? I have a job to do.”

I pushed Vanessa against the brick building and out of my way and she looked at me like she wanted to punch me in the face. The Xar didn't ordinarily have a taste for human flesh, meaning she'd be safe most likely. Unless they were changing and adapting to the world of man. It was always a possibility, but I was pretty sure that this time, they'd come for me.

“What in the –” she gasped.

A large creature wiggled its way out of the hole in the side of the building and skittered toward us. Several smaller ones crawled out of the hole, falling into line behind it.

The creature walking toward us looked a lot like the Queen – only larger. With a head filled with eyes, multiple long, spindly legs and arms, and a body that resembled a rat, it was a larger version of the smaller creatures. I gritted my teeth, the adrenaline beginning to flow. We'd killed the Queen – what in the hell was this?

And then it hit me – it had to be the King.

I racked my brain, trying to recall everything I knew about the Xar and remembered that although the Xar were a matriarchal society, some nests had one powerful King who ruled at the Queen's side. Not all nests had them, but some did. And when a Queen took a mate, they mated for life.

Which meant that this creature's lifemate had met a horrible end thanks to my kind. And he looked pretty pissed about it.

“Oh, my God,” Vanessa gasped when the creature turned his eyes on her – all hundred of them.

He grinned and stepped forward, long legs that ended in dagger-like nails clacking against the pavement. The creature jutted its head forward and sniffed the air near her.

“Mmm, I love the smell of fresh, dragon meat,” the King said.

“Wow, you really are as dumb as you look. She's not Dragonborn, you idiot,” I said, moving to put myself between Vanessa and the King. “But I am.”

With my sword in hand, I quickly closed the distance between us and thrust the point of my blade at the King. A malevolent and creepy smile crossed its misshapen mouth when he caught my blade with several of his hands. He stared me down, smiling. Amused. He thought he'd won.

“You don't have your friends to help you this time,” he said. “And I'm much stronger than my beloved. The woman you murdered.”

I heard despair in the creature's voice and for a split second, my heart actually ached for that bastard. Like me, he'd also lost his lifemate – the one he'd loved most in the world. For a moment, I tried to imagine what he must be feeling – the loss, the pain, the torment. Feelings that were very familiar to me and hit very close to home.

But that feeling of sympathy passed when I remembered all the Dragonborn they'd killed in my lifetime. I used that knowledge to fuel the anger within me. I raised it, let it bubble up, and then unleashed my rage upon him.

He was right about one thing though – he was strong.

I danced backwards, yanking my blade free from his hands. Drawing my dagger, I moved forward again, weaving both blades in a flurry of movement.

“Glyn, look out!”

Vanessa's voice distracted me, but it allowed me to catch the quick movement of several of the smaller creatures darting forward. I'd been so focused on taking out the King that I'd opened myself up to attack from his minions. Stupid, stupid mistake.

I pivoted and swung my blade in a murderous arc, slicing straight through the bodies of the Xar who were almost on top of me. Cut in half, their bodies flopped to the pavement and twitched as their blood flowed and life left them.

The blow caught me in the sternum and knocked me backward. I hit the wall and felt the air drive from my lungs in a whoosh. My blades clattered to the ground and I gasped, wheezed, and fought for breath. The King advanced on me, a predatory grin on its lumpy, misshapen face.

The smaller Xar had been the diversion – the pawns in our little game of chess. And I'd allowed myself to be so distracted by them, that I hadn't seen the bigger threat – the King – until he'd delivered a hammer blow to my chest. And as I slumped to the ground, trying to breathe, I looked up at the creature looming over me. My rage and my hate filled me – but they couldn't fill my lungs.

“You're going to die now, Ranger,” it hissed.

I started to stand – there was no way in hell I was going to die on my ass – but the King swung one of his legs and it caught me upside the head. The force of the blow was so fierce, it threw me several feet to the side. I landed face down on the pavement and felt the blood flowing from a wound that had opened on my scalp.

I was dizzy and my head was ringing. I crawled to my hands and knees and felt myself lifted off the ground, the force of the King's kick to my side sending me sprawling. The taste of blood filled my mouth and I was fighting the darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision. I couldn't let myself pass out or I was going to be a Xar buffet.

I needed to shift. I needed to be in my dragon form to battle this monster. I shot a quick look over at Vanessa who was staring at me with wide eyes, her face a mask of terror. Feeling the bones begin to move beneath my skin, I started to shift. I felt my body growing thicker, harder – felt my wings begin to emerge from my back.

And then I felt nothing but excruciating pain. I cried out as the King drove a blade – a silver blade – into my leg. I quickly reverted back to my human form, the silver dagger protruding from the back of my calf preventing me from shifting.

“Not this time, Ranger,” the King growled. “You're going to die in your human suit.”

A flash of movement behind the King drew my gaze and my eyes widened in horror.

“Vanessa, no!” I called.

But it was too late. She'd picked up my sword and dagger and was closing the distance between herself and the King. I watched as she twirled the blades, weaving them in a movement that was almost hypnotic – and entirely familiar.

The King's attention was diverted from me. He motioned with one of his hands and half a dozen of his smaller minions launched themselves at the woman. I saw a grin tugging the corner of her mouth upward as she spun and sliced through them all in one smooth, easy cut. Six creatures went up and twelve pieces fell to the pavement with a meaty thump.

The King growled and was already advancing on her – the same diversion tactic he'd used on me. But Vanessa was ready for it. She launched herself upward, flipping herself over the King in one smooth, graceful motion. She landed on her feet softly and with her blades already in fighting position.

As the King pivoted and turned toward her, Vanessa swung the sword in a deadly arc. The King threw his hands up to protect himself – but only managed to get two of his arms lopped off for his trouble. They fell to the ground and the King howled in pained outrage.

Vanessa used that distraction to make her move. She threw herself to the ground, performing a perfect shoulder roll and came up just beneath the monster. She drove the points of both blades upward and pierced his softer underbelly.

The King let out a wail of sheer agony that echoed up and down the alleyway. Vanessa twisted the blades viciously and then planted her foot on the King's chest, driving him backward with a hard kick. The King fell to the ground, blood spilling out of the open, ragged wounds she'd left. His breathing was shallow and ragged and the life fled from his eyes. It wasn't long before he lay completely still. Dead.

I watched as the smaller Xar swarmed out of the hole and dragged their dead King back into the tunnels with them – likely their feast for the night. Cannibalism was among the more disgusting habits practiced by that filth.

Looking up at Vanessa, I felt nothing but shock. And awe. She stood stone still, looking down at the blades in her hands as if she had no idea how they'd gotten there in the first place or what she'd just done.

She looked back at me and I could see the confusion in her eyes, the fear etched upon her face. The way she'd used those blades though – it was like she was a natural with them. She'd moved and flowed with a deadly grace that I'd never seen in a human, and only rarely among the Dragonborn.

Vanessa said she was a nurse, but to me, she looked like a Ranger. And the way she fought made me think she looked like a certain Ranger in particular.

“I don't –” she started.

The blades clattered to the ground, the steel ringing out against the pavement. She fell to her knees and buried her face in her hands. Getting to my feet – still somewhat unsteadily – I walked over to her and pulled her up, wrapped her in a tight embrace. She resisted at first, but when Vanessa finally wrapped her arms around me a feeling like a jolt of electricity shot through me. I looked down at her, not understanding what was happening or what I was feeling.

Her body pressed to mine, although completely foreign to me, still somehow felt familiar. Felt like home. And I didn't understand one damn bit of it.

“You saved my life,” I said quietly. “Thank you.”

Chapter Twelve

“Do you see now?” she stammered, following behind me as I tried to walk away from her. “Do you see that something isn't right with me?”

We'd stayed in that alleyway, locked into a tight embrace for a long while. It had taken Vanessa some time to come down from the battle – not that she was entirely down yet, but she was better. At least, she was talking. A lot.

Being so close to her clouded my mind. Made me think I was going insane. My grief over Onda's death was making me see things that weren't there. Feel things that I shouldn't be feeling. Believe things that couldn't possibly be true.

I needed to get away from Vanessa. And I needed to get away from her quickly.

“Don't you see it, Glyn?” she pressed me. “Something's happening to me. I've never used a sword before in my life and yet...”

And yet, she'd used them to save my life. Had used them like a skilled expert in fact. Yeah, I saw it alright. In fact, I saw it so clearly that I couldn't even look at her because all I could see was Onda. Watching her moving and flowing in her deadly dance with the Xar King made me think that Onda had come back to life. She had been the best with the sword I'd ever seen and I was convinced that only Onda could have made a kill like that look so easy.

But Vanessa wasn't Onda. I had no idea what was going on, but she wasn't my Onda. Never would be.

Vanessa was keeping pace with me and wasn't about to let this go. Sticky black blood – Xar blood – covered her clothing, and yet, she didn't even flinch. She acted like this was all entirely normal for her, and unless I'd missed something, nothing that had happened in that alley was even remotely normal for her. For me, yeah. For her, no.

She followed me all the way back to my apartment, nagging me the entire way. As I got to the front doors of my complex, I'd had enough. She had to go and I couldn't be around her. I turned to her and finally decided to speak up.

But as I turned and looked at her, my breath caught in my throat. The light caught the silvery white in her hair and her eyes – Onda's eyes – were within inches of mine. And then, she reached out and touched me – just my arm – but she touched me and I felt something stir within me. My skin felt warm beneath her touch and that sense of familiarity flowed through me like a river.

My heart thundered in my chest and my eyes widened as I looked at her. I shook my head, trying to deny what I was seeing. What I was feeling.

“Onda?” I whispered, feeling as if she was literally right here. “But how?”

Vanessa eyes widened in surprise and she whispered, “Glyn –”

The electricity between us was palpable, and even when she pulled her hand away from my arm, the feeling lingered – the sense of connection. It felt unlike anything I'd ever felt before – except with Onda.

“Glyn, may I come inside?” she asked, her voice barely more than a whisper. “And we can –”

Before she finished her phrase, I did the unthinkable. I pressed my lips to hers and kissed her. The urge had overwhelmed me, and before I could stop it, I'd just acted.

When our lips touched, my body exploded with sensation. It was powerful – like a bomb had gone off between us. Vanessa kissed me back with such passion and urgency, it was as if she'd known me forever and had missed me dearly.

I opened the door to my complex and we stumbled inside together. Even with my passion and emotion nearly drowning me, I knew intellectually, that the person I was kissing wasn't Onda. And it didn't feel exactly the same as kissing Onda. But there was something there. Something I couldn't explain. Something that was comfortable. Familiar. Something I'd missed desperately.

And it seemed like Vanessa sensed it too.

As we entered my apartment, we were still kissing. I kicked the door shut with my foot as Vanessa removed my shirt, pulling it over my head and tossing it to the side.

“I'm not normally like this,” she murmured. “I don't know what's gotten into me – I just can't stop touching you. I don't want to stop.”

“I feel the same way,” I said.

I picked her up in my arms and carried her down the hallway to my bedroom. As I laid her down on the bed, I stared at her, mesmerized by her beauty, hypnotized by the overwhelming sense of familiarity enveloping me.

There was a desperation and an urgency between us as we shed our clothing. I quickly stripped her down and pressed my body against her, kissing her, savoring her, devouring her. With her hands in my hair, she pulled my face to hers, kissing me deeply. The spark between us – that connection I felt so strongly and so powerfully – was driving me crazy.

She felt so familiar to me, yet, still so different.

“Glyn,” she moaned, pulling away from me to stare into my eyes.

I stared into her eyes, still feeling a profound sense of disbelief. The face was different and yet, those were without a doubt, Onda's icy blue eyes staring back at me. But how?

I felt a pull toward her. A longing. A hunger. It was as if our bodies physically needed to be together. It was like we were magnets, undeniably attracted to one another and there was no fighting it. Pressing myself against her, I slid myself inside of her and we both gasped in pleasure as our bodies adjusted to the new sensations of one another – and like everything else, it felt so different and yet so familiar.

It was surreal. It almost didn't feel real.

I moved in and out of her, thrusting deeper and deeper, savoring the sensations that were coursing through my body. Vanessa's skin was warm and smooth and I planted a line of kisses down her neck, cupping her breasts and drew a gasp from her as I gently licked her stiff nipples.

Vanessa writhed beneath me on the bed, wrapping her he legs around me tightly to keep our bodies together at all costs. My movements became more urgent, more frantic. I couldn't get enough of being inside of her. And while part of me felt guilty for sleeping with another woman so soon after losing Onda, another part of me felt like Onda was still there.

It was crazy, but that bond and that connection I felt with her, that profound sense of familiarly made me believe it wasn't Vanessa beneath me – it was Onda.

She moaned as I drove myself deeper inside of her and I felt her tighten up around me. She bit her bottom lip and raked her nails down my back as I moved myself inside of her. And as I thrust hard, I felt Vanessa's body tense up as she let out a loud cry. Her body spasmed and she tightened up around me as her orgasm washed over her. She looked deep into my eyes as her pleasure gripped her, calling my name out over and over again.

I felt her still spasming and as I thrust inside of her, it was too much for me to bear. I gritted my teeth, trying to hold back, not wanting the moment to end. It was like being with Onda again – being inside of Onda again – and I wanted to make the moment last as long as possible. But when she tightened herself around me again, I lost all control.

I moaned in pleasure, grunting as I buried myself deeper inside of her one last time, spilling my hot seed deep inside of her. And as I stared into those eyes – Onda's eyes in another woman's face – all I could think was, I love you, Onda.

As soon as I finished, I collapsed, rolling over to lay beside her and that's when the guilt hit me as hard as the King had earlier. I felt guilty not only for seeming to move on from Onda as quickly as I had, but for sleeping with Vanessa because I'd somehow confused her with another.

Both women deserved more than that and I felt like an ass for taking advantage of her. It was something I could never let myself do again. It wasn't fair to Onda's memory, it wasn't fair to me – and it especially wasn't fair to Vanessa.

“That was amazing,” Vanessa said breathlessly.

I had to admit, if only to myself, that it had been pretty damn amazing. I stared up the ceiling though, feeling like an absolute jerk for what I was about to say.

“I'm sorry, Vanessa,” I said softly. “I don't know what got into me, but we shouldn't have done that. And we can never do that again.”

She rolled over on her side and looked at me, a sadness falling over her face. “Why?”

I sighed and looked away. I owed her the truth – it was quite literally, the very least I could do.

“Because I just lost the love of my life,” I said. “I'm not ready. I'm not sure if I'll ever be ready.”

She nodded and seemed to be thinking as she traced her fingertips down my chest and circled my belly button.

“Listen, I don't know what's going on, but when I'm with you, I feel like I've known you my entire life. Longer than that even, as crazy as that sounds,” she said. “And part of me thinks that maybe, somehow, your Onda is part of me. Don't ask me how, but it's something I can feel deep inside. And it feels right. True.”

I stared at her like she'd gone absolutely insane. Was she saying this because she believed it? Or was she trying to manipulate me into being with her? One meant she was crazy, while the other meant she was devious. Honestly, I wasn't thrilled with either of those choices – neither one was exactly appealing to me.

But when I looked into her eyes again, I could see Onda in them. She was in the depths of those eyes, behind them. But it was like my lost love was speaking to me through Vanessa.

“No,” I said, shaking my head as I stood up.

I threw on my pants because being naked around Vanessa only reminded me of what we'd just done and as much as I'd enjoyed it, I wanted to forget about it.

“No, you're not Onda,” I said. “You can't be.”

I tried hard to deny it, to deny Vanessa, but somehow, it felt like part of Onda was still around. There was a certain presence and weight that Onda had about her that I could still feel. How could I explain that? The quick answer was, I couldn't. Not in any sane, rational way. All I knew was that I couldn't continue to betray Onda's memory, and I couldn't continue stringing Vanessa along. Both women deserved better than that. They weren't just interchangeable beings.

“I'm not saying I'm Onda, but Glyn, listen,” she said, “even that monster sensed I was something more than human. He said I was dragon flesh, whatever that is. Something happened to me that night – the night she died. I don't know what, but something changed me. And I'm no longer alone inside my head. I hear her – I hear Onda.”

I stared at her for a moment, unable to fully comprehend what she was saying to me. Could Onda's essence have entered Vanessa somehow? Was that even possible? When Dragonborn died, their essence – that white-hot spark of life within us all – melded with the universe. Some legends say that the stars in the sky above are made of the essence of the Dragonborn. I didn't know how much I believed those stories, but I was reasonably certain that the essence of a Dragonborn couldn't simply pop into some random passerby who happened to be in the area at the time.

“Let me speak with – some people I know. Perhaps, they have any explanation for what it is you're feeling,” I said. Vanessa looked hopeful, as if she was finally closer to getting some answers. “But I can't promise you anything, Vanessa. I still don't see how Onda could be inside of you. Honestly, it all sounds a bit crazy to me.”

“It sounds crazy to me too,” she said. “Except I'm living it and as I think about it, it feels less crazy. Hell, I should be freaking out that dragons who can transform into people somehow walk the Earth and that other creatures that look like something straight out of a horror movie actually exist – but for some reason, I'm not. Why is that? Because it all feels so normal to me. Natural. Even though it shouldn't because that is the farthest thing from normal and natural I can think of.”

I still wasn't sure what to think, but one thing I did know – I shouldn't have slept with her. That just made everything much more complicated.

Not wanting to be an ass, I went into the bathroom and closed the door. Secretly, I hoped she'd be gone by the time I came back out. But at the same time, when she was with me, I wanted her to stay. There was a familiarity and comfort I found in her – something I'd only ever truly had with Onda.

I was seriously screwed in the head and wasn't sure what to think about anything.

Chapter Thirteen

Vanessa

I'd been with enough guys to know when I should make a quick exit. Glyn was dealing with a lot of emotions, and sleeping with him probably hadn't been the best idea in the world, all things considered. I wanted answers, but in some strange way I couldn't explain, I also cared for him. I didn't want to hurt him or cause him more stress than he already had on his shoulders. So, when he went into the bathroom, I dressed quickly and slipped out of the apartment.

Nothing that had happened since the night of Onda's death made sense to me and part of me felt like I was going insane. I had to hope that Glyn could find some answers. Find something. I needed to know what was going on in my head, otherwise I might actually go insane.

I looked at my phone and groaned – it was three in the morning. I technically had to be in at work early, but I had no desire to go in. After killing that creature earlier, I had a sudden urge to go back there – to see if there were more like it. I had to admit that fighting with that thing had been a rush. It was a high I'd never experienced before in my life. And it was exciting in a way nothing else in my life ever had been.

I should be ashamed of being so gleeful about killing something, but I wasn't. Instinctively, I knew that the thing I'd killed – and the creatures out there like it – were there to do people harm. As a nurse, it was my job to patch up their wounds. Stitch them back together. But I was powerless to prevent the bad things from happening to them.

Now though, things were different. The game had changed entirely and while I could still patch them back up, I had the power to stop the bad things from getting to them in the first place. I could make it so that I – and people like me – didn't have to stitch them back together. I could keep them from being hurt to begin with.

So yeah, it felt good to kill that monster. Really good. And I wanted to kill more of them.

What was the craziest thing was that I'd never been trained to fight. I'd never been trained with a sword or a dagger. And yet, when they were in my hands, they felt so natural. So right. They felt like a natural extension of my hands. And as I spun, jumped, and moved, it felt – right. Like I was doing what I'd been born to do.

And the only thing I could attribute it to was the spirit of a dead woman residing in my body – as absolutely nuts as that sounded.

I wanted to continue hunting. Fighting. Killing. But I had no weapon and nothing to fight with. That was something I was going to need to change.

I hailed a cab and went home, feeling energized. Feeling like a new person. Instead of going straight to bed, like a responsible adult though, I stayed up. I somehow felt more comfortable at night now. I felt like it was my time. The time when I was most alive.

And when the morning came, I picked up the phone and called into work. I told them I was still sick. After what happened the day before, they didn't even question it.

“Get better,” was all my supervisor said.

“I will.”

Though in all honesty, I wasn't sure I'd ever get better again. Or at least go back to who I was before everything had happened. I was a different person. On some fundamental level I couldn't explain, I had changed. I wasn't the same person who'd entered the alley that night. For all intents and purposes, that Vanessa had died. And I'd been reborn into something – somebody – else. I was still me, of course, but I was me – enhanced. Upgraded. It was terrifying as hell, but I liked it.

Before going to sleep, I decided to walk down to Miggy's and grab a donut. And as soon as I walked in, Miggy looked at me and smiled. The shop was more or less deserted, only a few of the regulars – old timers as Miggy called them – were hunched over their tables with donuts, coffee, and their newspapers.

“I was beginning to worry about you,” he said. “Thought you might have found a new donut man.”

“Nah,” I said with a laugh. “You're my one and only, Miggy. You know that.”

“Glad to hear it,” he said. “How have you been, Vanessa?”

“Good,” I said, feigning a smile. “And you?”

He cocked his head to the side, a concerned look on his face. “You look different,” he said. “Your hair – you have a white streak in it now?”

I nodded hesitantly. Though I was changing, it still felt wrong to lie to somebody I cared about as much as I cared about Miggy. But I had no choice.

“Yeah,” I said and then pointed to my eyes since he was bound to notice. “Trying out some new colored contacts too.”

“Huh,” he said, but nodded. “Interesting. Gotta say that you sound different too.”

“I feel different, Miggy,” I said. “Honestly, I feel like a different person all of a sudden.”

“How so?”

I shrugged. “I can't explain it, but something in me has just – changed. It's not a bad thing, it's just different. I'm different, I guess.”

I looked down at the donuts in the case and realized, I really didn't even want one – which was a first. Still, I was there, and it would look really odd if I didn't order anything, so I asked for my usual.

“Just one today?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just one,” I said. “I'm off work today, so I'm going back home to sleep a little.”

“Up all night?” he asked. “Working?”

I didn't want to tell him the truth, since the truth sounded insane. It made more sense to tell him I'd worked a night shift than to admit to what had really happened.

“Yeah, working,” I said. “One of the night nurses was sick, so I filled in.”

I hated lying to Miggy, but I also couldn't explain to him – or anyone – what was really going on. After all, part of me still didn't really believe it myself. I hadn’t come to grips with it and until I got some answers from Glyn, I didn't want to say a word about it.

“That happen a lot?” he asked. “Because in all the years I've known you –”

“No, it doesn't happen a lot,” I said. “But it does happen. Who knows, I might decide to take the night shift from now on. It was quiet and kind of nice.”

“Huh,” he said. “Interesting.”

I grabbed a piece of paper and wrote down Donna's phone number for him. “Oh yeah, I almost forgot,” I said. “Call Donna. I have a feeling you two would be really good together. She's waiting to hear from you.”

“Playing matchmaker, are you, kiddo?”

I winked at him as I dropped her number and my cash into the tip jar.

“Wow, you do sound like a different person, Vanessa,” he said with a chuckle. “Always been a morning person like me, as long as I've known you. And yet, now you're becoming a night owl.”

I shrugged. “People change.”

Yeah, he was right. It was strange, but after last night's adventure, I found myself drawn to the night. There were so many mysteries, so many creatures, and so much to discover out there. And most all of those things could only be found under the cover of night's darkness. For all the years of my life, I'd been afraid of the dark, without any real rational reason for it. But now that I knew what was hiding in the darkness out there, I found that I wasn't as I probably should be. Instead, I found myself yearning for it.

“Have a good day, Miggy,” I said, waving at him as I stepped out of the shop.

It might be morning, but all I wanted to do was sleep. And when I got home, that's exactly what I did – I crawled into my bed and passed out. My dreams were filled with dragons, fire and creatures of the night. Instead of nightmares like they were before though, I felt at home.

I felt at peace.

Chapter Fourteen

Glyn

When I stepped out of the bathroom and found Vanessa gone, I felt a wave of profound relief. And then I felt like a profound asshole. As I flopped down into my bed, I stared up at the ceiling, unable to sleep – unable to shut my brain off.

I'd slept with someone other than Onda. I'd betrayed the woman I loved.

But had I? Had I really? She felt so much like Onda – and everything about the experience reminded me of my dead soulmate. And that's why I'd slept with her in the first place. It sounded absolutely stupid, but I'd slept with Vanessa because I missed Onda so very much – and Vanessa reminded me of her.

That was no excuse though – I'd still moved on from Onda too quickly. She deserved better than that. I felt my entire body tense up in anger – anger at myself for letting it all happen. For betraying the woman that I loved with every bit of my soul.

“God, I miss you so damn much,” I said, tears welling in my eyes. “I miss you ever minute of every day.”

She'd been gone for long periods of time before – our patrol areas didn't converge all that often. So, there were times I could pretend she was still alive. Almost let myself believe that maybe she was just gone on a routine patrol. Out on a mission or something and that she'd come through that door again with a wide smile on her face and we'd tumble into bed, make love, and enjoy the time we had together.

But then the reality hit me. It always hit me – and no less harder than before. Onda was gone. For good. Forever. And there was never going to be another day where we wake up next to each other and make love.

My heart felt heavy and hurt so bad, I was sure it would burst from the pain. We were a bonded pair, meant to be together forever. Without her, I wasn't sure I wanted to continue. I wasn't sure I wanted to go on without her. Maybe Quint had been right – I was reckless because I wanted to die. Certainly, there were moments when that was true.

I was lost without Onda. Rudderless. With no idea what to do with myself. So, there I was, my lifemate stolen from me, trying to cling to any shred of hope, no matter how small, I could find.

And that hope happened to be Vanessa.

For a moment, I'd let myself go. I'd given in to my hopes and fantasies and had slept with her knowing I shouldn't have. I felt like I'd taken advantage of her, pretending she was somebody she wasn't – and the guilt was overwhelming.

Still, I couldn't deny there was something about Vanessa that I couldn't explain. A link – a connection to her – that made no sense to me. It was something I'd have to talk to Quint about in the morning. I needed answers every bit as much as she did.

But first, I tried to sleep as best I could. Not that it came easy. Not after everything I'd experienced and endured over the last few days.

~~ooo000ooo~~

Quint stared at me, with a serious and contemplative expression on his face. He was quiet, nodding now and then to let me know he was listening, and taking everything in as I explained it to him. I laid it all out on the table, told him everything that was going on. And when I'd finished my story, he leaned back in his chair and let out a low whistle.

“So, you're saying Onda is somehow still here – but in another person?” he asked. “The nurse who tried to help you that night?”

His tone was conversational and I didn't detect the slightest bit of disbelief or judgment. He was simply asking questions and gathering information. Quint was far more open-minded and forward thinking than a lot of the other Wardens. He was a pretty spiritual man as well – although, his sense of spirituality didn't exactly mesh with some of the others. To others, Quint's notions of spirituality were a lot more mystical and “out there” than they were.

“No, no way,” I said, shaking my head. “That's not possible, but I'm telling you that something is off. I just don't know what. But the woman's eyes – her hair – it's different. They're completely Onda. But the woman – Vanessa – is obviously not Onda. Yet when I'm around her, it just feels like she's there. We have this strange connection I can't even begin to explain.”

“Not possible?” he asked.

Quint raised an eyebrow as he stood up and walked over to a bookshelf on the far wall of his office. He flipped through the pages of a few books before finding the one he was looking for. I wasn't sure what he was looking for, but I didn't think that the answers I was looking for were going to be found in a book.

“Glyn, let me ask you a question,” he said. “What do you think happens to us after we die?”

I shrugged. “I don't really know. I guess I've never really spent a lot of time thinking about it,” I said. “I've heard our souls – our essence – or whatever we're calling it, goes out into the universe. What happens after that, I have no clue. But to be honest, I don't know what I believe personally.”

Truthfully, I thought once we were dead, that was it. I wasn't a spiritual or religious person – certainly nothing like Quint. I didn't believe in souls or ghosts or anything like that. Not with humans and not with Dragonborn either. Once we died, we simply ceased to exist. I figured that all we had were the lives we'd been given.

“Really?” he said. “That's all you know about our afterlife?”

I nodded. “That's what we were taught when we were young,” I replied. “But like I said, I don't know what I believe. I've never really sat down and thought about it. I mean, I'm not a spiritual guy, if I'm being honest. I've never spent a lot of time with the holy books in Chondelai. Never got much out of the sermons in the temples.”

Quint passed me the book and I took it. It had been opened to a page with a beautiful rendering of a Dragonborn, slain in what looked like a battle. He lay on the ground, blood pouring from a large, ragged wound. But what drew my attention – what Quint undoubtedly wanted me to focus on – was the light that was depicted leaving the body of the slain warrior.

As I looked at the drawing, a memory tickled in the back of my mind. That night in the alley. The moment Onda had passed – no, it couldn't be. It wasn't possible – was it?

“When Onda died,” he said, “did you see anything that looked like that?”

“Maybe?” I said. “Everything happened so fast, I can't remember it all in vivid detail.”

Truthfully though, yes, I had seen a light. A bright light hovering over her body. A bright light that had enveloped Vanessa. But my emotions were through the roof, I was a mess, and everything else was a blur – I figured I'd just imagined the whole thing.

“Do you know what that light is said to be?” he asked, sitting back down behind his desk.

“I have a feeling you're about to tell me that light is the soul of a Dragonborn,” I said, skepticism coloring my words.

Quint shrugged, not put off in the least by my disbelief. “Similar,” he said. “It's our essence – which is similar to a soul in humans. But it's also different because according to our lore, once our physical bodies die, our essence is released into the universe. Many believe that our essence is what makes up the stars in the heavens above.”

Okay. I knew my Warden was a little more spiritual than I was, but to find that he actually believed those old legends – legends I'd heard and discarded long ago – was a little over the top. Even for Quint. It was absurd – which was saying something, given the legends and myths that filtered out of Chondelai and paraded themselves as sacred texts.

I tried hard but was unable to keep from rolling my eyes, and Quint obviously noticed and a small smile played upon his lips.

“You don't believe me, do you?” he asked. “You think I'm a nut. Some religious crazy, perhaps?”

Again, I shrugged. I didn't want to be an ass to Quint. He was a good man and didn't deserve it – even if I didn't believe in the ridiculous spiritual stories he was spouting. He was entitled to his beliefs – and I was entitled to the lack of mine.

“But you did see a light leaving her body?” Quint pressed.

“Maybe,” I said carefully. “But honestly, I don't really know exactly what it was I saw.”

“No, I can tell,” he said, steeping his fingers in front of him. “When I showed you that image and asked you if that's what you saw when Onda passed, you freaked out a bit – your face gave it away. I saw the recognition of that exact scene in your eyes, Glyn. Besides, I've seen Dragonborn die before as well – and it always happens. There's always a bright light that heads toward the sky upon our death.”

“Okay, fine. I saw something, but it didn't go up into the sky,” I said.

“It didn't?” Quint asked. “Then where did it go?”

Closing my eyes, I tried to think back to that night. I honestly wasn't sure I could remember where the light had gone. I wasn't really paying attention – I'd been a little distracted watching Onda die. But as best I recalled, it simply seemed to disappear.

I strained my mind, focusing back on that night, trying to put all of the pieces together. And it was then that the fog lifted and the picture became clear. It was then that I remembered. Vanessa had been knocked backwards by something, by some unseen force. I hadn't seen what it was that had blown her backward, but she was out cold before she even hit the ground.

I remembered watching the light that had been hovering over Onda – it had shot straight toward Vanessa and then disappeared. But I'd been so torn up and needing to get Onda's body out of there before the cops and paramedics showed up that I hadn't given it a second though. Not until that moment.

I looked up at Quint, feeling my eyes growing wide. It couldn't be possible. What he was thinking – what he had me thinking – it was impossible.

Quint seemed to read my mind though. “The light – it went toward Vanessa once Onda passed from this world, didn't it?”

I shook my head, still trying to deny it. “How did you –”

Quint looked very pleased with himself, grinning like an idiot, and he said, “Because I have a theory, Glyn. A theory I think may just help ease your own soul, if you pardon the expression,” he said. “Would you mind if I shared it with you?”

I shrugged. “Sure,” I said. “Go ahead.”

“Onda wasn't ready to leave the world yet. She wasn't ready to join the universe,” he said. “She wasn't ready to leave you, Glyn. She didn't ascend to the stars like she was supposed to. Instead of taking her place in the heavens, she put herself – her essence – into Vanessa. You're right about feeling her presence when you're with Vanessa, because in a way, you are. And those are in fact, her eyes looking back at you. She wasn't ready to leave you, Glyn, so her essence resides in Vanessa's body now.”

“So, you're saying that Onda is what – possessing Vanessa now?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “That Vanessa is in the process of becoming Onda?”

He shook his head. “No, it's not like that,” he replied. “Onda's essence is inside of Vanessa. But that doesn't mean she's possessing her or will drive Vanessa's soul out. Vanessa will remain who she's always been. But, there are certain things about her that will change about her personality – she will begin to take on some of Onda's personality traits if she's open to them. And that's the key – Vanessa will only take on Onda's traits if she's willing.”

“So – this is all a theory, right?” I asked, still incredibly skeptical.

“A theory that I'm pretty sure is right,” he said. “Which makes me wonder...”

His voice trailed off and he looked away, into the distance. He was contemplating something, had some idea swirling around in that big brain of his – Quint always did.

“What?” I finally asked.

Quint got up and went back to his bookshelf, grabbing a few more books without answering me.

“What is it?” I asked him again.

“Well, I'm wondering if perhaps the one who killed Onda might be able to manipulate a Dragonborn's essence. A spell or something,” he said. “Maybe he can control it. Maybe he's somehow able to keep the essence of the Rangers he's killed from going where they're supposed to go after their death.”

“And why would he do something like that?”

Quint looked up at me with concern in his eyes. “Because it brings him power,” he said. “If this guy is really Shadow Clan, amassing that much power could be disastrous for us all. Why didn't I think of that before? Each Dragonborn he kills – every bit of essence he absorbs – could be turning him into an unstoppable force.”

If what Quint said was true, it meant he was growing stronger with each kill. Which meant, we had to stop him before he killed anyone else and absorbed their essence. Or, he could just be insane and enjoyed killing other Dragonborn.

Either way, it meant I had to kill him soon. But it seemed even more pressing now.

Chapter Fifteen

Vanessa

I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling – my ceiling – but it felt so foreign to me now. Everything felt so foreign to me now. After sleeping the day away, I'd woken up late in the afternoon and turned my head, looking out the window. It would be dark soon. A couple of hours at most.

In the past, I never would have let myself sleep so late. Never in a million years. The very idea of it would have filled me with shame. But as I laid there now, in my bed, seeing the sunlight dim through my windows, I felt at peace. A strange sense of tranquility enveloped me, and rather than fight it, I soaked it in and enjoyed it.

Eventually though, I'd need to get up and get ready. There were things to do. The first order of business, of course, was to track Glyn down to see if he'd found any answers for me. And while I was with him, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask him about getting equipped with some weapons.

I was serious about wanting to fight the creatures of the night. I wanted to protect people, keep them from being hurt. To do that though, I was going to need weapons.

I made a mental note to ask him why he used swords when it seemed that guns would be a lot more efficient. Honestly, I'd never even held a gun before in my life. I had no idea how to use one and even thinking about it made my skin crawl. But there was something so natural and so right about holding a blade.

Which settled it for me in my own mind. If I was going to start hunting these monsters, I'd do it like the Rangers did it – with blades.

I threw on some clothes, opting for something practical and comfortable – yoga pants and a dark hoodie – and left my apartment. With all of the craziness going on, I'd barely been home the last few days. Typically, I was a homebody. I liked staying home, watching Netflix, and hanging out by myself. But the idea of staying home – in a place that didn't feel right to me – wasn't my idea of a good time anymore. I was restless. I needed answers to the questions that had seized my mind. I needed to find out what was happening to me.

And I couldn't stop thinking about Glyn.

I needed to go to him, again. Needed to see him. Talk to him. I just had the overwhelming and powerful desire to be near him. There was just something about him that soothed something deep inside of me. Made me feel – complete.

Knowing where I was going this time, I drove over to his apartment, and as I parked at the curb across the street, I could tell he was home. I had no idea how I knew he was there, I just knew it. I stopped even wondering why at that point, simply because the link between us had become even stronger once we'd made love.

As I walked across the street, I could feel his presence without even trying – and I found myself wondering if he could feel mine.

I stood at the gate, trying to remember the code he'd used to enter. I stared at the keypad and started to press a number that popped into my head when the gate buzzer sounded and the lock clicked open. I looked over my shoulder to see a well-dressed man leaving, and he was checking me out.

“I haven't seen you around here before,” the man said as he reached out his hand, “I'm Craig.”

“Vanessa,” I said. “And yeah, I just moved in.”

“Ahh you're the new tenant up in 3A, huh?”

“That's me,” I said with a perky, but entirely fake smile.

“Well then, I hope to see you around,” he said with a grin.

He also held the gate open for me, which was exactly what I needed in that moment.

“Thank you. And you too,” I said. “Hope to see you around.”

Not really. But it allowed me to get inside, and now all I had to do was knock on Glyn's door. As I walked up the stairs and then down his hallway, my pulse quickened and I grew nervous. I bit my bottom lip and fidgeted with my hands as I walked, hoping he wouldn't refuse me. I feared he might just because the way we'd left things were awkward. But he did say he'd seek out answers for me and I was really hoping that he'd have some.

I knocked on the door I'd come out of the night before and waited, the knots in my stomach twisting painfully. The inside of Glyn's apartment was very nice with large picture windows overlooking the garden in the center court. There were also tall, narrow windows on either side of the door which meant, he could pull back the blinds and see me before he opened the door, if he wanted to.

Which meant he could also avoid me, if he wanted to.

But to my surprise, he opened the door. He stood there with his long, beautiful blue mane wearing nothing but a towel. He looked at me like he was surprised to see me standing in his doorway – but at the same time, his expression said he wasn't. And if I looked even closer, his expression told me that he wasn't unhappy to see me.

“Sorry, just got out of the shower,” he said.

“Nothing to be sorry about,” I said, ogling his trim, toned body as I spoke.

It was the first time I'd really had the occasion to really see him, and damn, he was an attractive man. He was a bit different than the guys I was usually attracted to, what with his strangely dark blue colored hair and all, but he was beautiful and just looking at him ignited a fire down low in the center of me.

I had no idea what had gotten into me, but something in me wanted him. Right then and there. My desire was overpowering, the fire inside of me was burning bright, and I had to fight the urge to come onto him again. If I were being honest, the sex with Glyn the night before was the best I'd ever had. It was amazing and truth be told, I probably would have killed for the chance to sleep with him again.

“Come in,” he said with a sigh, clearly not amused with my admiring and flirtatious glances. “We have things to talk about.”

That was a very good sign – at least he wasn't going to slam the door in my face. I entered, and this time I actually looked around at his apartment. I'd been a little too busy ripping his clothes off the night before to really check his place out. But it was nice. Very nice. Modern and fresh with higher-end fixtures. I felt comfortable there. At home. Certainly, far more at home than I was currently feeling in my own apartment.

“I'm just going to put some clothes on,” he said.

I wanted to tell him not to bother, but figured that would probably be a little too forward. And given his gruff demeanor, I didn't think my advances were entirely welcome.

Instead, I said, “I'll be waiting,” with a smile and sat down on his black leather sofa.

Sitting on the table next to the sofa was a picture frame, and inside of it was a photo of Onda. She stared into the camera with an obviously fake smile. It was almost like she was annoyed that her picture was being taken. But as soon as I saw those eyes, I stopped breathing.

Picking up the photo, I held it close and examined it. The knots in my stomach twisted again and the picture frame trembled in my suddenly unsteady hand. It was almost like staring into a mirror – at least where the eyes were concerned. And given the fact that her hair was white as newly fallen snow, the white streak that had appeared on my own head, made more sense to me.

It was like the final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place and I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that somehow, some way, I'd taken a piece of Onda into me the night she'd died. It seemed impossible – like something out of a science-fiction movie. But then, that creature I'd killed in the alley did too, and it very clearly existed. So, if something like that could be walking the world, why was it impossible for the spirit of a dead woman to be inhabiting my body?

“Weird, huh?” Glyn asked, standing not too far from me.

He was now wearing jeans and a t-shirt and I felt a twinge of disappointment that he'd covered his body since I could have stared at him pretty much all day. As I looked at him, that sense of longing and desire flared up within me and it took everything in me to not reach out and touch him.

“Yeah, very weird,” I said, putting the picture back where I'd found it. “She was beautiful, by the way.”

“Thanks,” he said softly, taking a seat across from me. “She was my whole world, honestly. The only woman I ever loved.”

As he spoke, my heart filled with a warmth and feeling of love I couldn't explain – though, it felt wonderful. Apparently, Onda had gotten his message, loud and clear. The pain and despair I saw in his face though, broke my heart. I hurt for him and would have given anything to take away his grief.

“I'm so, so sorry,” I said. “I wish more than anything that we could have saved her.”

“Me too,” he said with a sigh, running his hand through his wet hair.

We were silent for a few moments as I let Glyn have a little time to gather himself. I didn't want to rush him along – not when he was still obviously grieving. It felt like a lifetime ago that Onda had passed away right in front of us, but in reality, it had just happened the other night. It was still raw for him, and I could see the pain etched into his face.

I so badly wanted to go to him. To comfort him. But I knew that would only make things worse. Just like sleeping with him had probably made it worse. He wasn't ready to move on yet.

“So, I talked to my Warden,” he said after a few moments.

“And?”

“And I'm not sure I believe it,” he said, leaning back in his chair, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. “But I guess in the absence of anything better, it seems like the most logical explanation.”

“What does, Glyn?”

He sighed and the look of skepticism on his face was abundantly clear. “He thinks somehow, Onda's essence is inside of you.”

“Her essence?”

“It's like her soul,” he said. “Apparently, he believes that when one of my kind die, their essence – their soul – melds into the universe. A common belief among my kind is that our essence, when released into the heavens, become the stars in the sky. Which, if you ask me, sounds like some spiritual bologna. Anyway, somehow instead of melding with the universe like it was supposed to, Onda's essence entered you instead.”

I looked at him and was struck by how right those words sounded to me. He may have been a skeptic about it, but to me, it was the most logical explanation I could think of.

“So, I do have someone else living inside of me?” I said. “Your dead girlfriend is now somehow part of me?”

As soon as I said those words, I regretted it. Glyn flinched as if I'd smacked him across the face. I shook my head and groaned to myself – I really used to be better about that sort of thing. Saying something so blunt and so brutal was the absolute wrong thing to say – and something I never would have done a few days ago. I had no idea what in the hell was wrong with me.

“I'm sorry, Glyn, I didn't mean –”

He held up his hand to stop me. “Yes, according to my Warden, Onda is inside of you. But that's only his theory. A theory based on his – spiritual beliefs.”

“But it makes sense,” I said. “It makes so much sense. The eyes, the hair, the personality change? Not to mention the fact that you feel like Onda is around when we're together. Except, that she's not. Think about it, Glyn. It makes sense.”

I was more excited about this than I should have been considering the fact that I had another person living inside of me. A dead person. But having an answer – even one as outlandish as that – was such a relief. Having an answer meant we might be able to figure out a way to fix the situation.

“Yes, yes, I know,” he said with a sigh, closing his eyes as if to think. “I personally can't think of any other explanation. I've tried and tried, but have come up with nothing.”

“This explains why I'm suddenly attracted to the night. Why I'm restless,” I said. “Why I could kill that monster without even flinching. Not to mention how I acquired those skills in the first place.”

“Onda was an amazing fighter. One of the best I've ever seen,” he said. “She lived for the hunt. Cutting down monsters was one of her greatest joys in life. So yeah, I'd imagine you're feeling some of that too right now.”

I was. Ever since the minute I'd killed that monster, I'd wanted nothing more than to wander the night with Glyn. To hunt. To kill the evil that lurked in the darkness. As I stared at Glyn and listened to his stories about how strong and skilled Onda was with a blade, it only made me want it more.

“Do you have anything planned tonight?” I asked him.

“Look, I don't want to be rude, but I'm not exactly looking to date at –”

“Not what I meant,” I said, holding up my hand to stop him. “What I meant was, do you have a hunt lined up for tonight?”

He looked at me and arched an eyebrow. I could see his hesitance in his face because I figured he knew what my next question was going to be.

“I do,” he said slowly. “I actually have to head out here shortly –”

“Great. I'm going to come with you then.” I asked, eyes wide like a kid in a candy shop.

“The hell you are,” Glyn said with a laugh. “I can't have a human tagging along with me. Just because you have Onda's essence, it doesn't make you Dragonborn. And I'm sure as hell not going to be responsible for you.”

“What makes you Dragonborn then?” I asked.

“Well, for starters, being born with the ability to shift into dragon form would help.”

I didn't think I could do that. Not that I'd tried, but I wouldn't even know where to start to make that happen. I'd changed quite a bit and had acquired some skills I hadn't possessed previously, but I was relatively certain that changing myself into a dragon wasn't one of them.

“Well then, I can be your sidekick,” I said. “I can be Robin to your Batman.”

“You're human. You're mortal,” he said. “We protect humans, not put them in the path of danger. I can't be responsible for your safety, Vanessa.”

“But what if I want to be in the path of danger?” I asked, a smile on my face. “Please, Glyn. I need this. And besides, I may not be Dragonborn, but we both know I'm not entirely human either. I know I'm sort of messed up right now, but I have Onda's abilities, so –”

“You don't have all of her abilities,” he said.

“Okay, maybe not,” I said. “But you saw me kick ass, Glyn, and you can't deny that. You know I can do it.”

He seemed to think for a moment and ran a hand through his hair again. “I'm not going to convince you otherwise, am I?”

“Nope,” I said, sitting back on the couch with my arms crossed in front of me. “And if you try to tell me otherwise, I'll just follow you like I did before. I can always tell where you are, so I can find you without breaking a sweat. So, you might as well let me tag along and help you out.”

He sighed and shook his head. “You're not leaving me much a choice,” he grumbled.

“No, I'm really not.”

“Fine,” he said. “But the rules are simple – you obey my commands. You do what I say, when I say it. No questions asked. That is non-negotiable.”

“Done,” I said without hesitation.

He sighed again. “Why do I feel like I'm going to regret this?”

“Because you're in a pessimistic mood,” I replied. “But you have nothing to fear. I can handle myself out there.”

“I certainly hope so,” he said. “I need to get you a blade. Please try to avoid chopping your arm off or doing anything stupid like that.”

Feeling a surge of confidence within me – undoubtedly, thanks to Onda – I grinned, excited to be going out on a hunt. Looking forward to the opportunity to kill some monsters.

Chapter Sixteen

Walking the streets at night with Glyn at my side was exhilarating. I had no idea what we were doing or where we were going, but holding the blade in my hands – two smallish, curved daggers, and not the large sword that Glyn wore sheathed on his back, I noted – made me feel powerful.

“What are we hunting?” I asked, curious and excited to see what other creatures roamed the night.

“The thing that killed Onda,” he said and then glanced over at me. “And if we find him, you need to get the hell out of there because you're not ready for that.”

“Like hell I'm not –”

Glyn glared at me, stopping in the street. “Listen, Vanessa, I know you're feeling all powerful right now. You probably feel pretty invincible,” I said. “But believe me when I tell you that you're not. And believe me when I tell you that you're not Onda. Get that straight, okay? Before you get yourself killed. That was the one rule I had – if I tell you to do something, you damn well better do it. Because trust me, this is a really bad guy and because you don't have the experience, you'd get yourself killed in a heartbeat if we found him.”

He turned and walked on, obviously annoyed, and I had to run to catch up with him. His fists were clenched at his side and he refused to even look at me.

“I'm sorry if that came out harsh,” he said grudgingly. “But I can't risk someone else getting killed.”

“I understand,” I said softly. “Hopefully it doesn't come to that.”

“Hopefully not,” he said. “But I need to find him. If Quint is right, he's growing more powerful by the day and we can't have that.”

“Do you think you can kill him?” I asked.

He shrugged. “Either I kill him or I die trying,” he said. “There really is no third option to this.”

“Onda wouldn't want you to die,” I said softly.

“Stop telling me what Onda would want,” he growled. “You didn't know her. And besides, she's dead, okay? And I'm the one stuck here without her. Alone.”

“Listen, Glyn –”

Something caught my attention and I stopped speaking suddenly. Both of us heard it at the same time and turned in the direction of the sound. It sounded like a scream – much like the scream I'd heard the night I'd found Glyn and Onda.

I looked at Glyn, but he'd already taken off in the direction of the screams. He shouted over his shoulder to me, telling me to stay put, but it was too late. I was following behind him. We turned down a dark alleyway and I had a flash of Deja vu. Just like before, there was someone on the ground.

A figure loomed over the body and between the two, there was a ball of bright light – so bright, it was almost blinding. But from where I stood, the ball of light looked like it was leaving the person on the ground and entering the person standing over him.

“I don't believe it,” Glyn said under his breath.

As soon as he took off running toward the man standing over the body though, the light disappeared. As did the mysterious figure who'd absorbed it. By the time we got there, the only thing Glyn and I were left standing over, was a dead body.

A dead Ranger.

“Leil,” Glyn cried out, dropping to his knees on the ground in front of the dead man.

I looked around, feeling a shot of fear-fueled adrenaline coursing through me. I felt like we were being watched. I would have sworn to it. But I looked and looked, and there was no sign of the figure. None whatsoever.

“He just flew away?” I asked. “Like that?”

“He's a Dragonborn, too” Glyn said, standing up. “He shifted quickly and flew away when we discovered him. At least now I have some answers to take back to Quint.”

“What's that?”

“Quint was right – he is manipulating the essence of the Rangers he kills. He absorbs it,” he said, almost like he was surprised to admit it. “That's what we saw. That's how Onda's essence got into you – he wasn't able to take hers before we wounded him and drove him off.”

So, it was true. He'd tried to take it, but instead, I ended up absorbing Onda's essence. It was confirmation of what I already knew – I did, in fact, have a dead girl living inside of me.

Glyn took off running before I knew what was happening. I looked from the corpse to the retreating figure of Glyn.

“Where are you going?” I yelled.

He didn't answer me – instead, he continued to run. He was obviously trying to lose me. Was trying to find the man who'd killed the Ranger we'd just found – the man who'd killed Onda – and take him on all by himself.

And there was no way in hell I was going to let that happen.

Chapter Seventeen

A thick marine layer had moved in and obscured the moon. The night was darker and gloomier than normal. I lost Glyn in the streets – he was a lot faster than me. So, I'd followed my instincts – followed that connection between us – and had eventually found him in an abandoned and dilapidated old warehouse building in one of LA's many seedy areas.

I couldn't see him yet, but I knew he was out there. I closed my eyes and allowed my instincts to take over. He was inside the building. But as I stretched out my senses, I realized that we weren't alone. There was somebody else out there too – somebody familiar.

Somebody familiar? Where in the hell had that thought come from?

From Onda. It was Onda's thought cropping up in my head. I had a feeling the person out there was the mysterious person that we'd seen over the body of the dead Ranger. The same person who'd killed Onda.

Glyn was in the warehouse waiting for him.

There was a heaviness in the air. A dark, ominous feeling. The anticipation of violence – of death – hung heavy in the air like a thunderhead. It swirled around above us, enveloping us all. And sooner or later, the storm was going to break.

I couldn't let Glyn face the man alone. I wouldn't.

Moving on silent feet, I made my way from the alley I'd been crouched down in, to a side door of the warehouse. The door itself had been torn away long ago – only rusted hinges remained. It was almost pitch black beyond the doorway, but as I strained my eyes, I realized that I could see inside. My senses were sharpened. Heightened. Eyesight included.

The interior was dim and filled with clutter. Large boxes, crates, barrels – and enough trash to fill up an entire landfill. And somewhere in there was Glyn – and the man trying to kill him.

I crept through the doorway, careful to avoid stepping on or kicking anything that would give me away. I hunkered down and moved silently through the shadows, keeping my eyes and ears out for either Glyn or the man.

There was so much debris, so much garbage lying about, it was hard to get a clear line of sight anywhere. I couldn't find either one of them. But as I crept along a line of large crates and barrels, I heard voices. Up ahead of me, two people were speaking – and one of them sounded like Glyn.

Careful to stay out of sight, I knelt down behind some boxes. Beyond the crates I was crouching behind was a clearing of sorts. It was an open area, roughly circular in shape, that had been lined with large boxes like I was hiding behind.

And in the center of the clearing was Glyn and the man – a man I had the distinct impression was also Dragonborn.

“I don't ever do this, Glyn,” the man said. “But I am going to extend my offer to you one last time. Join me.”

Glyn's face was a mask of pure hatred. His jaw muscles clenched and his eyes were narrowed with rage.

“Who in the hell are you?” Glyn asked through gritted teeth.

“My name is Q'lynta,” he said. “I was originally born into the Mountain Clan.”

“But now you're Shadow Clan,” Glyn said.

“So far as anybody knows, I'm still Mountain Clan,” he replied evenly.

I had no idea what he was talking about. I only had a vague idea about the Clans thanks to Onda's memories, but I hadn't spent much time exploring them. I didn't see the need to. As I listened to them speaking though, I sort of wished I had.

“I know why you murder our kind now,” Glyn said. “You steal their essence.”

The man inclined his head. “I do.”

“I don't understand why though,” Glyn said.

“Because when you absorb the essence of a Dragonborn,” the man replied, “you absorb their powers as well. And once I have absorbed enough power, Chondelai will be mine. And I will claim dominion over the world of man in the name of the Shadow Clan. And all of these precious humans you're so fond of will be mine to do with as I please. So, although I may be Mountain Clan, I have the power of the Fire Clan. Ocean Clan. Lightning Clan. Ice Clan –”

The man stopped and snapped his fingers, giving Glyn a cruel little smile.

“Oh wait, I don't have the power of the Ice Clan, now do I?” he asked. “That little bit of essence got away from me.”

Glyn looked like he was about to burst – and I couldn’t' blame him. The man – Q'lynta – was purposely trying to goad him into a fight. He wanted Glyn angry and off-balance. But Glyn, surprisingly, was holding it together pretty well.

“Don't worry though,” the man said. “I'll get that essence back. In fact, I know exactly where to find it.”

“You're not going to get anywhere near her,” Glyn hissed.

The man laughed softly. “So, is that you turning down my offer to join me? For a second time?”

He moved so quickly, I barely even saw it. But Glyn had his sword out of its sheath and took a vicious slice with it. Q'lynta was caught off guard, but he recovered quickly – though, not quickly enough. The tip of Glyn's sword grazed the man's cheek, opening up a small gash, spilling blood down the man's face.

Growling in rage and annoyance, the man drew two swords and advanced on Glyn. I watched in horror as he closed the distance – the man was bigger and looked stronger than Glyn. And just watching the way he moved with a grace that was almost effortless, it was obvious he was very skilled at doing what he did.

He thrust his blade at Glyn, but he parried it aside with his own sword and thrust his dagger at the man's midsection. Q'lynta danced backward, out of range and chuckled.

“Nicely done, you almost had me.” he said.

The man flicked his wrist and I watched three small darts sail through the air. They hit Glyn in the chest in a small grouping. The man smiled as Glyn looked down at the darts and picked them out, tossing them to the ground. He looked at Q'lynta and smiled.

“You need a new playbook, friend,” he said and tapped his chest. “Lightweight armor. Your darts – and more importantly, the silver they contain – didn't get anywhere near me. No, if you're going to beat me, you're going to have to do it in a straight up fight this time. Unless that is, you're afraid to face me man-to-man.”

A predatory grin spread across Q'lynta's face. “So be it.”

The man rushed at Glyn, his movements a blur. In the blink of an eye, he'd spun past Glyn, the tip of his sword raking his arm and opening a wound. The blood flowed freely and Glyn grunted, spinning around and throwing his sword up, just barely blocking the other man's blade before it split his skull in two.

The man's leg fired out and caught Glyn in the midsection, driving him backward. But Glyn recovered just in time as Q'lynta pressed his advantage, wading in with his blades spinning. Glyn's face was a mask of concentration as he parried each and every thrust and cut Q'lynta threw at him. But each time, it was close – very close. Glyn danced backward, giving himself a little time and distance to regain his bearings.

But Q'lynta wasn't going to let him do it. He charged forward, his blades whirling. Glyn used the man's momentum against him, spinning to the side. As the man stumbled by, Glyn threw his elbow up and cracked Q'lynta in the face. Even from where I was hiding, I heard the crunch of bone and then saw the blood flowing down his face.

Q'lynta recovered quickly and slashed with his sword, catching Glyn in the back of this thigh. He staggered forward, clutching at his wounded leg, blood pouring over his hand in sheets. Q'lynta turned and kicked him in the small of the back, driving him to the ground.

A malicious smile spread across his face as Q'lynta recognized his distinct advantage. He knew he had the chance to strike a killing blow and he wasn't going to pass up on it. Stepping forward, he cocked his arms back, intent on driving both blades deep into Glyn's chest.

I knew that if I did nothing, he was going to die.

Bursting from my hiding spot with a furious roar of rage. Adrenaline washed through me in a way I'd never felt before and I hurled one of my two daggers at Q'lynta. He looked up just in time to see the blade spinning toward him – but not in time to block it. The blade bit into his side and the man staggered to the side, grunting in pain and shock. He looked at me as I closed the distance, my other dagger raised high.

It was time to finish this.

But Glyn held his hand up and called my name. I turned to him, my eyes wide with surprise.

“Stop!” Glyn called.

I froze in my tracks and looked from him to Q'lynta. The man, clutching his wounded side, looked from me to Glyn, his eyes widening in recognition.

“I thought we were fighting this man-to-man,” he growled.

Glyn's smile was predatory. “I'm not in this to play fair,” he said. “I'm in this to win.”

And with that, he unleashed a thick column of Dragonfire. The intense blaze consumed Q'lynta and the man's screams of agony echoed around the abandoned warehouse. He stumbled and fell, picked himself back up, only to fall down again. The trash and broken-down crates he stumbled over began to catch fire and the interior of the warehouse was suddenly growing very warm.

Moving over to Glyn, I helped him to his feet. He leaned heavily on me, the wound in his leg still hurting him. The worst of the bleeding had stopped as his powers of healing had already begun to knit his wound back together. But the gash was deep and it was going to be a little while yet, before he was back to normal.

“We should probably go,” I said. “Before the whole warehouse comes down on us.”

Glyn nodded. “Probably a good idea.”

With his arm over my shoulder and his weight partially on me, I helped Glyn limp out of the warehouse. The derelict old building was going up like a torch and it wouldn't be long before it burned to the ground – probably long before the fire department even got there. Dragonfire wasn't like normal fire – it burned hotter and far more intensely.

We turned to watch for a moment and I stared in amazement as half a dozen – maybe more – balls of intense bright light floated up from the burning ruins of the warehouse. They hovered over the flames for a long moment before shooting straight upward, into the heavens.

“They're going home,” I said. “They'll finally be at peace.”

Glyn nodded. “Yeah. Looks like it.”

He looked at me for a long moment and I knew what he was thinking – everybody but Onda would be at peace. She was still locked inside of me. But he didn't seem angry about it. No, he actually seemed comforted by it, in a way. Onda would always be with him – in a fashion.

We turned to go and I gave him a smile.

“We make a pretty good team, huh?” I asked.

“You're Robin to my Batman, right?”

I smirked at him. “Maybe I'm Batman.”

“Yeah, you wish.”

I laughed as we headed across the long vacant parking lot. Sirens sounded in the distance and we needed to get out of there as fast as we could. But then a feeling seized me. I grew dizzy and darkness crept in at the edges of my vision. I felt my body begin to tremble and shake uncontrollably. I had no idea what was happening.

“Vanessa,” Glyn shouted – though his voice sounded a million miles away.

I staggered and then fell to the pavement, my body jerking and seizing, and the darkness beginning to wash over me.

Chapter Eighteen

Vanessa

A bright light dominated my vision, blinding me, making it impossible to see anything. The trembling started in my hands and feet and moved inward first, before moving outward. It felt like an intense pressure was building up in the center of my body right before it was expelled outward through my mouth. It was like a scream, only silent.

I lay on the ground seizing, and I heard Glyn shouting my name – but even his voice quickly faded. My entire consciousness seemed to fade and I felt myself being pulled into a pool of darkness – one where there was no sound, no light, no sensation. I was adrift in a vacuum with no idea how to get myself out.

But, as my consciousness faded, another rose within me. And from that point on I was no longer Vanessa. I was Onda. She had taken over my body completely and had shut me away in the dark.

Trapped in the darkened vacuum, I watched as her life flashed before my eyes like a movie being projected onto a screen. I watched as she trained to be a Ranger. Watched as she fell in love with Glyn – which looked and felt much the same way I felt myself falling for him too.

And I watched as she hunted. I watched as she killed. Her skills were breathtaking. The way her body moved when she was fighting was pure poetry. Art in motion. She moved with a grace and beauty that was unnatural. It was visually stunning and yet incredibly deadly at the same time. There was nothing about Onda that couldn't be described as beautiful. Ethereal.

The voice in my head – my voice – was being drowned out by Onda's voice. At first, I couldn't comprehend what it was saying to me. But I figured this was my swan song, this was my goodbye. I thought that Onda would push me out, trap me in the darkness forever, and take over my body. I thought that she was asserting her dominance over me so that she could live with Glyn forever and ever – or at least, for however long my body lasted her.

I was finding a peace and acceptance in the dark void. They belonged together. I was the interloper. I was the third wheel. They should be together. They should live out their days together. They deserved it. I found peace in being happy to be able to facilitate that. I let myself float in the darkness, completely devoid of sensation, just waiting until the last of my consciousness melded with the dark.

But then I heard Onda's voice again and made out what she was saying.

“Vanessa, hold on,” she said. “It's only going to hurt for a moment, and then I'll be gone. You'll be free. Trust me.”

She'll be gone? What did that mean?

“Take care of Glyn for me,” she said, her voice so crystal clear in my head. “He can't be alone. He needs you. Be there for him like I was, Vanessa. And please tell him I love him and will see him in the next world.”

“No, don't go Onda!” I called back to her. “You don't have to go. We can share my body. I see now that my life was pathetic before. But now, because of you, I was a badass warrior. And I can't go back to that other life. I won't. We can continue to live together, in harmony like we have been. Either don't go, or leave me in the void, Onda. I don't want that old life. I might as well be dead.”

“No, we can't share,” Onda said. “Eventually, my essence would take over. I'm stronger than you, Vanessa. And I can't do that to you. I won't. It's my time to go. But I'm leaving with you a part of me. I'm gifting you a piece of my essence. Glyn needs someone by his side and it's the only way.”

“What does that all mean? I don't understand, Onda,” I called. “Please, don't go.”

But there was no answer to my calls. To my plea.

“Onda, what do you mean a part of you?” I called. “What part of you? I don't understand.”

“The badass warrior part,” she said at last, her voice carrying a hint of amusement. “This will only hurt for a second, Vanessa –”

The pressure in my chest grew higher and higher and I felt like my insides were going to explode. I tried to scream out, but when I did, only light came out of me – bursting from my mouth and spewing into the air around me. I watched as the brilliant light danced in the air in front of me, in front of Glyn. It hovered there for a long moment, as if it was saying its goodbyes. And then it rose upward, quickly disappearing into the sky.

And then, my world went black.

~~ooo000ooo~~

I awoke with a start, staring at an unfamiliar ceiling. My body jerked suddenly and I sat up, crying out. My throat was sore. Hell, everything on me was sore. It felt like my insides had been ripped out and then put back into place with fishing line and duct tape. Coughing hurt and I couldn't speak, but I realized where I was.

Glyn's apartment.

And Glyn was sitting in a chair he'd pulled over to the side of the bed. He watched me with concern upon his face. Once I sat up though, he rushed to my side. He stood beside me, taking my hand in his and repeating my name.

“Vanessa, are you okay?” he asked. “Vanessa?”

Finally, I came to my senses and was able to answer, “Yes,” I said, my throat raw and my voice scratchy. “I think so at least.”

Relief flooded his face as he sat down beside me on the bed, head in his hands. “I was worried I'd lost you too,” he said.

I tried to remember what had happened to me, but couldn't recall everything. All I remembered was the bright light and the darkness. As I racked my brain, I recalled Onda apparently speaking to me as well. But it all had such a surreal quality, I wasn't sure what was real and what wasn't. Fact and fiction blended together, the lines between real and imaginary blurring together until I couldn't differentiate one from the other.

“What happened?” I asked.

“Onda's essence left your body,” his voice was barely more than a whisper and I could see the pain in his face as he said it. “She's gone, Vanessa.”

Reaching out, I stroked his arm softly. “I'm sorry, Glyn. I - I think she spoke to me before she left. It's fuzzy and I'm not really sure it happened, but I recall hearing her voice.”

“Did she?” he looked at me, his face brightening slightly. “What did she say?”

“I think I remember her telling me to take care of you,” I said. “And she told me she was leaving me a small piece of herself because you needed a sidekick. A Robin to your Batman.”

His smile was small, but warm. “That sounds like her,” he said, and after a few moments, he added, “she spoke to me too.”

“She did? How?”

“Through you,” he said. “While you were out of it.”

Tears welled up in his eyes, and I wanted nothing more than to pull him to me, to comfort him. I felt closer to him than I should, but maybe that was part of what Onda left behind. Carefully, I scooted toward him and was close enough that I gently stroked his cheek and turned his face toward me.

“What did she say?” I asked.

“That she loved me,” he said, leaning into my touch.

“I know she did,” I said softly. “Before she left, I saw how much she loved you, Glyn. She loved you more than life itself, and she wants you to live, to be happy. She also wanted me to tell you just how much she loved you and that she would be waiting for you in the next world.”

He nodded, a lone tear racing down his cheek. “Because she was a good woman.”

I wanted nothing more than to kiss the tears away. He'd not only lost the love of his life once, but he'd had to endure it a second time. And the pain was so clear on his face, that it broke my heart.

“And you're a good man, Glyn,” I said. “You deserve to be happy.”

“Thank you, Vanessa,” he said. “I really am glad you're okay. You scared me for a moment.”

“It scared me too, but I'm already feeling better. It's strange, but I feel stronger than I did before,” I said.

I had to wonder, what other parts of herself had Onda left behind for me. I remember that she'd told me she was leaving “the badass warrior part,” because Glyn needed someone by his side.

But realistically, that could mean any number of things. Though, I had a fairly good idea what it meant. I could still feel it inside of me.

My desire – and ability – to hunt alongside him. To battle the creatures of the night with him. The desire was strong and I couldn't wait to get started.

Chapter Nineteen

Glyn

Onda had told me she loved me, that part was true. But I hadn't told Vanessa everything. It was personal and that was between Onda and me.

As I fell asleep that night, I dreamed of that moment again. I dreamed of seeing her essence floating above Vanessa, of hearing her speak to me. At first, she spoke through Vanessa, using her mouth and voice – until her essence finally came out of her. And when that glowing ball of light hovered before me, I could hear Onda's voice as clear as day.

“I love you,” she said.

“I love you too, Onda,” I said. “I miss you every minute of every single day.”

“She's going to take care of you now,” she said. “Let her in, Glyn. You don't need to spend the rest of your life alone. I don't want you to. I want you to find love. To be happy.”

She was giving me permission to be with Vanessa. Or rather, it was more like she was giving me an order to be with her. I looked down at Vanessa, the white streak gone from her hair. She was just Vanessa now. A normal human. A nurse. The good Samaritan who'd tried to save Onda in the alley that night.

“Oh, but she's so much more now,” Onda's voice whispered to me. “So much more.”

“I love you, Glyn,” she said. “And I will see you again.”

And then she was gone. Just like that, I'd lost my beloved Onda once more.

Startled, I woke up with my heart pounding and adrenaline coursing through me. I was sleeping in a chair across from the bed where Vanessa was sleeping. She still had to heal, and I was taking care of her. It was my responsibility to help her now – especially after everything she'd done for me.

I stared at her, fast asleep and breathing softly. I had to admit that she was beautiful. Nothing like Onda, of course. She looked nothing at all like her. But she was beautiful nonetheless.

The memory of Onda's voice echoed in my head, “Let her in.”

Vanessa turned over and I saw that her eyes were open. Her brown eyes – no longer the icy blue ones that belonged to Onda. She smiled at me as she sat up.

“Can't sleep, huh?” she asked.

“Not really,” I said.

“Me neither,” she said with a sigh. “I mean, I sleep for moments here and there, but I can't sleep like I used to. Not at night anyway.”

“Let me guess, you're restless?”

“I am,” she said. “It sounds crazy, but I want to hunt. I don't want to be bedridden like this. I want to get out there, hunt down those evil things in the dark. I promise, I feel better, Glyn.”

“I believe you,” I said. “Maybe we can venture out tomorrow night – it's almost morning now.”

“Yeah, I suppose so,” she said, turning from the window and staring back at me with a soft smile. “I probably should go back to work soon too. The kids need me.”

I remembered that she worked in pediatrics and I knew without a doubt, that was why Onda loved her. While we never discussed having children of our own – we were Rangers after all, and that life wasn't well suited for being parents – she'd always had a soft spot for children. Especially human children. We protected the humans, that's what we did.

And Vanessa did too. In her own way.

“What are you thinking about?” she asked me.

“Honestly?” I considered not telling her the truth to protect myself, but I did anyway. She deserved to know. “I'm actually thinking about how amazing you are.”

That brought an adorably awkward smile to her face. She sat up and patted the bed next to her, inviting me to join her. I hesitated for a second, remembering Onda's words, and then joined her on the bed. She curled up next to me, placing her head on my shoulder, and I stroked her hair.

It all somehow felt so natural. So right. Just the two of us sitting there, in silence. I reached out with my senses and found that it really was just the two of us. Onda was truly gone. It was just Vanessa, but I was surprised as hell to find that was somehow enough for me. When she looked up at me with those big, brown eyes, my heart melted. Onda approved of her and the memory of her voice told me I shouldn't fight it so hard.

Leaning down, I placed a soft kiss on the tip of her nose. Then I moved lower and kissed her lips, gently, hesitantly. She touched my face and she kissed me back. Before, we'd been in a haze and it all seemed so surreal. But this time, I was very much in the moment and enjoying the feel of her mouth pressed to mine.

As she touched me, I smiled at her and asked, “You sure you're feeling up to it?”

Raising an eyebrow, she teased, “Are you?”

Her hand moved lower, rubbing against the erection in my jeans and I groaned softly.

“I guess I have my answer,” she whispered, rolling over so she was now straddling me. With her hips pressing down into me, she stared into my eyes. “And to answer your question, yes. I'm very much up for it.”

I slipped her shirt off, this time paying attention to her body. Her breasts were round and full – they overflowed in my hands. She was so different from Onda, yet she was so beautiful. So sexy. It felt like the first time with her, and I wanted to savor every moment.

As I teased her nipple with my fingertips, Vanessa threw her head back and let out a soft moan as she ground herself against me. She moved her body up and down on top of me, getting hotter and wetter until neither of us could take it anymore. I slipped her pants down and she helped me get them off of her as she removed my belt, reaching her hand into my pants and grabbing hold of me. I moaned as she took me in her hand and squeezed me tight. Her small, soft hands moved up and down my shaft as she stared into my eyes.

“I can't explain it, Glyn,” she said, biting her lip, “but I feel so drawn to you, so close to you. I feel like we have a connection – have had a connection for a while, actually.”

“I feel the same way, Vanessa.”

I knew Onda had a role in how we were both feeling, but I wasn't complaining. Vanessa lowered her body and took me inside of her, making my eyes roll back in my head as she slid all the way down until I was fully sheathed inside of her. She was so tight, so hot, and so wet, that when she started to move, I almost lost control right then and there. I quickly managed to regain control of myself and pulled myself back off that ledge. I wanted to take time to savor and enjoy every moment with her.

“Jesus Christ,” I muttered, grabbing onto her hips once our bodies had been joined.

“I didn't think you were a religious man,” Vanessa said and winked at me.

“I guess I wasn't until I met you.”

Slowly, she started rocking back and forth on top of me, taking me deeper and deeper inside of her. From the position I was in, I was able to play with her breasts and suck on those perfect nipples.

“Yes, yes, yes,” she muttered, her movements getting faster and more deliberate. “Oh God, yes!”

I felt her whole body tense up, but her muscles down below tightened around me, squeezed me tight. I knew that she was on the precipice of an orgasm, so I thrust my hips upward, driving myself deeper inside of her, and she absolutely exploded.

She cried out loudly as she came, her head flying forward, landing on my chest as she moaned in pure ecstasy. Her body still trembling, she put her hands on my chest and started to move herself up and down on me, harder and faster. There was a look of absolute desire and determination in her eyes. She'd gotten off and wanted to make sure I did as well.

I grabbed hold of her hips and guided her, up and down, on me – slamming myself deeper and harder into her. She moaned and cried out, calling my name as she continued to ride me, continued to take me deep inside of her. I felt the pressure building up inside of me and knew that I wasn't going to last much longer. She simply felt too good.

The sounds coming from her mouth – combined with the tightening of her muscles so she was gripping me – were enough to finally send me over the top as well. My entire body tensed up and I threw my head back, moaning loud enough that my neighbors probably heard me. And then the sensation got to be too intense and as she came down hard on me, taking me even deeper inside of her, I let go and shot my seed deep inside of her – which seemed to touch off another explosive orgasm inside of her.

She cried out again, louder than ever before, and I pulled her down harder on to me. I was still pumping hot seed into her as she started to thrash wildly, her orgasm gripping her tight. We both cried out, moaning and thrashing, our bodies writhing in mutual pleasure as we rode out our orgasms together.

She stayed there, on top of me, for a while. It had been an intense – and intensely pleasurable – experience and it felt nice to just lay there, curled up with her. I felt myself growing soft inside of her until she rolled over beside me. Once she did, I curled up next to her and took her in my arms.

This time, I wasn't wracked with guilt after being with her. It was still strange, and it was still hard being with someone else so soon, but I had Onda's blessing.

Like she said, I deserved to be happy.

EPILOGUE

A Few Months Later

Vanessa

“That was a sick kill,” Glyn said as the two of us walked back to my apartment.

We would have gone to his, but mine closer after our latest mission. Thick, black blood covered the front of me – a parting gift from another Xar Queen who'd tried to move into LA to fill the void of power the last Queen had left.

Well, that was the new Queen's mistake because I was going to take her head, the same way the guys had taken the old Queen's head.

“Thanks,” I said. “I couldn't have done it without Onda.”

Yes, some might think it was weird to refer to his ex-girlfriend in casual conversation like that. But in our own little way, it was how we honored her. She was literally part of me for a few days and I felt like I knew her better than anyone – anybody except for Glyn, of course. He'd known her for a lot longer than I had, but I had gotten to see inside her head. I'd gotten to know her in ways no one else could.

So yes, she was special to me too. And I was still learning from the parting gift she'd left me when her essence had finally ascended to the heavens.

“She was right when she said she left the badass part of herself for you,” he said.

“Yeah, I know,” I replied. “And I couldn't be happier or more thankful for it.”

We rushed back to my apartment before the sun rose and showered. I had to be at work that morning, and I was already exhausted. But thankfully, I only worked three days a week. Three twelve hour shifts at the hospital – which still left a lot of time for hunting in the evenings on my days off.

That night's hunt had been a special mission, and there was no way I could have missed out on that.

It was hard being both a hunter of the night and a nurse during the day, but it was well worth it. When Onda left my body, she'd left that part of herself that felt drawn to the night. She also left her knowledge of fighting and her abilities too.

I knew that I likely wouldn't ever be as good as her because I was still human after all, but I was a damn good hunter just the same. What I lacked in skill, I made up for in passion and a willingness to learn.

And I'd kept my promise to Onda. I'd stayed by Glyn's side. But truthfully, even if I hadn't made that promise to her, I would have chosen to stay by his side all the same. He just made me happy. We showered together quickly, and then I had to go straight to work. But not before we made one quick stop.

“I'm telling you, these are the best doughnuts in the world,” I said.

Glyn didn't look convinced, but I dragged him to Miggy's anyway. As soon as we walked in, Miggy smiled at me. He glanced over at Glyn and raised an eyebrow, his smile growing even wider.

“Hey Miggy,” I said, grinning from ear-to-ear. “I want you to meet someone.”

“Mornin' Vanessa,” he said, walking over to the counter and holding his hand out. “And good morning to Vanessa's friend, welcome to Miggy's.”

Glyn shook his hand. “Thanks, I'm Glyn,” he said. “And it's safe to say, I’m probably a little more than just her friend.”

“How come you didn't mention that you had a boyfriend, Vanessa?” Miggy said, pretending to be hurt. “And here I thought we'd get married and spend the rest of our lives together.”

I laughed, shaking my head. “Oh Miggy. That ship sailed long ago. You weren't interested in me, remember?” I said. “Besides, you have Donna now, how's that going?”

His eyes lit up every time I mentioned Donna – and it was utterly adorable. The two of them had been dating for a few months now, and I heard from Donna about how happy she was quite regularly.

She'd also happened to gain about fifteen or twenty extra pounds since she started dating Miggy – though, I didn't blame her. I blamed Miggy. There was no way you could date a man like him and not gain weight, thanks to his delightful baking skills.

“She's the light of my world, Vanessa,” he said and then turned to Glyn. “Did you know your girlfriend is the reason I finally met the love of my life?”

“I didn't,” Glyn said, looking over at me with a sweet smile. “But I'm not surprised. She has a good heart.”

“That she does,” Miggy said. “And if I ever hear about you breaking that heart –”

“Not a chance, Miggy,” Glyn said. “Cross my heart and hope to die. I love this girl.”

I reached out and squeezed his hand. “He's very good to me, Miggy.”

“Good, glad to hear it,” he said. “You deserve nothing but the best, mija.”

Other customers started lining up behind us, and I knew we had to get going. I helped Glyn pick out a donut – chocolate with sprinkles, because who doesn't like sprinkles? – and then we went to pay. As usual, it was a fight to get Miggy to accept my money, but Glyn ended up paying this time anyway. He dropped more than enough for our donuts into the tip jar and we were on our way.

As he bit into his chocolate confection, I swear I saw his eyes roll into the back of his head.

“Almost better than sex, isn't it?” I asked.

He side-eyed me. “Good, but not even close to being better than sex with you.”

“You know what I mean, silly,” I said, playfully slapping his arm.

“Yeah, it's damn good,” he said. “Actually, it's probably the best donut I've ever had.”

“See? I told you?” I said as I looked at my phone. “Oh God, I'm late. I'll see you later, sweetie.”

“Still on for tonight?” he asked.

“Always. Just let me get a nap in first,” I said.

“Great,” he said. “I'll be at your place around ten. We have some hunting to do.”

“Yes, yes, we do,” I said, kissing him again. “Love you.”

“Love you too, my little badass.”

I drove to work feeling like the luckiest woman in the world – I had two jobs I was passionate about, an amazing man in my life, and I actually was a badass. I smiled as I took it all in – life was most definitely good.

THE END