was with our group. They realized they hadn’t hit their target and split, and their employer hired Maya next.”
“You said before that Christian has some pretty close ties to the leader of Onyx. If the original shooter was from that guild, he also might have balked once Christian got involved,” Lynzi suggested, “so the client probably called in a new mercenary from outside the guilds. This might actually work for us. The Bruja guilds are too powerful for us to go against directly, but if this Maya is an independent mercenary,
she
can probably be bought. Jason, what do you think?”
He nodded. “With SingleEarth’s resources, absolutely.”
“Then we can—”
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Lynzi called. For most people, it would have been reckless to call out without even looking through the peephole, but Lynzi’s magic would have alerted her if someone approached who was powerful enough to be a threat.
Mary opened the door and peeked her head inside.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but I have a young woman in the lobby looking for Alysia. She seems very upset but won’t tell me what’s going on. Is anyone available to speak to her?”
“Please bring her in,” Lynzi said. After the secretary walked away, Lynzi added, “I hope you all have your seat belts buckled. This Haven hasn’t even had a chance to adjust to losing Joseph. Losing Alysia after she has barely had a chance to walk in the door is going to put a strain on our residents.”
Their guest, who arrived a minute later, was wearing worn blue jeans and a sand-colored peasant blouse. Her hair, which was a rich burgundy color, was pulled back, which put more emphasis on her dark, cinnamon-colored eyes. Sarik found herself staring at the woman, wondering,
What now?
“Come in,” Lynzi said. “What can we do for you?”
“The secretary told me Alysia is gone,” the woman said, her eyes wide.
“I’m sorry to say she left SingleEarth just recently,” Lynzi answered. “Were you working with her?”
The woman drew a breath and nodded. “My little sister,” the woman said. “She’s been … ill, I guess? Or something? You see, our father left when she was very young. We didn’t know he was … I’m standing here and I’m sorry but it still sounds crazy. I mean,
shapeshifters? Seriously?
”
“Sarik, why don’t you speak to our guest?” Lynzi suggested.
“Who the hell are you, the babysitter?” the newcomer demanded, looking at Sarik and the two boys.
Jeht started to stand when the woman turned on Sarikwith obvious anger, but Sarik put a hand on his shoulder to calm him and tried to explain. “I can—”
“What are you?” their guest asked bluntly.
“I’m a shapeshifter,” Sarik answered. “Like your sister.”
“You’re a snake?”
“No,” Sarik answered. “I’m a tiger, actually. But—”
“Then what good are you?” the woman asked waspishly, before dropping her gaze and looking chastised. “I’m sorry. This is all just too much for me.” She turned to go, saying, “I’ll come back when I can talk to another human being.”
She stormed out, not leaving any contact information.
Sarik and the other mediators exchanged glances, and after a few moments, Lynzi said, “That was odd.” The Triste frowned, shaking her head before saying, “Well, it
wasn’t
odd for this place, but it seemed off somehow.”
Sarik didn’t attempt to make a judgment on the woman’s behavior. She doubted her own could be trusted just then.
“Family members of serpiente who have been raised human tend to go through a particularly difficult process,” Lynzi reminded them all. “Seeking help was probably difficult for her—only possible at all because she could convince herself that she could trust another human.”
Serpiente were not just shapeshifters; even in human form, their bodies functioned differently from humans’. Among other things, their slow metabolisms
“You said before that Christian has some pretty close ties to the leader of Onyx. If the original shooter was from that guild, he also might have balked once Christian got involved,” Lynzi suggested, “so the client probably called in a new mercenary from outside the guilds. This might actually work for us. The Bruja guilds are too powerful for us to go against directly, but if this Maya is an independent mercenary,
she
can probably be bought. Jason, what do you think?”
He nodded. “With SingleEarth’s resources, absolutely.”
“Then we can—”
They were interrupted by a knock at the door.
“Come in,” Lynzi called. For most people, it would have been reckless to call out without even looking through the peephole, but Lynzi’s magic would have alerted her if someone approached who was powerful enough to be a threat.
Mary opened the door and peeked her head inside.
“I’m sorry to interrupt,” she said, “but I have a young woman in the lobby looking for Alysia. She seems very upset but won’t tell me what’s going on. Is anyone available to speak to her?”
“Please bring her in,” Lynzi said. After the secretary walked away, Lynzi added, “I hope you all have your seat belts buckled. This Haven hasn’t even had a chance to adjust to losing Joseph. Losing Alysia after she has barely had a chance to walk in the door is going to put a strain on our residents.”
Their guest, who arrived a minute later, was wearing worn blue jeans and a sand-colored peasant blouse. Her hair, which was a rich burgundy color, was pulled back, which put more emphasis on her dark, cinnamon-colored eyes. Sarik found herself staring at the woman, wondering,
What now?
“Come in,” Lynzi said. “What can we do for you?”
“The secretary told me Alysia is gone,” the woman said, her eyes wide.
“I’m sorry to say she left SingleEarth just recently,” Lynzi answered. “Were you working with her?”
The woman drew a breath and nodded. “My little sister,” the woman said. “She’s been … ill, I guess? Or something? You see, our father left when she was very young. We didn’t know he was … I’m standing here and I’m sorry but it still sounds crazy. I mean,
shapeshifters? Seriously?
”
“Sarik, why don’t you speak to our guest?” Lynzi suggested.
“Who the hell are you, the babysitter?” the newcomer demanded, looking at Sarik and the two boys.
Jeht started to stand when the woman turned on Sarikwith obvious anger, but Sarik put a hand on his shoulder to calm him and tried to explain. “I can—”
“What are you?” their guest asked bluntly.
“I’m a shapeshifter,” Sarik answered. “Like your sister.”
“You’re a snake?”
“No,” Sarik answered. “I’m a tiger, actually. But—”
“Then what good are you?” the woman asked waspishly, before dropping her gaze and looking chastised. “I’m sorry. This is all just too much for me.” She turned to go, saying, “I’ll come back when I can talk to another human being.”
She stormed out, not leaving any contact information.
Sarik and the other mediators exchanged glances, and after a few moments, Lynzi said, “That was odd.” The Triste frowned, shaking her head before saying, “Well, it
wasn’t
odd for this place, but it seemed off somehow.”
Sarik didn’t attempt to make a judgment on the woman’s behavior. She doubted her own could be trusted just then.
“Family members of serpiente who have been raised human tend to go through a particularly difficult process,” Lynzi reminded them all. “Seeking help was probably difficult for her—only possible at all because she could convince herself that she could trust another human.”
Serpiente were not just shapeshifters; even in human form, their bodies functioned differently from humans’. Among other things, their slow metabolisms
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