Rae Rivers - The Keepers - Ethan

He motioned her closer with a wave of the hand. “Plying me with alcohol?”

“Always good for easing tension.” She edged into the dim light, handing him a beer. Her lips were pressed in a thin line and for a moment he wasn’t sure if the worry was directed at the reality they faced … or him. She sipped her beer and scanned the street. “Wow. It’s beautiful from up here.”

“It’s one of my favourite places. It all seems so serene from up here, doesn’t it?”

“Which is why I come here.” He nodded at the crowd below. “It’s nice to see everyone so happy. It validates everything we do. They have no idea how fragile their serenity is.”

“If serenity even exists. We’ve had quiet times between trouble, but they’re more like beats, pauses, in a whirlwind of threats.”

He didn’t reply and sipped his beer, absorbing the truth of her words. Cynical but so true.

And it sucked.

She glanced at his brothers in the park below. “They look serious.”

“Archer’s the poster boy for serious.” His brother had a forehead permanently creased into a frown. So different to Declan, the wilder, more reckless brother, who operated without a filter.

“Ten bucks you’re in for a mammoth lecture when we get home.”

“Like I care.” Arguing with his brothers seldom bothered him. Tolerating them was easy. He’d had years of practice. He took what he needed, ignored the rest. Suited him fine.

The grey cat appeared on the top step, leapt onto the metal railing and walked toward them. Silent, casual, purring quietly. A burst of music filled the air, the sound echoing in the darkness that stretched beyond the town. Moments later, the steady rhythm of beating drums joined the melody, followed by an eruption of cheering. Startled, the cat meowed and sauntered off.

Ethan pointed at the parade in the distance. “Your timing is impeccable. This is the best spot to watch the parade and the fireworks.”

“Just as well I brought beer.”

“You’d make an awesome date.”

She snorted. “I haven’t had many of those.”

“I find that hard to believe.”

“Being known as the orphan girl at school had little appeal to the guys.” She shrugged her shoulders. “And once I discovered my strength and abilities, I kept screwing up. Still do. No matter how hard I try to be more feminine, to hide my strength, it always emerges in some way. Besides, it’s not much fun walking on eggshells around a man ‘cause you’re terrified to hurt him.”

He smiled, all too familiar with that feeling. The strength they possessed was exhilarating, but in the company of ordinary humans, restraint was always a challenge.

She grinned. “Thank God for Kate. She keeps me busy, gives my life a purpose. Keeps me from knitting socks and making soup.”

He laughed, not quite able to see her as a knitting, soup-making type of woman. Far from it.

The parade began their march through the street, the band pounding away at their instruments. Floats of all different sizes and colours moved along the street, creative and cleverly designed. Colour and excitement lit the air as the fireworks erupted. They were perfectly timed to the music, extracting murmurs of awe throughout the street.

His brothers had taken up a spot on the table in the park, Kate and Sienna between their legs on the bench in front of them. The women were smiling up at the fireworks, chattering wildly. Despite how calm they appeared, Ethan knew they were all wary.

Two grey cats sat nearby, unperturbed when the sky suddenly erupted into red and white sparks. A mild grin curled Jenna’s lips and she sipped her beer. A gentle breeze toyed with the strands of hair framing her face and he had the urge to reach out and tuck them behind her ear.

His gaze shifted to her lips, full and soft and promising. Tempting. His abdomen tightened at the thought.

A steady pulse beat in her throat. Another round of fireworks lit up the sky, illuminating her face in a colourful glow. Beautiful.

He saw the moment it changed for her. The shatter of stillness.

Her expression tightened and she straightened, staring at the street below. “ Ethan ,” she said, grabbing his arm. “The cats!”

****

A hot spurt of alarm hit Jenna as she pointed to the cats below. One by one, they transformed effortlessly into humans. The shift was so subtle, so graceful and quick, that it went unnoticed.

“Oh no,” Jenna breathed, an icy sensation raking down her spine. “They’re shifters, Ethan!”

“What the hell?” he grumbled, reaching for his phone.

“Hazel must’ve opened the portal to Ameera.”

What that meant sparked a torrent of emotions that Jenna was quick to sidestep. She couldn’t think about that. Not now.

Ethan had Archer on speed dial, his barked orders swallowed by an explosion of fireworks that lit up the sky in a rainbow of colours. The fires in all the metal bins that lined the street flared brighter.

The bins exploded, in sync with the noise of the fireworks, white sparks flying everywhere. A few people noticed, moved out of the way, but the noise and sparks were so perfectly timed with the parade that it caused little alarm.

One by one, like a snake slithering toward its prey, the bins exploded, moving toward the parade.

Archer and Declan were already on their feet, Sienna and Kate sandwiched between them.

Smoke filtered from the sidewalks. It triggered a few surprised looks from the marching crowd, but they moved on, caught in the excitement of the night.

Energy, noise, and colour filled the street. Music played, people laughed, unperturbed by the explosions. It was all part of the show.

The smoke thickened. A few people coughed and backed away from the parade, arms flailing.

Fireworks exploded. Bins exploded. Perfect synchronisation. Light bulbs erupted. A tree caught alight.

By the time the cries of alarm added to the chaos, Jenna and Ethan were already running.

They raced down the stairs and onto the street, merging with the crowd. Confusion had broken up the parade. The music stopped, the explosions continued. Everyone began running. Screaming.

Ethan bolted into the panicked crowd, dodging people and fire, his focus zeroed in on one woman across the road. Sienna.

Jenna felt it too. That burning need to protect her witch above everything else. Despite the anguish. Despite the screams. Their witches came first. Always. She raced through the crowd, searching for Kate through the thickening smoke. Kate!

Declan came up behind her, taking her arm. “You have to get Kate home!” he shouted, tugging her with him as he walked.

“Where is she?”

He turned into the alleyway beside the restaurant. A wave of unease crashed through her as her instincts lit up like a runway. In a brisk movement, she yanked her arm out of his grasp and spun around, delivering a powerful kick that sent him reeling against the wall.

She launched at him before he could recover, slid around him and grabbed his neck between her arms. A death grip that could snap his neck in a heartbeat.

“What the hell was that for?” He gripped her arms, trying to break free. “Kate’s in trouble, you crazy woman!”

“You think I’m stupid?” She tightened her grip, taking satisfaction from his grunt. “Declan would never, ever leave Kate alone during an attack, so next time you try your Mimic crap with me, try a better story.”

He grumbled something beneath his breath, his words barely audible, and grew still. Then he laughed. The image of Declan disappeared to reveal the man beneath the facade. She recognised his mop of black curls and his jagged teeth. One of Hazel’s sidekicks, although Jenna had hardly spoken to him in her time with them. A Mimic. Known for his ability to imitate others.