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Present day Atlanta, Georgia
Renata Sanchez paused her step at the odd silence that caught her attention as quickly as someone shouting. A city such as Atlanta had a heartbeat and pulse almost like that of a human. This city was known for many things, quiet not being one, not even in the shadows along the old railroad tracks below street level, the original Underground Atlanta.
Having traveled here from Brazil to aid her Belador counterparts, she’d been assigned a local partner for this patrol in temperatures dropping only to the sixties at night in June. Probably cool due to the scattered showers across the city.
“Do you notice the quiet that just happened?” she asked Devon, who had stopped walking. As a Belador teamed up with her because he knew the city, Devon had proudly stated he was a Cajun from Louisiana. His sexy accent backed up those words. Good thing she loved her Roberto, who had just as wonderful a Latino accent. Devon and Roberto shared similar qualities, both tall with nut-brown skin and deep brown eyes, great smiles and just plain nice.
But Roberto was the only man for her. She hoped to gain the dragon king’s permission to mate with a human.
“I did notice the quiet.” Devon glanced around. “But I’m not pickin’ up any supernatural presence nearby. What about you?”
“No.” As she spoke that one word, the sounds of life in the city returned. She glanced over to find Devon frowning. “That is not normal?”
“Not that I know of, but hey, what’s the definition of normal in our world?” He scratched his chin. “I’m thinking on calling that into Trey, just don’t know what I’d say. Everything got quiet, then noisy again?”
She’d been told that as the most powerful Belador telepathic in the southeast, and maybe in this entire country, Trey McCree coordinated their teams patrolling the city. “I must admit that does not sound significant without anything else happening.”
“Tell you what. Let’s see if it happens again. Right now, we just need to keep an eye out for any demons or other supernatural threat showing up, and keep humans from seeing those things.”
“You mean like the Medb,” she muttered, amazed that VIPER, a coalition of supernatural beings who protected humans from preternatural threats, had allowed Queen Maeve to send witches and warlocks into the human realm recently.
From what Renata had heard, the invasion had been for a short time, but some bad decisions are not easily reversed.
She could understand the friction between local Beladors and VIPER these days. They reached the corner of Turner Drive where they could turn left to walk in front of a large entertainment arena or take a right toward the center of the city. “Which way, Devon?”
He shrugged. “Let’s hang a left then take the next right. That’ll bring us to the World Congress Center then back to Centennial Olympic Park. We have another team working from that area to Baker Street. We’ll check to see if they’ve noticed anything strange like a sudden silence.”
“Good idea. I will follow you.” She fell into step with him. “Do you think humans will learn of us even with all the effort Beladors are putting into shielding the presence of supernatural beings?”
Devon ran a hand over his short hair. “I would have said no at one time, but we think someone, a nonhuman, is behind trying to out us. A few weeks back, one of our females riding a motorcycle through the city was intentionally wrecked along with a witch who’s an ally. Nasty wreck. They kidnapped the motorcycle rider. Of course, some humans were around that time of night with phones and filmed it. That started the first signs of our secret identities unraveling. But someone from our community had been there, ready for prime time video.”
Standing five-foot-eight, Renata had no trouble keeping up with Devon’s long strides. She had hoped the rumors about being outed had been blown out of proportion, but evidently not. “Do you mind if I ask if you’re married, Devon?”
“Nope.” He laughed. “I’m not. You hittin’ on me?”
“No.” She realized how that sounded and laughed, then quickly explained, “While you are attractive, I am spoken for.”
“Just cuttin’ up with you.” He gave her a friendly smile. “Congratulations. Is it just dating or more?”
“Maybe.”
His smile faltered. “Why do you say maybe?”
She debated on saying anything, but she had yet to meet any married Beladors back home mainly because she lived out in the country where there was little need for those with her powers. “I have been in this relationship for two years and he has asked me to marry him.”
“Well, damn.” Devon grinned. “That’s serious enough.”
She killed demons and other strange predators on her own when she did run into them, but having Devon excited about her engagement made her blush.
He eyed her hand. “Where’s your ring, woman?”
“I don’t want to wear it until I find out if ... it will be approved.”
Tossing a serious look her way, Devon nodded. “I get it. Your fiancé is human, right?”
“Yes. I would have traveled here just to help out my Belador family anyhow, but I jumped at the chance to come so I could ask the dragon king for permission. I have told Roberto nothing, because we are to not tell humans about what we are unless they are family or a spouse.”
Devon lifted a finger. “The dragon king’s name is Daegan, and I can’t see him denying you that opportunity. We have quite a few marriages with humans here. The only thing is he will warn you that now is a dangerous time to bring humans into our world.”
“I know this. I feel confident I can keep Roberto safe. We live so far from the city. I have only had to face two trolls and a demon in the past three years. Roberto had no idea when I fought them, but he was never in danger.” She considered Devon’s words and admitted, “I do not know if I can call our dragon king by his given name.”
Devon shook his head and chuckled.
She gave him a wry smile. She’d just turned twenty-five and felt a little intimidated at the idea of meeting a dragon shifter even if he was on the side of Beladors. More like ruling the Beladors, but things had improved greatly since he kicked Macha out of Treoir realm. Just the fact that he had done so spoke volumes about his power.
“Don’t worry.” Devon waved his hand to dismiss her concerns. “He’s a good guy, the best. He’ll do anything to protect us and he’s down to earth.”
“I have heard the story of his rescue from TÅμr Medb. It is hard not be a fangirl over our dragon king.” She smiled at Devon.
That made Devon laugh even more.
She enjoyed the Cajun. He was the first Belador from Louisiana she’d ever met.
They had just walked across a highway bridge, which ran in front of the gigantic event arena. This walkway and drive spanned the old railroad tracks below.
Silence once more dropped over her like an invisible shroud.
Devon stopped as abruptly as she had. He held up a finger and whispered, “Stay here.”
Then he walked over to a set of steps going down to a parking deck perched to the side of the tracks. He stood on the second step, looking all around.
All at once, normal sounds of rats scurrying along the gutters and automobile engines droning returned.
Even the air seemed to move again.
Her skin prickled at the odd sensation.
Devon bent over the stairway rail to look down.
She called out telepathically, Anything unusual going on, Devon?
Not sure, came back. He turned his head to look her way then returned to whatever had drawn his attention. He added, But this is enough for me to contact Trey.
Hair raised on her arms. Even so, she never ran from anything and said, Want to go down and take a closer look?
As soon as she said that, he backed away and turned toward her. He called out, Get out of ...
His body was yanked backwards over the rail and out of sight.
Using her Belador power, she rushed over there in seconds, but couldn’t hear or see Devon. No humans were around her. She leaped off the steps to drop sixty feet and land next to the tracks.
Devon! she shouted to him mind-to-mind.
Nothing came back.
She opened her mind to call Trey.
Without a sound of warning, a hand grabbed her arm. Claws pierced her skin.
She swung the other arm around to hit whatever it was with her kinetic power. Her hand slapped energy. Not a body.
And she had no kinetics.
The hand on her arm disappeared.
She called out to Trey, Devon was ...
A cold sensation covered her as if someone had dumped ice water over her body. She shouted over and over telepathically, calling for anyone who could hear her, but her muffled words bounced around in her head.
No one called back to her.
A male figure two feet taller than her appeared as if it formed from mist in the air and glowed yellow. The face that formed had empty holes for eyes and a black maw full of needle-sharp teeth.
Torn and ragged, a translucent robe hanging on the body.
Renata tried to run. She couldn’t move, no matter how much power she called up. She tried shifting into Belador battle form with thicker muscles and a head twice her normal size.
Nothing changed in her body.
She couldn’t open her mouth, couldn’t push words out, but heard them in her head when she shouted, What are you?
He latched translucent fingers around her wrist. Searing pain rushed up her arm. She trembled, her body shaking with shock. Tears sprung from her eyes. She silently pleaded for help. Anything to stop this abomination from whatever he was doing to her.
Then he shoved his other hand straight into her chest.
