Blood Shift (The Charming Shifter Mysteries Book 3) Read online

  The grime smeared.

  He spat again and wiped some more.

  Finally, they could barely glimpse what lay inside the basement.

  The room held several strange-looking machines that appeared like they were made in steam-punk style. The dull-gray metal structures, each about six feet high and seven feet wide, had wheels and cogs, belts and pulleys. Glass tubes protruded from the machines like intestines, all coming together in a giant tube leading into the wall.

  “What the hell are those?” Chia whispered.

  “Hell if I know,” Hung whispered, pressed close to her so they could both see.

  “It looks like that tube-thing feeds this pipe we just followed.”

  Several of Chia’s shifter acquaintances moved throughout the room like stiff, clumsy robots, as they tore open bags and pried open cans. They poured the contents into a huge cask. The cask was connected to the other machines by several gray hoses.

  A couple shifters stirred the mixture with something like wooden kayak paddles. As they mixed, the substance took on a neon-greenish glow.

  None of the shifters smiled or spoke. They moved like they were under a spell of some sort.

  “They look like Dick did after he was turned into a robot,” Chia hissed. “This can’t be good.”

  One of them raised his hand and brought it down in a chopping motion.

  Another nodded and flipped a breaker switch on the wall.

  The room lit up with a yellowish glow. Brilliant rune inscriptions, much like the ones surrounding her property, exploded from each machine and hovered in the air. The individual inscriptions bore different colors and shapes. Each one shimmered with electricity as if it were shot through with lightning.

  The cogs and wheels on the machines began to turn. Steam hissed from vents, like in some old time movie. Liquid bubbled from glass tubes, feeding the main pipe that exited through the wall. The glowing liquid surged through the glass cylinders, like tainted sea-water.

  A frigid chill filled Chia’s bloodstream. Her hair follicles froze, making her hair stand on end. “He’s poisoning the stream. That’s why the shifters are turning aggressive.”

  Hung’s eyes darkened. “I think you’re right. That’s a known hang-out spot for thirsty shifters.”

  Their eyes met in horrified confirmation.

  Something blurred around the corner in their direction.

  Chia lifted her gaze. Five of the ugliest, demon-like canines she’d ever seen raced in her direction.

  Their huge paws cut caverns in the snow. Black tongues waved from their open mouths. Their coal-colored eyes shone with red glints. Iridescent green fur, like a night-time forest beetle, rippled along their powerful bodies. And their fangs—Chia’s heart stuttered, picturing those dagger-like teeth sinking into her flesh.

  She tried to scramble to her feet, but something sharp jabbed her back. Her head whipped around to see three armed guards stabbing her with their steel bayonets.

  A second later, the dog-things launched at her legs, her arms, whatever they could get their fangs on. Her worst fears bit down hard on her flesh.

  She fell backward with a thud, crying out. “Hung,” she screamed, watching as he met a similar fate.

  The four-legged demons shook their heads viciously, growling and tearing at her clothes. Every second became one long nightmare of agonizing sensation.

  When their sharp teeth pierced her skin, connecting with blood, the demon-dogs exploded. Grisly bombs of skin, bone, and muscle flew at her face.

  The guards’ heads jerked, and their eyes widened, showing the whites of their eyeballs. They clutched their weapons and launched at Chia.

  “Get her! She’s a witch!” One of the guards hauled back his arms and swung, like batting a home run.

  His gun handle cracked against her skull. Chia went lights out, a million fireworks exploding in her head like the frigging Fourth of July on acid. As everything went black, she wondered, briefly, if death might not be so bad. Most certainly, that’s where she was heading.

  Chapter 28

  Chia came to with a sick lurch in some dank, dark dungeon. She scanned the brick-lined room. She couldn’t move her arms—they were bound behind her, painfully poking the metal chair where she’d been positioned. As she wiggled her body, assessing the damage, her feet made scuffing sounds against the filth and debris covered concrete floor. One lone light bulb illuminated the space. Windowless, the air hanging still and unmoving, the chamber smelled like puke, piss, and mold.

  Her ghosts had pasted themselves to the ceiling as if even they were afraid.

  Her head throbbed. Her lip and left eye—still swollen from being hammered by Dark Fae and clocked with a gun—made her face feel as big as a pumpkin. There wasn’t a place that didn’t hurt. She peered through her one good eye to see Hung, Cecil, and Sugar, all tied to chairs, same as her.

  Cecil’s attention trained on her. His bright blue eyes studied her with an unwavering gaze.

  “Cecil,” Chia whispered, having to suck in spit. She tried to wipe off her mouth with her shoulder as best she could.

  “What happened to you?” His clear blues eyes looked dark with worry. “You look awful.”

  “Yeah. I’ve seen better days. Why are you here?”

  He shrugged, exhaustion marking his boyishly handsome face. “I tried to get them to leave Sugar alone. I knew she was a friend of Hung’s from the night of the fire. This place…” He twirled his head, indicating everything. “It’s hell. Red’s got shifters turned into creatures void of will. They do whatever he wants.”

  “Yeah, he turns them into robots.”

  Cecil let out a bark of a laugh. “That’s what he wants you to believe. He injects them with something. All the personality drains from their souls. I’ve seen it. I watched him do it to one of my friends. There stood Brian, fighting and arguing with Dick Johnson. Then, he’s stabbed with a needle and boom…the Brian I knew left the building. In his place stood a hollow shell which only looked like him.” He shuddered. “They become drones. I think I was next. And the non-shifters—they toil through the night. I doubt if anyone has worked so hard to keep food on the table. It’s like we’re living in the Dark Ages, like common serfs, bent to our master’s will.” He shivered again, his eyes wide.

  Both Sugar and Hung awoke at the same time, groaning.

  Sugar looked disoriented. Her eyes wildly scanned to and fro. She cursed and jerked her arms, wobbling her chair. “Fuck! Where are we?”

  “Nowhere good, that’s for sure,” Chia said. “I doubt tea and crumpets will be served soon.”

  Hung’s face appeared dark and grim. He tugged against the bindings pinning his arms behind his back. Cast in shadows, his cheeks looked hollow and gaunt. He scanned her face, his eyes lined with concern.

  “How are you doing, sweetheart? I thought those demon dogs were going to finish…” His voice cracked, and he shook his head. “I thought that was the end of you. You can’t keep doing the vampire blood. They never would have caught you like that, had you not been a part of their world.”

  Chia frowned. He could be right, but… Her eyes—at least one of her eyes—narrowed. “Oh, so you, the big bad bounty hunter can deal with the demons of the world but me, the woman with the blood magic, has to be protected?”

  Hung gave her his coolest regard. “Something like that.”

  She scoffed.

  “‘Thanks for caring what happens to me, Hung,’” Hung said, in a high-pitched voice, mimicking her.

  “I’m sorry,” Chia said. “Thank you. I’m not thinking clearly. I’m sure I have a concussion, among other things.”

  “My point, exactly. And we have to figure out a way to destroy that blasted machine.” Hung pursed his lips.

  “Yeah. Easy-peasy.” Chia’s cheeks filled with air. She blew it from her lips as best she could. It turned out to be an out-of-the-side-of-her-mouth kind of blow, but it got the job done.

  The tromp, tromp, tromp of fo
otsteps met her ears.

  The four of them, unable to even consider escape, hushed. All eyes trained on the opening.

  Metal jangling scraped outside. Then, the rusty metal handle turned. The door swung open.

  Chia blinked, recoiling from the assault of light piercing the entrance.

  Several pitch-black shadows drifted into the room, hovering near the ceiling in a semi-circle, like lining the way for royalty to enter.

  A group of shifters marched in, like drones, just the way Cecil had described. They assumed positions opposite one another, creating a pathway. Their eyes looked completely vacant, peering from expressionless faces.

  Dick Johnson shambled through the line-up of shifters, the same blank-eyed stare on this face. He came to a stop, statue-still, near Chia.

  Next came an exotic, dark-haired beauty, with a long, russet coat swirling around her body. Her expression one of haughty superiority, she positioned herself near Sugar.

  The veins in Sugar’s neck cording thick with blood and effort, she strained against her ties. She looked like she would launch from the chair. “Santana,” she hissed.

  Is that her wife? Chia’s stomach did flip-flops. Fear rippled through her from head to toe, causing a cold sweat to bead on her face and torso. She leaned toward Hung. “What are we going to do?”

  “I have no idea, but if one of us gets free, we take out that blasted machine. That’s, at least, a start.”

  Chia nodded. Then, looking down the line, her teeth bared as if she were about to snarl like one of those demon dogs.

  “Easy, sweetheart,” Hung murmured. “This isn’t the time for macho theatrics.”

  Red, clad in black leather from top to bottom, strode in like the king himself.

  Several more shifter drones followed behind like puppets on strings.

  Standing in front of Chia and her comrades, Red placed his hands on his hips and scanned each of their faces, grinning broadly. “Well, well, well. My guests have all arrived right on time. How fortunate for me you all arrived at the same time. You’ve saved me from having to pick you off one by one.”

  He sauntered toward Chia.

  Recoiling, she wrinkled her nose from the stench emanating from him. It seemed stronger than ever.

  Towering over her, he let out a long belch. “Excuse me. I had a most excellent meal of Fae fingers, Fae eyeballs in gravy, and mashed potatoes.”

  “You disgust me,” Chia spat.

  “And you, my pet, are about to be made my private assistant.” He gripped her chin with his strong fingers, causing excruciating pain to jolt through her injured face.

  Her eyes stung with instant tears.

  “Leave her the fuck alone,” Hung growled.

  “Or you’ll do what, bounty hunter?” Red released Chia and stepped toward him. “I’ve got plans for you, my shifter friend. With my secret formula and your shifter abilities, we’ll be indomitable. You’ll be my eyes in the sky.”

  Hung pulled back and head-butted Red in the stomach.

  Red grunted.

  So much for no macho theatrics.

  One of Red’s arms transformed into shadow and wound around Hung’s neck.

  “Bad move, shifter.” His face turned red with rage.

  Hung began to make choking sounds, his eyes bulging.

  “Stop it!” Chia yelled. “If you harm one hair on his head, I…”

  Red released Hung and slithered toward her in a truly unnatural manner. “Oh, I’ll harm more than hairs, I assure you.” He stroked her scalp. “Let’s get you cleaned up and over to my place, shall we? I’d like to break you in as my new assistant. I’ve grown bored with Dick.”

  Sugar spluttered at the innuendo.

  A brief light of something like outrage flashed through Dick’s eyes. Then, just as quickly, it drained from him, leaving him looking somber and waxen.

  Red made another slithery movement, standing in front of Sugar. He began with more bluster and threats.

  Chia paid him no mind, her attention distracted by soft tinkling sounds jingling in her ear.

  Chia’s ghosts stiffened, like they heard it, too.

  As Red threatened Sugar, her attention was drawn to a shimmering light emerging in the corner.

  Her ghosts shot toward the light, blurring it.

  She caught Hung’s eye and nodded toward the wall.

  He looked at it, shrugged, and shook his head, probably thinking, Yeah. Your ghosts. I see them. What’s the big deal?

  The light grew larger until the tiny fairy child popped out. She gave a soft smile to Chia as she glided toward her, encircled by her ghosts.

  Chia stared at the little girl, hoping she could read minds. What are you doing here?

  The fairy spoke, sounding like chimes in the wind. “I came to free you.”

  Chia’s eyebrows launched high on her forehead. You can hear my thoughts?

  The fairy child giggled. “Of course. You saved my life. Our minds are one now. Your vampire lover let me out of your property. You’ve got quite the wall of protection surrounding you.” She grinned, bobbing in the air like a balloon.

  Chia’s gaze whipped about, wondering if anyone could hear the small Fae. He’s not my lover. He’s my roommate.

  Hung’s face crumpled in confusion as he regarded her. “Have you lost your mind?” he mouthed. “What’s going on?”

  Chia let one shoulder rise and fall. She mouthed the words, “Help is here,” as slowly and distinctly as her damaged mouth could manage.

  “What?” Hung shook his head.

  “And when I’ve finished with you, I’m going to let your wife have a go,” Red said to Sugar.

  Sugar sat forward, her eyes hard and cold. “Go ahead, asshat. I’d love to have a go with Santana.”

  The fairy child brushed against Chia’s face, cool and soothing.

  Chia’s eyes darted around the room, scanning to see if the others had noticed the fairy child. Can anyone else see you?

  “Only you, blood-cailleach.”

  What did you say? Sharp prickles rippled along Chia’s skin. The word cailleach sounded like a rasping cough, lodging in her bones. Something about the word seemed right and true, like destiny whispering in her bloodstream.

  “I called you a blood-cailleach. It’s a rare hybrid cailleach. I learned about them in school, with my mama.” Her face grew sad for a few seconds. Then, she brightened. “You’re the Mistress of Animals. The Dark Goddess of winter. It’s in your blood. Didn’t you know?” The fairy made a delightful trilling sound.

  No, I…

  “Didn’t your grandfather teach you anything?” The girl seemed to scold her.

  He had died before he got the chance, I guess. Chia frowned. Why aren’t the other shadow shifters after you?

  “Your ghosts are protecting me. They’re my friends.” The fairy made a delightful chiming sound, like a laugh. “I like them.”

  I’m glad someone does. A shouting match between Sugar and Red yanked her attention back to the room. Can you untie us? Hurry!

  “Of course!” The fairy child floated behind Chia, shielded by her ghosts.

  She felt the fairy’s small mouth brush against her wrist.

  Hung stared at her intently, his brows high.

  Then, a soft, clicking snap met her ears, like the fairy child had bit through the wire-tie. Chia gently moved her hands, not wanting to draw attention.

  His eyes grew even wider as his bound wrists were freed.

  Next, the fairy child bit through Cecil’s bindings, then Sugar’s.

  The four of them sat motionlessly. Hung, Cecil, and Chia eyed one another. Sugar gave them a surreptitious glance, still engaged in a shouting match with Red.

  Hung looked at Sugar and gave a small nod.

  Both Sugar and Hung rocketed from their chairs.

  Red’s mouth fell open. He blinked stupidly, caught unawares by the attack.

  Sugar flew behind his back and threw her arm around his neck in a chokehold. “Don
’t move, asshole,” she hissed in his ear.

  Hung landed a swift kick between Red’s legs before the shifter could assume his shadow self.

  The man doubled over with a groan, falling from Sugar’s grip.

  Santana leaped onto Sugar’s back.

  Sugar’s legs crumpled from the weight of her wife.

  Total chaos swept through the room. Fae shadows and shadow shifters whirled around their heads. Dick raced toward the hall. Hung grabbed him and slammed him into the wall. The robotic shifters circled him.

  “Go, Chia, go!” Hung yelled, surrounded by shifter drones. “Take Cecil. You know what to do.”

  Cecil caught Chia’s hand. “Let’s jet.”

  Pumped with her newfound knowledge of her magical abilities—not that she had the slightest clue what a cailleach was—she sprinted through the door.

  “Where are we headed? I know this place inside and out,” Cecil called.

  “Take me to the lower level machines.”

  Cecil came to an abrupt stop. “What? No. That place is surrounded by evil.”

  “Not when I’m done with it. Now go!”

  Heaving a deep breath, the Husky shifter straightened, nodded, as if to himself, then took off at a sprint, Chia close on his heels.

  Chapter 29

  “This way, Lil’ Summer,” Cecil yelled, jogging through a huge room lined with some sort of dark gray manufacturing equipment. He pointed to a doorway at the far end that seemed to throb with dark, pulsating energy.

  Shifters and humans stood at their stations, sorting objects on conveyor belts and packing them into boxes, their movements stiff and shaky. They barely glanced as Chia and Cecil hustled through the room.

  “What’s manufactured in here?” Chia asked.

  “No one knows. They just do what they’re told. Except for these things.” Cecil gestured as he maneuvered past a particularly large machine. “They’re loyalty rewards you’re supposed to collect if you do a good job. Then, you can turn them in for food or something.”

  A metal arm stamped swastikas onto cheap looking charms with a loud clang.

  “Keep your guard up. Anything can happen down below,” he added, sending shivers up Chia’s spine.