Just before her head was fully submerged, she turned and saw glowing blue eyes moving swiftly through the darkness. Her last thought was how beautiful those eyes were.

Chapter 15

“When you live in a world where you know other things exist, things that are not human, you become vigilant. You constantly look over your shoulder and peer into the shadows to see what lurks. Supernaturals rarely reveal themselves, however.  Eventually, as time passes, you grow complacent and go back to living in your bubble, just like those who know nothing beyond what their eyes tell them. Then a single phone call, one you think is bringing good news, tears through the security you had built into your bubble. And now you’re exposed, no longer shielded, no longer safe.” ~ Lilly

Mona stood in the crowded airport, waiting for her prey to exit the plane. She loathed such a place, which was filled with the sound of human chatter and the stench that they carried with them. Even in their ignorance they picked up on the threat Mona represented – they picked up on her “otherness”, though it was likely subconscious. Like any predator, being in the midst of prey simply made her want to attack. She smiled to herself as she thought about the havoc she could wreak in this place where mortals scurried like little ants. She could crush them with a simple twist of her hand. But then, where would the fun in that be?

Turning her attention from those around her, she zeroed in on the exit sign above the hallway where Lilly Pierce should emerge at any moment. She had rehearsed being nice in the mirror. Now that was sad, she had told herself, actually having to practice being nice. Her smile looked more like a sneer and her laugh could curl the toes of even the toughest men. She would just have to hope that Lilly wasn’t easily intimidated. And if she was, then she would have to do something to keep her calm until she was able to deliver her to the warlock King.

Yes, she thought, this promises to be an interesting day.

~

Lilly gathered her belongings, moving as slowly as possible. She thought back to the day she received the phone call. She knew it wasn’t Alina on the other end of that line, which was why she was standing on a plane that had just landed in Romania. Something was wrong. It had been a while since the sixth sense, as she called it, had made an appearance. But she could feel deep inside her that something was going on. She had made the decision not to call Jacque or anyone else in the Romanian pack until she knew more information.  Lilly could sense the “individual” she'd spoken with was extremely dangerous She didn’t want to call in the wolves before she knew if doing so would put Jacque in danger.

She had simply packed her things, arranged for her manager to take care of the store while she was gone, and driven herself to the airport. It had been a long flight, with her laboriously speculating about what could be wrong. She hadsent a text to Jacque just to make sure she was okay, but didn’t mention that she was on her way to Romania.

Now here she was, stalling. The flight attendant stuck her head in and smiled.

“Everything alright?” she asked sweetly.

“Um, yeah, everything’s fine. I was just making sure that I had all of my things,” Lilly told her as she put her bag over her shoulder and headed for the exit. She followed the long corridor that attached the plane to the airport. She had been told that the lady picking her up would be “different”. Lilly wasn’t sure what to expect, but when she looked up as she exited the corridor, the woman waiting for her was definitely not it.

Tall, with long black hair that had a strip of white in the front, she had two different colored eyes, one blue and one green. She was beautiful in a very odd, but striking way. Her lips were full and red and when she broke into a smile it made Lilly’s skin crawl. The closer Lilly got to the woman, the more she realized that it was the evil emanating off of the woman that was causing her discomfort.

The woman was wearing a red cloak which was odd in and of itself, as it looked like something someone would have worn a very long time ago. The air around grew thin and, like an invisible barrier, people in the airport gave her a wide berth. They seemed to sense what Lilly did, that this was not one to be trifled with.

“Lilly?”

The woman’s voice raked over Lilly and it took everything in her not to take a step back. She pasted a smile on her face and nodded. “That’s correct. And you are?” she asked, trying to draw on her Southern upbringing to be cordial, no matter how badly she wanted to turn and run as far as she could from the evil standing in front of her.

“I’m Mona. Alina sent me to pick you up.”

Right, Lilly thought, and if I say Beetlejuice three times a creepy, albino dude with bad hair will show up.

“Well, it’s nice to meet you.” Lilly reached out her hand to shake Mona’s.

Mona looked at the offered hand and Lilly saw a look of disgust quickly pass over the woman’s face before it was masked with what could only be described as mild dislike. She took Lilly’s hand, grasping it lightly as if she might catch something from the mere touch. After a single shake she quickly pulled her hand away. Lilly discreetly wiped her palm on her jeans, trying to rid herself of the cold wrongness of Mona’s touch.

“Shall we?” Mona motioned in the direction she wanted Lilly to follow. “The pack is waiting for you and I know Jacque will be surprised that you are here.”

“I bet she will.” Lilly smiled as she followed Mona. “Shocked out of her ever-loving mind is more like it,” she muttered under her breath.