Black Orchid (Svatura) Read online

  Impossible not to.

  She was still grappling with the consequences of her memory loss and what felt like an alternate reality.

  Unable to do more than give herself a headache, Adelaide gave up. She watched from her window as the sun dipped below the horizon, lighting up everything she could see with a red-orange glow. All of the trees became silhouettes of black with the brilliance of the sky behind them.

  When she’d first come here, Adelaide had looked around at the scorched, red earth covered by patches of dried brown grass. “It’s perfect,” she’d declared.

  Despite initially feeling as if she was in a desert location with very little landscape, Adelaide found that her surroundings were growing on her. She’d discovered that what initially looked like a flat expanse of nowhere was deceptive. The land actually rolled, and if she got too far away from the house, she’d lose sight of it.

  Her new home was basic, a small homestead that appeared to have been there a long time. Adelaide vaguely wondered who’d originally built it way out here. Some old Aussie settler most likely. Maybe attempting to raise cattle or sheep.

  At least it was well cared for, with white siding and an iron roof. A covered veranda wrapped around the front and side. It had a bedroom, bathroom, little sitting room and kitchen. And, thankfully, it had air conditioning. That was a new invention Adelaide could definitely get used to. They’d tried to explain it to her, but she’d tuned them out as the trembling had started up.

  She was getting good at that. Shutting down and shutting out the others.

  The heat had seemed oppressive at first, especially after the perpetual winter in the Ural Mountains of Russia, which had only just been thawing into spring. But Australia was moving into winter now, so the temperature was cooling off slightly, although the coldest temperature she’d seen so far was eighty-nine degrees. She didn’t mind though. The warmth helped to keep the chill away. Shivers that had seemed to permanently settle in her body while she was in Russia now only struck her when Charlotte dropped by and reminded her of everything missing in her life. Not only had she lost her memories, but she felt as though she’d lost her family too.

  Adelaide pulled her light jacket more closely around her shoulders. She sat in her window seat and stared out over the stark beauty of the land, recalling the last few weeks. She didn’t have many other memories worth going over. She kept thinking that if she just knew the reason for her memory blocks, she could do something about it.

  For the thousandth time, Adelaide worried over what that horrible thing could possibly be. They’d refused to tell her. But what on earth could be so terrible that forgetting close to a century of her life was a better alternative?

  At least since stranding herself here, she’d felt more normal, more like her old self. She’d done lots of reading and catching up on human history— or at least tried to. And Selene had sent along some of the written records of Vyusher history as well. She’d had lots of sleep. That was unusual for Svatura, who didn’t need as much as normal humans, but she didn’t have much else to do. Mostly, she sat in her window and watched the shadows shift with the position of the sun in the sky and thought about her life. And what she was going to do with herself.

  But not tonight.

  Adelaide had been working through a specific idea for days. Ellie had tried to help her practice some of her powers while she’d been at the castle, and it’d helped a little… when the dragon didn’t try to take over. Now she thought she might practice on her own. She couldn’t do much with her ability to see relationships or with her new telepathy. She needed other people around for those. But she could practice the falcon morph.

  If I can figure out the falcon and get really good at it, maybe it’ll give me a better shot at controlling the other morph. At the very least, it’ll give me a small amount of freedom.

  On that thought, Adelaide stood purposefully and headed outside.

  Chapter 9

  Nate sat on the dusty ground and leaned his back against the trunk of a tree as he stared at the house through the brambles and bushes. Then he heaved a sigh and popped another piece of chocolate into his mouth and tried not to gag. Something was seriously wrong with this candy. He normally loved M&Ms, but every bite seemed tasteless and mealy in his mouth. Although, come to think of it, so had most of his food lately.

  Nate sighed again, fidgeting with the strap on his backpack. He’d always had too much energy to sit still for long, so hanging around waiting was not his idea of fun.

  Come on….Where are you?

  He’d spent the last four days keeping an eye on the small house where Adelaide was supposedly hiding. So far no one had come in or out, but at night the lights came on. Someone sat in a large picture window for hours, but he’d yet to make a positive ID.

  I hope Maddox’s sources are right and I’m not just spinning my wheels here, Nate thought. He was anxious to get his assignment fully underway. But he couldn’t do that until their intelligence proved correct.

  He no longer worried about Adelaide using her telepathy to sense him, not after the first day when she obviously had no clue he was there. Assuming that was her in the house. At least the news that she no longer had her abilities might be correct. Maddox was counting on that fact. That, together with her lack of memory, was vital to this plan.

  A green M&M followed the red one as Nate continued his surveillance. I really need to bring better snacks if this is going to last much longer.

  A good hour later, Nate was about to give up. His shift was almost over and his replacement would arrive any minute. Suddenly, he caught the flash of lamplight softly glinting off golden blonde hair as someone passed by a window. Nate’s pulse jumped. He waited, staring intently until she suddenly reappeared at another window. But her back was to him now. She stood there for a little while, but he couldn’t tell what she was doing.

  “Come on, sweetheart, just give me a little glimpse,” he muttered. And then she walked away. Nate quickly checked all the windows he could see, but after a good ten minutes, he gave up on seeing her face.

  “Dang it!” He fought the urge to get up and kick the tree. With his mood he’d probably misjudge the force and bring the entire thing crashing to the ground. His frustration was doubled this evening. He’d had the dream again.

  Just a dream, dude. Any tears Adelaide Jenner may have actually shed were all a show.

  Nate debated his next move. After four days he was considering looking in the windows at closer range to verify it was she. It would be a risk. But according to their spies within the Vyusher, Adelaide’s memory had been wiped clean. He’d have to reveal his presence to her eventually. But first, he needed to know the person in there was indeed Adelaide.

  Yes. He’d take the risk.

  Nate felt a surge of anticipation and welcomed the feeling of purpose that came with it. He hopped up and dropped his book into the backpack he’d brought that contained gear fit for a cross-country trekker. It was part of his cover story in case he got caught before he was ready to meet her on his terms. He started by circling the property, slinking from bush to bush. But before he’d moved far, the sound of the door to the house opening grabbed his full attention. He watched as the woman came out. But her back was to him as she fiddled with the handle. He still couldn’t see her face.

  Suddenly, she turned.

  Gotcha!

  Nate felt a rush of satisfaction. Their intel had been correct. Adelaide Jenner was staying at this cabin. And he’d seen absolutely no sign of anyone else.

  Then he stiffened slightly and held his breath as she moved into the clearing and walked straight toward him. Had she seen him? He hadn’t been annihilated yet, but that didn’t necessarily mean anything. He held very still. As she continued to walk in his direction, Nate very slowly started backing up.

  While he retreated, he looked over the point of his focus and took stock. Although she barely looked nineteen, he knew her to be closer to a hundred thirty years, like him
.

  If he thought about it impartially, he’d have to admit she was really quite beautiful even in her plain outfit of jeans and a t-shirt. Nate frowned at his own thoughts. So unlike him to notice a girl’s outside beauty. He was more of a personality man. But, of course, saying she was pretty was just an observation.

  She stopped suddenly and looked up to the sky. Nate glanced at his watch. Dave should be here soon.

  Looking back at Adelaide, he watched as she closed her eyes and just stood there. He frowned. What’s she doing? Then it occurred to him to try to keep his own inner monologue silent. She was supposed to have telepathy. Maybe she was listening. She could be playing him for a fool right now.

  After a few minutes, she opened her eyes and sighed. She wrinkled her nose in an adorable expression of frustration. Not adorable, he corrected himself, fake. Then she jumped into the air only to land with a grunt and stumble a bit. She jumped a few more times, even flapping her arms like a bird once.

  Nate raised his eyebrows and grinned at her antics. Is she trying to fly? She did have the ability to morph into a falcon. Maybe her lack of memory really was messing with her powers.

  Finally, after another good fifteen minutes of very puzzling behavior, she stopped. Shoulders slumped, she slowly made her way back into the cabin.

  Nate moved back to his original position. He didn’t have long to wait before a shadow fell across his field of vision. “Hey, Dave.”

  “Any sign of her?” asked the tall, greasy-haired kid who didn’t look older than sixteen. Not one of Nate’s favorite people.

  Nate nodded. “She came out for a while. She’s back inside now, but it’s definitely she.”

  “She as hot as her picture?”

  Nate ignored the question. “Happy watching.”

  Dave grunted by way of reply. Nate grabbed his pack and started to walk away.

  “Maddox wants to see you as soon as you get back,” Dave called after him.

  “Got it.” Nate flashed a thumbs up and headed out. He made his way to the little creek not far off. He followed it about two miles to where he knew Corin, Maddox’s talented teleporter, would be waiting. They didn’t want to risk Adelaide sensing them by teleporting too close to the house. And Nate wasn’t allowed to know where Maddox’s base was anyway. No one was, other than a few key people like Corin. So teleporting back and forth was the only option. At least until he got the plan fully in motion.

  “About time,” Corin griped.

  Nate lifted an eyebrow. “It’s not like I hung out to shoot the breeze with Dave.”

  “Maddox wants to see you.”

  “So I’ve been told.”

  “You don’t keep Maddox waiting.” Corin’s lips thinned, but she didn’t say any more. She just grabbed his arm and then, instantly and soundlessly, they stood in command central where Maddox had originally given Nate his orders.

  Maddox was waiting for him there, but he was on the phone.

  Is it just me, or could this grey room use a little more color? Nate wondered as he waited for his leader.

  Maddox hung up and laid his phone on the table. “Report.”

  “I’ve positively identified Adelaide Jenner, sir.”

  Maddox nodded. “Excellent. Anything else?

  “I believe the report that she’s lost control or access to her powers may be accurate.”

  Maddox moved to stand in front of Nate. “Based on what?”

  Nate explained her odd behavior. After a long, tense silence, Maddox gave him a cold smile. “Even better. Start the next phase.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Nate left the room. He hadn’t expected more than that. As he walked out the door, he bumped right into Zara.

  “What?” she snarled.

  Nate gave her a pitying look. Zara was a white wolf metamorph who desperately followed Maddox around everywhere. She claimed to be his te’sorthene, but Maddox didn’t acknowledge her in any way. It was sad and slightly pathetic.

  Nate shrugged and kept walking, his mind on how he was going to handle the next steps of the plan.

  Chapter 10

  Adelaide was up with the dawn. The sunlight streaming across her bed had woken her despite having only a few hours of sleep. She’d failed in her first attempt to morph, but she’d only tried for a little bit. Her fear of going dragon combined with her lack of knowing how to shift into the falcon had worked against her. And flapping her arms while jumping up and down like a Dumb Dora clearly hadn’t been effective either. At least no one had been there to witness that particular embarrassment.

  So she’d gone back inside to do some research. She’d looked through Selene’s books to see if there was anything about how to morph. The Vyusher were wolf metamorphs, after all, so it stood to reason they’d record something about that. But after quite a bit of reading, the only information she’d found had to do with relaxing and picturing.

  Picturing, she could do. Relaxing? That was harder. So then she’d gone through the books on her own shelves, trying to find something to help her. She’d found one on martial arts. She figured that if the applied movements didn’t help her relax, the meditation might. But at the very least she’d be doing something. And that was better than nothing.

  For the first time since she opened her eyes in the castle courtyard, Adelaide felt eager to learn something new.

  She hopped out of bed and quickly dressed in the exercise gear Lila had included in the clothing she’d sent along. At least, based on magazines of current fashion, Adelaide assumed what she was wearing was exercise-related clothing. It was comfy if nothing else.

  She headed outside and propped her book up against an old tree stump. After a few minutes of studying, she started working on some of the moves. At first she felt like a complete fool. Again, she thanked heaven no one was there to see her. But as the motions came more easily, she settled into it. Even kind of liked it. After a few hours, she had to admit that she at least felt a little better.

  Hands on her hips, she said, “Well, I’m not sure I feel calmer, but at least I’m controlling something. Even if it is just my body.”

  Suddenly, Adelaide caught the sound of a slight rustle behind her. A shiver of foreboding raced up her spine.

  Slowly, her heart in her throat, she eased around to face the source. She sort of hoped her ears were just playing tricks on her. But a guy stood on the edge of her property, maybe about fifty feet away. Instinctively, she crouched into one of the defensive poses she’d been practicing all morning.

  “Stay back!” she yelled in as commanding a voice as she could muster. “Who are you?”

  He said nothing and made no move to come closer. Adelaide eyed the stranger warily. He couldn’t be more than sixteen at the most. Tall and lanky as only teen boys could be, the kid had dark hair that hung in greasy clumps into his face.

  Was he lost?

  Adelaide dismissed the idea as quickly as she’d had it. The Outback was a huge place, and, according to her parents, she was in one of the more remote areas where people were few and far between. No chance in hell this guy had just stumbled across her by accident.

  But she also couldn’t immediately act on her assumption that he was Svatura of some sort either. She’d just decided to ask him if he needed help when a deep growl ripped from his throat.

  A string of swear words that would do Lila proud sprang through Adelaide’s mind as the hairs on her arms stood up. Definitely someone with powers of some kind. And hostile.

  Shit. Shit. Shit. What should she do? He was a wolf metamorph, based on that growl. Even if he wasn’t wolf, he was some kind of deadly animal. She glanced toward the house and immediately rejected the idea of making a run for it. No doubt his animal form would beat her in a race. And running might trigger his predator instinct.

  Likely, he didn’t know that she was essentially useless when it came to her powers. The shaking had started up the moment she’d seen him, but Adelaide held it in check. If she had to, she’d let the dr
agon out. But she’d never come back from it, so that was a last resort only.

  The boy lowered his chin, his hard gaze drilled into her, and something in his expression turned predatory. God, this must be what it felt like to be an antelope when a lion had it in its sights.

  The stranger took a single, menacing step forward.

  Adelaide held her ground, despite her instinct to run. She put her hands up. “Stop!” she yelled. “Don’t come any closer. I don’t want to have to hurt you!”

  His lip curled into a sneer.

  “Take another step toward the lady, and I’ll do something about it.” Without any other warning, another man stepped into view.

  Adelaide choked back the fear as well as the scream bubbling to the top of her throat. What was going on here?

  The greasy kid didn’t take his eyes off her. “Not your fight, man.”

  “I’m making it my fight.”

  Adelaide gave the new arrival a swift look. His age was difficult to determine because his face was hidden behind a long, scruffy beard, but she’d guess he was in his early twenties at most. He looked pretty strong. But he was also just sort of lounging where he stood. As if her life wasn’t in danger.

  “Your problem then. Cause I’m taking her out. I got orders.” The kid moved into a crouch, ready to spring at her.

  “Move and you die. I’ll only tell you once,” her would-be protector said. And Adelaide believed him.

  With not even a twitch of warning, the kid launched himself at Adelaide. Instinctively she backed up, putting her hands up to ward off the impact.

  But he never reached her.

  With inhuman speed, the scruffy man was suddenly across the yard. He slammed into the boy midair. As they came down, he managed to get the kid’s head between his hands. With a violent twist, he snapped the boy’s neck and then dropped his limp body to the ground.