Hidden DRagon

Hidden Dragon by Trudi Jaye 

They say I’m the last dragon shifter. I say they’ve got the wrong girl.

Raised in the shadows, trained to fight, and hunted by supernatural assassins since I could walk—my life hasn’t exactly been normal. But I’ve always believed one thing: I’m not a dragon shifter. I can’t be.

Then my world goes up in flames. My enemies close in. And I’m forced to run—with only an arrogant supernatural agent by my side and a million questions no one wants to answer. I’m chasing shadows across the country to find the one person who might hold the truth: the father I barely know.

Because with my twentieth birthday looming—the day when all supernaturals come into their full powers—I have a choice. Stay hidden and hope I survive… or risk everything to uncover who (or what) I really am.

Because if they’re right about me? I might not live long enough to find out what kind of monster I’ll become.

If you love fierce heroines, high-stakes action, and slow-burn romance with bite, dive into Hidden Dragon, the first book in a pulse-pounding urban fantasy series from Trudi Jaye.

CHAPTER 1 

Si’s muscles flex as he swings his long fighting stick toward me. 

He looks like an avenging angel; fast and deadly, with no mercy. His short black hair is slicked back off his forehead, and his dark brown eyes are focused on me like he’s already planning my death. Mostly those same eyes are wreathed in smiles, with lines crinkling around the edges. But in a fight, he’s hard and unforgiving. 

To him there’s nothing more than to win or lose, to live or die. 

Perhaps he’s right. I know he’s only trying to save me from my enemies. 

I block his next attack with my own fighting stick then leap back out of range, landing a quick swipe to his side as I go. Si’s expression doesn’t change. 

I’m sure it hurt like hell—there wasn’t enough time to pull up his supernatural defenses—but he’s a pro at hiding his emotions. 

As for me? I try to hide what I’m thinking, but it doesn’t always work. Like right now; sweat’s dripping off me, and my legs and arms feel like jelly. We’ve been at this for a couple hours, and I’m sure my face says exactly what I think of continuing this training session. 

But there’s no stopping til Si tells me to stop. 

Fight and retreat. 

Smash and return. 

I’m tempted to ask him to call time, but I know I have to fight on. If I give up, Si will make it ten times worse. He’s big on lessons that will make me stronger. 

Life doesn’t just stop because you want it to. If this was a real fight, do you think your enemies would let you take a break? 

Si shifts his fighting stick to the other side, his loose cotton trousers swishing as he moves gracefully into a different fighting stance and attacks again—this time slamming his stick toward my midsection. 

I block, then attack, kicking one leg high toward his face. 

He evades and steps back. “You’re not concentrating, Mei. You’ll get yourself killed,” he says, frowning. His voice is gravelly—some long-ago fight messed with his vocal chords—and it makes him sound grumpy all the time. He was probably defending me, for all I know.

I narrow my eyes and glare at him, but don’t reply. I don’t know why he’s not suffering more from the high intensity training he’s been punishing us with. I’m fit and strong, but somehow he’s always fitter and stronger. 

He’s tall and lean, with zero body fat, and a mix of German and Korean ancestry that gives him an unusual look. I’ve never been able to figure out how old he is, although he’s much older than me, of that I’m sure. He’s been one of my mentors since I was a little kid, one of the protectors sent to keep me safe from my hunters, but as far as I’m concerned he’s always looked exactly the same. With his smooth olive skin and thick dark hair, he could pass for any age between twenty-five and forty-five. Given that he’s a supernatural, he could be even older, and I wouldn’t be able to tell. 

It’s his chameleon shifter genes, I guess. He could be two hundred and still look the same age. 

A shiver runs along the spell web clinging to my skin, alerting me to another presence nearby; Jeff—my other mentor—has stepped into the training ring alongside Si. The older man might have slowed down with age, but he’s a dangerous opponent, and uses whatever tricks he can. 

Like surprise, for example. 

Luckily I have a secret weapon—my unique link to the spell web that covers all supernaturals makes it impossible for anyone to sneak up on me at close quarters. 

I turn, pushing out a back kick, attempting to put Jeff off and give myself a few seconds to prepare for fighting the two of them at once. 

Jeff avoids my kick—just—and I feel the movement behind me as Si attacks again. 

Sidestepping, I manage to avoid a stick to the head. 

I strike out at Si with my stick, landing it against his side, even as I avoid another attack from him. 

I twist in midair, landing with a thump, and roll into a low fighting position. 

Jeff can’t quite keep up with my movements, and I turn fast behind Si to land a kick on Jeff’s stomach. He grunts and moves backward. 

I take no satisfaction from scoring a point over Jeff. It’s like hurting an old faithful dog—a Rottweiler with big teeth, and a nasty streak—but an old dog nonetheless. 

Even worse, today he’s wearing a lurid Hawaiian shirt instead of his usual dark shirt and tie. He’s even got a bit of salt-and-pepper stubble on his face, to go with his slightly longer-than-regulation hair. 

He looks like a damn tourist instead of a wily Supernatural Intelligence Group agent. 

“You’re scared of the new SIG agent,” says Jeff, his breath puffing as he tries to recover from my kick. He pronounces each of the letters in the acronym with only a hint of his New York accent. “Maybe he’ll be a stickler for the rules. Won’t let you go off on your own like I do.” 

He smirks at me, his bright blue eyes dangerously perceptive. 

That’s how Jeff wins his fights these days—through mind-fucking his opponent. He’s not fast or particularly fit anymore, he’s just tough and smart. 

And it works.

Despite the fact I know it’s an attempt to make my emotions take over and put me off, I feel anger and resentment rising up. Jeff’s retiring from the SIG. He’s quitting his job, leaving me, like I’m some damn piece of furniture he doesn’t want any more. 

Who the hell does he think he is? He doesn’t know what I’m feeling. 

I take a deep breath and let it out, trying to release my animosity. I narrowly sidestep a punch from Jeff, only to have Si land a solid hit to my leg. Dammit. 

My resistance crumbles along with my leg. I stagger to one side, barely escaping another slam from Si’s stick. Who am I kidding? I don’t want Jeff to go. It feels like I’m losing a limb. 

He’s the one who figured out how to keep me safe. He’s been around a long time; he and Si watched me grow up, looking after scraped knees and drying off my tears, which is more than my real father ever did.  

And maybe Jeff’s also a little on target. What if the new guy is a total jerk? I try to imagine the replacement SIG agent. All I can picture is some starched-up dude in a suit, which is about the last kind of person I want following me around. I can take care of myself. 

And just like that, Jeff lands a punch to my side and I spin backward. I only just manage to stay on my feet. 

“I heard he goes by the rules,” Jeff taunts. “Talked to an old friend at the cadet academy. He’s fresh out of training and won’t want to ruin his chances of promotion.” 

The words make my hands clench tighter around my fighting stick. Another ripple goes through the spell web and I finally use it in my defense. I reach out along the glowing grid and push a pulse of energy toward Si. He blinks and shakes his head, stepping back out of my range. I can’t do the same to Jeff, because he’s more human than super, but I hit out at him with my stick. 

I’m too distracted to even get close. 

Desperately, I try to focus. I know I won’t get any points for taking on the two of them at once. Si barely counts Jeff as an opponent these days. The spell web ripples in warning, and Si’s weapon slams into my side, knocking the breath out of my lungs with his precise positioning. Where Jeff is all brute strength and trickery, Si is precision and accuracy. I stumble backward, gasping for breath. 

Jeff takes the opportunity offered and kicks my legs out from under me. I land on my back; stars fill my vision, and for a millisecond, I wonder what I’m supposed to do. They’ve got me on the ground, two against one. Si and Jeff loom over me, both waiting for my next move. They’re not stupid enough to think I’ll stay down. 

There’s really no question what I’ll do next. 

Magic. 

I seldom use it. Si says it’s a crutch and has banned it in the ring. But desperate times... 

And Jeff started it. He cheated first. 

Water from the nearby fishpond slams into the two men towering over me before either of them knows what’s happening. It knocks them both down, pushing them away so I can scramble to my feet. Seconds later, I use my stick to strike three precise hits to both Si and Jeff. 

This time Si knows it’s coming and has already pulled his protective chameleon scales over his skin, and probably doesn’t feel it. Jeff rolls away with a grin, and I can see he’s enjoying my response. 

I strike again with my stick, directly at his smug expression. 

But Jeff’s been doing this too long to be caught by a cheeky sideswipe to the head and he ducks back out of range. 

“I’m thinking I might not come back, like I planned. I might take a long cruise. Maybe meet someone nice,” he says. 

Even though I know it’s a lie designed to knock me off balance, I still let his words affect me. I stumble and glance toward Jeff. He knows I’m strung out by his impending retirement, and he’s using it against me. I wish he’d give it a break sometimes. He’s always testing me, trying to make me stronger, unbreakable. Sometimes I wish he’d just say, well done, you’re doing great. 

Instead, Jeff just raises his eyebrows at me. “You better keep an eye on both opponents, Mei. You never know when the other will strike.” 

Again, a ripple along the spell web alerts me seconds before Si slams his stick into my left thigh. I crumble to the ground, but manage to turn it into a roll at the last minute, and come back to my feet, a little bit away from Si. I turn toward him, ready to take him down once and for all. 

Behind me, Jeff speaks again. “I came out to let you know your father’s coming tomorrow. He’s going to do the debrief himself.” 

I drop my guard in surprise. My father? I haven’t seen him since I was four years old. An emotion I can’t name grabs hold of my heart. I turn to Jeff again. “What?” 

An arm snakes around my neck from behind and pulls me into a lock position, slamming me into the ground and holding my face to the floor. I struggle, but can’t break the hold. My concentration is shot; I can’t access my magic. Even the spell web feels like it’s smothering me. It tingles along my skin, making my magic short circuit. 

I’m done. 

“Enough,” I mutter. “You win.” They’re cheating, not letting me fight Si properly. They’ve been doing more and more dirty fighting in the last year. I don’t know why I’m surprised every time it happens. 

“You can’t give up like that,” Si says. His voice is inches from my ear. He speaks softly, with only the barest trace of a Korean accent. “You’ll die.” 

“It’s not a fair fight. Jeff knows all the buttons to press. I won’t be fighting someone who knows that much about me.” 

“You don’t know that. You have to train for all eventualities. It’s the only way to survive,” Si replies, before letting me go.  

“Is he really coming?” I uncurl from my prone position on the ground, but remain seated, my legs crossed. 

Jeff hesitates, then nods. “He is. Said he wants to meet this new agent personally.” 

“He didn’t do that when you started.” I don’t remember much about it, but I’m certain my father didn’t come out twelve years ago when Jeff first came on the job. 

“Maybe he didn’t think you’d make it to twenty at that point,” Si says. “There’s less than two months to go now. There’s more at stake.” 

I try not to let the words hurt. Si isn’t trying to sting me, not like Jeff would have in the ring. He’s just stating a fact. My father’s not coming to visit with his daughter; he’s coming to protect an asset. This new agent probably means more to him than I do. 

And what do I get in return? All his enemies hunting me down, constantly trying to get to me, so they can use me as leverage against him. Someone should just tell them how little I actually mean to my father. Maybe then they’d all just leave me alone. 

I’m not even entirely sure why my father feels so strongly about protecting me. He’d definitely be better off if he just let someone kill me. Then he wouldn’t have to worry. There’d be no secrecy and no reports via encrypted notes on my progress and whether we survived the latest attempt on my life. Everything would be much simpler. 

Si extends his hand out to me, and I take it, letting him pull me to my feet. I sigh, trying not to let myself wallow in my thoughts. “I’m going for a swim.” 

“Don’t be too long. He’ll be here soon,” Jeff says. There’s nothing but concern in his voice now. He’s made his point. 

I nod, but don’t look back as I head along the path between the trees that goes to the river. It might have been part of my training, but Jeff’s words are like a thorn under my skin. I need time to lick my wounds and regain my equilibrium. 

I’ve heard whispers and chatter—when they think I’m not listening—that my mentors think it’s because I’m special. That it’s more than just a way to get back at my father, this constant cat and mouse game we’re playing. But I’ve done nothing more sinister in my entire life than run and hide out. My magic begins and ends with the ability to manipulate small amounts of water and sense supers along the spell web. Everything that’s special about me has been taught to me by Jeff and Si, through blood, sweat, and tears in the fighting ring. 

None of it involves magic or a power that could destroy the world. 

I’d know if I was something more. 

Sometimes I wish I could actually do something dramatic, just to piss off one of my enemies. At least then I’d feel like I had some kind of control over my life. 

But the truth is, I don’t have anything different inside me. At least, no more than every other supernatural out there. 

I keep waiting for the day they realize it’s all a mistake, a miscalculation someone made at my birth. Maybe he’s not even my real father? The thought sends a little thrill along my spine. If he wasn’t my father, I could let out this breath I’ve been holding, stop looking over my shoulder, and live my life just like everyone else. 

The thought spurs me on. My footsteps get faster the closer I am to the water. Soon I’m all but sprinting toward the roar of the waterfall. I emerge out of the forest next to the pool where the river has widened beneath the surging waterfall; the spray hits my body and I let out my breath. Suddenly, everything feels a little easier. 

As I gaze up at thirty feet of water gushing over the rocks, the power leaks into the air around me. This place has been my savior more times than I can count. It’s not just because I have water magic; it’s that it soothes me, it envelops me. It shaves off the hard edges of my life and gives me peace again. 

I strip down to my bra and panties and start the climb to the top. My body falls into a familiar rhythm, and I let the energy soak into my skin, consciously allowing my fears and worries to slip away. 

By the time I reach the top, I’ve almost recovered; I’m clear-headed and ready to face anything. I hold my arms out to the side, take a deep breath, close my eyes, and dive over the edge into the water. 

CHAPTER 2 

A long time later, I wander back to the house. 

I’m reinvigorated and ready to face whatever they throw at me. I had to put my clothes back on over my dripping body, so I’m a drowned rat version of myself. My shoes squelch as I stride back along the path, and I wish everything wasn’t about to change yet again. 

I push my magic out along the spell web—the lightly glowing, crisscrossing lines are almost invisible in the sunlight—trying to see if the agent has arrived. Not everyone can use the spell web the way I do—it’s like having another set of eyes that can see into the distance and around corners. 

Through the spell web, I sense someone else at the house. Not a full supernatural, or even a half, but a super with strange residual energy that I’ve never encountered before. As I emerge from the woods, I spot a newish red Ford truck parked in the driveway. 

He’s here. The new SIG agent, sent to protect me from the countless people who want me dead. 

I pause, every instinct pressuring me to run, but I let out a huff of breath instead. What am I running from? I’m upset because my life is being messed up by circumstances outside of my control; running away will only make it worse. I force myself to stride purposefully toward the back door, but my footsteps slow when I hear raised voices inside. 

“What the hell are you talking about?” The stranger’s voice is angry, but still manages to have a velvety smooth charm to it. I frown. 

“You’re the perfect person to be looking after her. I’ve seen your files.” Jeff’s voice is calm. 

“It’s perfect for you, you mean! An older agent looking for a cushy job to finish out his career. This is my first damn assignment! I don’t want to be babysitting some helpless little girl in the middle of nowhere!” 

I shift slightly. Who’s he calling helpless? 

“This job is important.” Jeff’s voice doesn’t change in tone, but I can tell he’s pissed. 

“To you! This assignment is going to take me on a fast train to nowhere. You have to take it back.” The new agent is pleading now. 

“Take what back?” 

“Your request to have me here.” 

“You’ve got it wrong, boyo, I didn’t request you. Special Agent Damien Walker requested you.” 

There’s a long pause. “Walker requested me?” His voice comes out as almost a squeak. I know why. My father is a legend in the SIG. There are even rumors that he doesn’t really exist, that he’s just a scaremongering tactic used by the agency to keep the other agents in line. 

“Yep. And if you’d like to ask him to rescind his request, you can do it yourself. He’ll be here tomorrow for your briefing.” 

“He knows who I am?” This time his voice actually does squeak. The velvety smoothness has diminished, and I smirk. That’ll teach him for underestimating this assignment. 

“We both looked through all the new agents coming out of the cadet training program. You seemed the most qualified.”  

“But—”

“Yes, I saw the big, black X against your name. We know about the trouble you got yourself into, but that’s the kind of out-of-the-box thinking you’ll need on this assignment.” 

“Don’t you see? I need a normal assignment. One that will erase the black mark, not make it bigger.” 

“Nothing can erase that mark on your record, son,” Jeff says softly. “They’ll be watching you for the rest of your life and waiting for you to do it again. Trust me.” 

“What are you talking about?” 

“The same thing happened to me. That’s why I ended up here. But it turned out to be the best damn thing that ever happened to me.” 

Jeff is speaking as if he’s just stating a fact, but moisture appears in the corner of my eyes. I don’t want Jeff to go. He’s more like a father than my biological father has ever been. 

“Yeah, because it’s an easy job,” says the new guy. 

“You need to stop thinking of this as a cushy assignment.” Jeff’s voice now has a hard edge to it. “This will be one of the most difficult assignments you’ll ever have, if you survive it. In the twelve years I’ve been here, there have been over five hundred and thirty attempts on her life. Some of those attempts have resulted in the death of Protectors like Si here. Before I came along, three other SIG agents were killed in action. This is not a cushy job, it’s just one that I’ve done well.” 

There is silence for a heartbeat. “Why is she so important?” 

I hold my breath. This is the question I’ve asked and asked and asked. They’ve never given an answer that satisfies me. 

“That’s classified information,” Jeff tells him. “As time goes on, you might reach the right level of security to know more.” 

I let out a disappointed rush of air. 

“How can I protect her if I don’t know anything about her?” 

“All you need to know is that the Earthbound think she’s dangerous. There’s a bounty on her head, so every damn supernatural from here to Timbuktu is your enemy.” I hear Jeff pacing around the kitchen, probably getting annoyed at the line of questions. 

“Why are they hunting her?” 

“All you need to know is they’re determined to eliminate her. There’s some talk that she’s a threat to the spell web, others say it’s just the politics of who her family is, a way to get even with her father. Either way, it doesn’t matter. Your brief is to keep her alive until she turns twenty.” 

Tingles run along my skin. It’s not long now ‘til my birthday. and then I’ll know for sure who I am and why the crackpots over at the Earthbound compound think I’m so damn dangerous. Or if it’s all just a hoax to stir up my Dad and his buddies at the SIG. 

“When does she turn twenty?” asks the new agent. 

“Two months.” 

The new agent whistles low. “So when she reaches the age of maturity, they think she’s going to bring down the spell web?” 

“They’ve never come out and told us, but whatever they believe she can do, they want her dead because of it,” Jeff clarifies. “It’s our job to prevent that.” 

“What if they’re right? What if she is a threat to the spell web?” 

“When was the last time you saw an actual dragon?” Si enters the conversation for the first time. “The Dragon Wars were centuries ago. The Earthbound created the spell web to rid the world of dragons and their destructive ways. It was successful. They did it. So who is it protecting us from now? No one. So why do we still have it covering us, sucking away our power? What does it even matter if she’s a threat to the spell web?”

I hold my breath. That’s the most I’ve ever heard Si say about the spell web, and the secretive organization that controls it. Other than knowing they created the spell web, and they want me dead, I’ve never been able to find out much about the Earthbound. 

“What makes you so sure you’re right about the spell web?” the new agent challenges. 

“What makes you so sure I’m wrong?” Si responds softly. 

“Whatever anyone thinks of the spell web and its relevance, there’s no need to go around killing innocent young girls.” The annoyance in Jeff’s voice is clear. “The Earthbound have overstepped their boundaries. They’ve had unlimited reign for so long, they forget their place.” 

“The SIG—your employers and mine—have a written contract with the Earthbound,” says the new agent. “The fact that you and I are here protecting this girl contradicts that agreement.” 

“Someone more powerful than either you or I is protecting Mei, and it’s not our place to question it,” says Jeff. 

“Perhaps I should call my supervisor at headquarters—”

I hear Jeff moving, and imagine him getting right up in the new guy’s face. “Agent Walker—who outranks us all, including your supervisor—will be here tomorrow,” says Jeff, practically growling. “You can ask him every damn question you want about this assignment and the politics of protecting her from the Earthbound. In the meantime, you are strictly forbidden to trumpet her presence to anyone.” Jeff’s using his SIG agent voice, and I know he’s pissed at the new guy for even suggesting he go running to his superiors. 

I’m cold and shivering in my damp clothes, so I tiptoe backward and crunch on the gravel outside the door, making my presence known before I open the door and walk into the kitchen. 

Three sets of eyes are fixed on me. They all take in my bedraggled appearance. Jeff raises his eyebrows, as if to say, Could you have made a worse first impression? 

But I don’t care. I’m not trying to impress the new guy; he’s already trying to get out of the assignment. I narrow my eyes in his direction. He’s a foot taller than Jeff and Si, neither of whom is short. He’s got brown hair cut short in a regulation hairstyle, and his hazel eyes appraise me warily. Unlike Jeff, who is mostly human from the top of his hairy head to the tips of his toes, this new agent has a patchy covering of the spell web. Not a full glowing grid like Si and I, but enough so I know he has a smattering of supernatural blood in him. 

I shift my feet slightly, feel cold, wishing I didn’t have to stay here and make nice. 

“Mei, this is Agent Seth Barnes. He’s my replacement.” Jeff’s eyes are unreadable. “Agent Barnes, this is Mei Walker.” 

Agent Barnes looks at me for a second, blinks, and then turns to Jeff. “She’s his daughter?” A faint flush appears on his cheeks. 

“There’s a reason you aced all those exams, isn’t there?” Jeff’s words are delivered with a bite. “Yes, she’s his daughter.” 

Agent Barnes runs one hand shakily through his hair. “There’s no way I can get out of this damn assignment, is there?” 

Jeff shakes his head. “Not without ruining your career.” 

I glance back and forth between them. A shimmering anger heats my skin, and I have to force myself to take deep breaths. “If you’re going to keep talking about me as if I’m not here, I’ll be going.” I turn and stalk off in the direction of my room. I need to take a shower anyway. The new guy has already written me and this assignment off, so why should I bother to be polite? 

“Mei! Come back here.” 

Ignoring Jeff, I slam the door to my room; I’m too annoyed to be diplomatic. Real mature, I know, but it’s not like I want this new guy here anyway. He’s acting like he’s the one who’s been put-upon. What about me? I’m the one who’s constantly guarded, watched and fussed over. Forever living in fear of having the most powerful supernaturals on the planet find and kill me for some lame reason I don’t even understand. 

How on earth would I destroy the spell web? And even if I could, why would I want to? I like the spell web. It’s useful to me. I feel safer knowing it’s there. 

Every supernatural knows the story. Three hundred years ago, the planet was overrun with dragons. They fought desperate and bloody battles for territory, killing hundreds of thousands of humans and supernaturals. The devastation was beyond anything seen since, including any of the human wars.  

The spell web was how a small secret society called the Earthbound defeated the dragons and saved the planet. We’ve been covered by it, and they’ve been the heroes of the supernatural people, ever since. 

I shiver. I was seven when one of my Protectors, Lee, noticed the way I was talking about the spell web and asked me to explain. When I told him I saw the web as a glowing grid over all the supernaturals we came across, his expression became fearful. I still remember the soft words he spoke. 

Never tell anyone else what you can do, Mei. No one else can see it like that. It’s not the kind of power the SIG would ever want you to have. 

His words scared me so much, I never told anyone else. When Lee was killed protecting me, my secret died with him. I sometimes think Si and Jeff suspect, but they’ve never asked and I’ve never told. Being able to see it and use it to my advantage is one big reason why I’d never want to get rid of the spell web. It’s another sense I use, like taste and touch, that helps me through my day. It’d be like cutting off an arm. No, more like cutting off all my limbs. 

Pulling off my damp clothes, I head to the shower, the edge of my anger already wearing off. As usual, the warm water soothes me, caressing my body in just the right way, and allows my brain to sort through the information I’ve just overheard. Most of it isn’t new. 

Of course there is one piece of information that sticks out. I keep going back to it, trying to unpack it in my head. They think I might bring the spell web down. 

Although this has never been explicitly stated to me before, I’d guessed it already. It makes sense; it’s the main responsibility of the Earthbound. I rub my arms fiercely with the soap, making frothy bubbles along my skin. 

The way I see and use the spell web is unique. I’ve researched my ability, all the way back to when the original spell was instigated, but I can find no mention of it. The Earthbound—who were just a ragtag group of secretive radical supernaturals back then—went to the ruling Supernatural Council and told them they could destroy the dragons by creating a spell. It was designed to cover the physical bodies of every single supernatural on the planet, including the dragons. The spell would then absorb a portion of each supernatural’s magic in order to supply the energy needed to control the dragons. Using the spell web, the Earthbound were able to not only defeat the dragons, but to run them to the ground and kill them off completely. 

I chew on my lip. Si is right. Everyone knows dragons are extinct. 

Why do we still need the spell web? I rub one hand over the gently glowing grid visible on my arm, wondering how much more powerful I’d be if I didn’t have it constantly over me like a tight Lycra suit. I shake my head. I don’t care. 

They think I want it gone? 

They’re wrong. 

The spell web is so intrinsic to my every sense, that just the thought of losing it sends terrified shivers along my body. 

CHAPTER 3 

“Mei!” Jeff’s voice carries down the hallway and into my room. 

I sigh and stand up. I’m going to have to face the music eventually—this isn’t something I can put off. I slowly walk down the hallway and back into the living room, running one hand along the wall as I go. They’re all sitting on the sofas and glance up at me as I enter the room. Si and Jeff look comfortable, almost smug. Agent Barnes, on the other hand, does not. He’s sitting stiffly, both hands on his knees. His face looks pale against the dark blue of the suit he’s wearing. I’m betting his discomfort is mostly because he’s being set upon by two masters of psychological warfare. He probably has no idea what’s happening. 

“I need you to take Agent Barnes into the village, show him around. Help him get acclimatized.” 

I blink, startled. “I don’t—”

“Surely you’d—”Agent Barnes says at the same time. 

We both stop. I narrow my eyes at him. 

“Mei, you know where the keys are. Take Bertha out. And use the old track. I don’t want too much traffic on the new driveway in one day.” 

I roll my eyes, but go to the counter where the keys are hanging within easy reach. “Come on, Agent Barnes. We may as well do as they say. They’ll only harass us until we do.” 

He stands up, his tall frame looming over us all as he looks uncertainly from Jeff and Si to me. I raise my eyebrows at him. He firms his lips and gestures for me to lead the way, but his hazel eyes are burning.  

I lead him to the garage at the side of the house, opening the door wide so he can see Bertha. He stops in mid-stride and starts shaking his head; I take a moment to enjoy his expression. The truck has seen better days—she looks like an old rust-bucket on the outside—but Si keeps her tuned to an inch of her life, so she’s as reliable as any vehicle can be. 

“Come on. It’s fine,” I say impatiently. 

“We should go in my truck.” 

I shake my head. “Too noticeable. It’s bright red.” 

“This is pretty distinctive too. It’s a pile of junk.” 

“Everyone has trucks like this around here. Bertha’s designed to fit in.” 

He sighs, but climbs up into the cab beside me, and pulls on the seatbelt. 

I can’t help myself, I grin at him. “It’s okay, you’ll be fine.” 

“Are you even old enough to drive?” he asks. 

I blink uncertainly and then frown. I look young, I know that. It’s because I’m short as well as slight. It’s handy when you’re on the run, because people tend to overlook you, but Agent Barnes knows exactly how old I am. He’s just being an ass. I turn the key, put the truck into gear, and roar out of the garage, spewing gravel over his nice tidy truck as I go. I execute a perfect turn and then speed off down the lesser-known ‘old track’ that Jeff referred to. 

I keep the speed up, bouncing over potholes, holding tightly onto the steering wheel, and making sure I bounce him around as much as possible. A couple of times his head hits the roof of the cab, and he has to slouch down to keep it from happening again. 

“Okay, okay, I get your point,” he says eventually. “Can you please slow down now?” 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I say, as I go over another particularly big pothole. 

His head hits the roof of the cab again, and he swears. “Stop it! I’m sorry for suggesting you were too young to drive.” 

“And what about everything else? Do you apologize for talking about me like I wasn’t there? And for trying to leave the assignment before it’s even begun?” 

He turns to look at me. “Look, it’s nothing personal. I don’t know you, or anything about you, but this is my first assignment out of the cadet academy. I can’t be stuck babysitting in the middle of nowhere like this.” 

I’m stung by the babysitting comment, but manage to swallow it down. “We don’t live here, you know,” I say. “We constantly move around.” This is Si’s private retreat, so we come back here whenever we get a chance, but it’s the first time I’ve been here in over a year. 

“Really?” He raises his eyebrows. “Is that how he’s kept you safe for so long?” 

I hold my lips around the information that the main way Jeff has kept me safe is by teaching me to take care of myself. He’s been teaching me survival techniques since he met me when I was seven years old. He also insisted that Si start training me in the super-secret martial art used by the Protectors at around the same time. “Sure. Moving around helps. Not too much, not in the same pattern every time, sometimes in one place for a few months, sometimes for only a few weeks or even days.” 

Agent Barnes nods. “That makes sense.” 

“It’s one tactic.” I prefer the times we’ve stayed in one place for months on end. To me it’s easier to defend somewhere stable, but Jeff doesn’t like any of us to become too complacent. He says it’s not good for my health. 

“You don’t approve?” 

“There are other ways to defend against threats. And by moving around, we’re exposing ourselves to more people.” I shake my head. It doesn’t matter what I think. Jeff is the one leading my security team. At least until tomorrow.

“You only need to be concerned about the supernaturals, surely?” Agent Barnes glances at me, his hazel eyes studying my face. 

I blink and focus my gaze on the track in front of me, suddenly feeling hot all over. “Sure. Humans are obviously unaware of the Earthbound bounty on my head, or even that there’s anything strange going on. The spell web works for me in that way.” I have always been a talker when I get nervous. I have to clamp my lips shut to keep from saying anything more. 

“Did you know that it wasn’t on purpose?” 

“What wasn’t?” I frown and glance at him, forgetting my determination to keep my eyes on the road. 

“The part of the spell web that keeps humans from seeing anything to do with supernaturals,” he says, gesturing toward me. “How the humans forgot supernaturals even existed as soon as the spell web covered the world. The Earthbound created the spell web with the sole purpose of destroying the dragons, and the supers agreed because there was no other way at the time. But no one, not the supernaturals nor the Earthbound, cared whether humans knew about supernaturals. It was just an unintended side effect they discovered after the spell web was in place.” 

“You have to admit it’s helpful.” 

“I think Agent Harvey and your Protector Si might disagree with you.” 

For a moment, I’m confused—I have no idea who this Agent Harvey might be. And then I realize he means Jeff. “Jeff talks a lot. It can be hard to figure out what he really thinks.” 

“Both Agent Harvey and the Protector seem pretty clear to me.” 

“It doesn’t matter what they think. The Earthbound are in charge of the spell web, and they’re not going to let it come down any time soon.” 

He shrugs and turns back to the road. We’re almost to the end, and when I turn onto the main highway, he relaxes slightly. We drive in silence, and we soon arrive at the small town of Keepsake, population five hundred and seven. I park in front of the grocery store and get out of Bertha’s cab. “You coming in?” I ask. 

He levers himself out of the truck and stands, towering over me by at least a foot and a half. His face is a mask now, and he’s looking up and down the street, the way Jeff does when he’s assessing the threats around us. I’ve already done it, and I’m happy to report there’s nothing shady going on in Keepsake today. 

Walking into the store, I keep my head down. I recognize a few of the locals but only because I’ve been coming regularly. We make a point of avoiding contact with people in general. It could get them hurt. 

I pick up the supplies that Jeff has asked me to get; flour, rice, and a few fresh veggies. That’s another reason to stay in one place, we’d be able to grow our own vegetables. Agent Barnes follows me around like a shadow, saying nothing.

“That all for today, love?” Margie—according to her name badge—asks. She glances at Agent Barnes behind me, and then away. Something about him makes her nervous. 

I smile. “That’s it, thanks.” 

As she’s ringing up our purchases, she hums softly to herself. I recognize the tune. It’s from Jeff’s favorite Beach Boys album. The song is “Good Vibrations”. 

Suddenly a shiver goes down my spine. There’s a buzzing in my ears, and I sway where I’m standing. 

Something is wrong. 

I drop the handles of the grocery bag I was about to lift from the counter, and sprint out of the store. Margie calls after me, but I ignore her. 

“What the hell are you doing?” Agent Barnes yells, as he sprints behind me. When I jump in the truck and start the engine, he leaps too, only just getting the door closed as I reverse the truck out of the parking lot and onto the road. 

“Something’s wrong. There’s something wrong,” I manage to say. It’s all along the spell web now. It’s shimmering along my arms, all lit up like a birthday cake. There’s anticipation in there, but also a manic kind of expectation. There’s murder in the spell web today. 

I speed back along the highway. 

“Tell me what’s happening. What’s wrong?” 

“I can... I can feel it. Through my magic.” Even now, I don’t mention my connection to the spell web. I try to see through the trees and up to the old mountain cabin where Jeff and Si are about to be attacked. For once, I curse Jeff’s insistence on no mobile phone for me. Too easy to trace. I glance at Agent Barnes. “Do you have a phone?”  

He nods, pulling it out. He starts dialing a number. 

“Tell Jeff there are multiple supers coming. They’ll be there soon. They need to get out of there.” 

As Jeff answers the phone, I can hear the sound of gun shots in the background. I ram my foot down on the accelerator until it will go no further, and the old truck responds smoothly. Si knows what he’s doing with cars. 

Agent Barnes puts his phone on speaker, and I can hear Jeff swearing. “Barnes, you get her away from here. There are too many of them. We’re trapped. Don’t you dare let her come back here.” 

“We’re on our way, Jeff,” I say calmly, ignoring his words. “We’ll be there soon.” 

“No, damn you, Mei. You run from here, right now. Promise me.” 

I shake my head. “You know better than to think I’d leave you like this. We’re coming.” 

“Mei, listen to me for once! This is more than even you can handle. We’ll meet you at the usual place. You get Agent Barnes to take you to our usual meeting point.” In the background, I can hear a crash and the sound of more shooting. Then the line goes dead. 

“You heard him. Turn the truck around. We can go to this meeting place and wait for them.” Agent Barnes looks at me expectantly. 

I know, even if the agent doesn’t, that Jeff doesn’t think he’ll be meeting me at the usual place. There’s no way I’m going to the meeting place to wait like an idiot. I swerve off the road and onto the old track. The tires screech, and for a split second, control of Bertha slips from my fingers. Time slows and I hold my breath, using the spell web to pull us back into place. Then I’m heading up the old rutted track, pounding over the potholes, driving like my life depends on it. 

“What are you doing? We had a direct order. Turn around at once.” Agent Barnes is holding tight to the side and dashboard of the truck. 

“He’s not my boss.” 

“The primary mission is to keep you safe. Turn around now!” He tries to pull at the steering wheel. I slam my elbow into his chest. I might be small, but I pack a punch and he retreats, rubbing his chest and trying to breathe through the winding I’ve just given him. 

“If you try to stop me again, I’ll do something more permanent.” I keep my eyes focused on the road ahead of me, and slow down when we get within a mile of the house. I’m not so lost to reason that I’m going to go charging in making all the noise I can. “We go on foot from here.” And when I say go on foot, I mean sprint as fast as we can. I grab the handgun and bullets from the glove compartment. 

I’m off and running across the grassy field next to the truck before Agent Barnes even gets out of the car. He’s still having a little trouble breathing after my elbow to his chest. Up ahead, the sound of guns permeates the air. I’m relieved. If it had been silent, it would have been all over. I race into the forest behind the house with Agent Barnes wheezing behind me.

Within minutes, I’m hiding out in the trees at the far side of the house. Crawling through the undergrowth, I see at least three targets. I shoot, and two go down before anyone realizes I’m shooting. I blend back into the bushes and race around to the front of the house. 

A body is lying beside Agent Barnes’s truck. I don’t pay much attention at first, but then I notice the Hawaiian shirt.

Jeff. 

All the air goes out of my lungs and I struggle to breathe. 

It’s fine. He’s just unconscious. 

Without looking, I run to Jeff, crouching down beside him. I have to get him out of here, get him some medical attention. 

I turn him over, murmuring to him, telling him it’s going to be okay. My eyes are drawn to the large red stain spreading over his shirt. It’s just a scratch. I’m sure he’s fine. I reach with shaking fingers to his neck, trying to find a pulse. 

Someone grabs me from behind, and I automatically slam my elbow backward. I turn, and it’s a stranger gasping for breath behind me, dressed all in black. I snarl at him, kicking out in three efficient strikes from my right leg. He falls to the ground with a broken neck. I turn, almost eager for my next target. 

Another figure runs in my direction, and I lean into my stance, ready to fight. To kill. I’ve forgotten my gun in favor of the punishing need for physical revenge. 

Then I recognize the tall man striding toward me, his gun out and his hazel eyes intent on me. Agent Barnes. “He’s dead,” I blurt out. “They killed him.” My voice wavers, and I clear my throat, pushing down the emotion that wants to burst out. I have to find Si. “Have you seen the rest of them?” 

“They’re around the other side. Come on.” Agent Barnes grabs my arm and drags me back to the forest at the side of the house. We crawl under the cover of the trees and low bushes until we see what’s happening on the other side. 

A group of men are crowded together. As one man moves to the side, I see Si on his knees in front of a man with a hand gun. Si shakes his head in the negative. A shot rings out, and Si falls to the side, landing in a crooked heap. For a moment, I can’t do anything. 

Then I start screaming.