Page 107 of In Prey We Trust

It took almost a decade to re-fuel the dwindling magic of the community, but we started with those who were fading the most and worked our way back to the strongest species like me. Regaining my connection to myself made planning another attempt at the key much easier; in fact, it only took a few tries before we achieved the results we needed.

If we’d been able to control the vessel as we thought we could, this could have happened sooner.

But the Fates are wily and do not appreciate even beings such as me interfering with their weaving. Obstacles popped up constantly, preventing anyone in our group from taking the vengeance we so richly deserve—until now. We are getting closer with each one, and the alliances we’ve secured will help us continue to gather power. It will be time to rise soon and when we do, I will right the injustices of the past. That’s my promise to every soul who bands together with us, and I will keep it until my last breath.

Centuries of living beyond what they assumed to be my last breath have made me somewhat cynical with my mortality. I am uncertain the Fates did not grant me immortality as they did the others of my kind after the split. It may have saved me when the royals betrayed me so long ago to join with the ancestors and leaders who rule the world not seen or heard by humans. I can still feel the dirt from the shovel hitting my face like it was yesterday, and the desire to make all the non-magical supernatural suffer has kept me hungry for almost a millennium.

Fortunately, those who stole the balance of power for their own have grown soft and vulnerable despite their wealth and fame. They may control things with money and fear, but they no longer learn to defend themselves from anything besides humans and prey. Both variables are far weaker than my enemies and they believe those are their only concerns, so they live soft, comfortable lives. They may viciously take out the weak, but they have no skills to confront their equals—not anymore.

Sighing, I cut my gaze to obnoxious groups of girls drinking and passing around drugs. The two groups are eyeing one another with disdain and I feel defeated that women are still behaving as if they are enemies rather than the system that keeps them beholden to men. It was that way in my youth and despite the claims of the media, it’s still an issue bred into females from their childhood. Watching them makes my anger bubble hotly; they’re happy to perpetuate the old ways, even with so many opportunities to affect change.

If they’d lived as long as me, hunted and alone, they might have learned to appreciate the variety in skills other women can lend when they band together. Instead, they draw invisible lines and destroy anything different from themselves. Narrowing my eyes, I lift one finger toward the bulkier gaggle, causing a drink from one of their rivals to spill on their giant wolf. Loud, shrill shouts fill the air and I turn away, smirking to myself. They wanted to fight and now they can do it like warriors, not children.

I slink along the shadows in my disguise, wanting to be closer to my targets as they enter the party in a large group. The one in all black and white is greeted by three affectionate Sphinxes wearing some sort of sexy matching dog outfits. I don’t see the appeal, but it makes that one peel off as he heads for the bar with his odd puppies. It will be most fortuitous if they split up, though harder to track. I will move from group to group unnoticed if they do not stay together.

Intelligence is always useful and when shifters imbibe, they often have far looser tongues.

This evening was only meant to gain more sources for the balance of powers, but I could not resist attending while my acolytes gathered the tributes. The closer I come to the objects of my personal desire for vengeance, the harder it becomes not to witness the chaos I’m creating. It’s difficult to stay hidden, as I know I must when I can taste the justice that has been denied for so many years. I thirst for it as if they have trapped me in the desert without water and, in many ways, I have. My inherent nature is not meant for the shadows and darkness; no, they made us for love, life, and enjoying the bounties of the world.

I did not get the option to join those who escaped to the light because they thought me dead and buried me in a remote grave as penance for my perceived sins.

Knowing others suffered over time for their decisions has not slaked my fury or brought me the peace it should have. The one who orchestrated my fate and accepted the demands of the masses who designed the Treaty is not dead, nor are any of those who allowed it happen. They may ache from the weight of their poor choices, but they have not felt dirt splash on their faces or had to use weakened powers to slowly claw their way out of an unmarked mound to obscurity and isolation. The world I found had changed so drastically in the month it took me to gather the strength to crawl out of my grave that I hardly recognized it and it has only strayed further from the path with every day since.

But my kind are patient and we know how to plan for the long game—being close to immortality makes the long game much easier to envision. I was but a child in terms of my species when they put me in that fake tomb without the dignity of our last rites, but when I emerged, that innocence was gone. And I’ve used every ounce of knowledge, power, and wisdom I’ve gained to band the races together for the good of our people. I knotted my petty revenge within my plans, but it is not the sole intent of our battle with the Fates. That’s why I know we will prevail; we are here to right the wrongs done in the past, not simply to get what we are due.

They weave the tapestry, but their relatives also balance the scales and the world is not in balance since the Treaty.

My eyes catch on the group I’m monitoring again, noting there is someone new joining them. The spotted one left with his little fans, but now, a golden hued warrior princess is amongst my targets. She is talking animatedly with the tentacled friend and I can see the glee it’s bringing the crazy tiger. I’m rusty in terms of interactions, but it appears he may have orchestrated this meeting. I believe the two chattering girls—the polar bear and the grizzly—may be intended to date.

I would offer my admittedly jaded opinion to them when they inevitably break from the larger group to talk, but I cannot give myself away. If even a portion of my story or advice floats back to the wrong person, I will be discovered. I am not ready for anyone to realize I didn’t perish before being dumped into my grave. They will have to learn about betrayal and heartache on their own. My dedication to my fellow females is not such that I would jeopardize decades of planning and effort.

My patience is rewarded when the two of them finally give the obsidian clad leader a wave and head for the dance floor. The girl seems pleased, throwing her arms around the psycho and allowing him to grope her playfully. It's a shame she’s caught up in this mess; nothing I’ve seen of her so far tells me she deserves to play a role, but I do not pluck the threads, I am only speeding their use.

Destiny does not play favorites, and it is rarely fair.

Moving closer so I can observe my true reason for appearing here, I close my eyes to reach out with my magic. I need to feel the auras and vibration of their souls to learn the information I require about their bonds. When I’m fully immersed, I open my eyes to see the cheetah dressed as a lion, looking in my direction. I know he cannot see me with the shadows pulled so tightly, but something about the way he’s staring sets my teeth on edge. The Khan men do not have magical powers—I know because I had my followers test it several times to verify—so I do not understand why he is staring at me so intently.

He turns abruptly, whispering to the one person I cannot approach without feeling my spirit diminish. The fury on his face would frighten lesser beings, but I am not afraid. Even the mythical shifters do not have what it would take to defeat me—not on their own, anyway. Shifters have fallen so far from the natural order and balance that they no longer possess the knowledge or items they would need to rise against the tidal wave coming from them. They cast all the necessary things out with their leaders’ Treaty and subsequent hunting of the losing side. Nothing they had from before that time is within their grasp; it has all been hidden

over the years and then long forgotten.

There is nothing to save them once the key is ready, and they only have themselves to blame.

My prey close ranks, talking amongst themselves in a small, tight cluster. The instinct of the cheetah has them on edge now, and I won’t be able to stay in their proximity. It’s too dangerous for me to be in a range of anyone with sensitivity to my skills. So I walk away, cloaked in the darkness, as I look for my companions to check on their progress. I gave their assignments before I deigned to accompany the team and I want to ensure they are being carried out. We will need to leave sooner than I expected, now that we have tipped him off.

~Report.~ I project the command into the minds of the scattered members.

The replies I get from them flood my mind and I have to organize and process all the voices in my head. They sound as if they are ready to act and transport. We can take what we need and return to our compound with what we need to continue. I turn to give the group I’ve been stalking one last glance; I came to glean more information and I despise failure. Perhaps I will stay long enough to watch how they react to our mission. Watching them fight back when my team accosted them on the way to this place taught me many things, and this may reveal more.

~Breach. Complete objectives immediately and return.~

Once I give the order, I alight the highest tomb, getting the best vantage point possible to see the chaos. My followers disappear with their assignments one by one, but the party continues on without a hitch. I frown, wondering if these spoiled children of the long lines who created the split are so self-absorbed that they will not notice what has happened. It would not change what we did, but it would confirm that greed and sloth have diluted their claims of superiority.

Suddenly, a panicked screech echoes over the graves and I see the group rush towards the sound, pushing the drunken revelers aside to get to the girl making the noise. I smile in satisfaction when I notice it is the girl from the groups I pushed to brawl earlier. She has a costume that matches three other girls on, but her sexy superheroine is purple. She’s gesticulating wildly around the room and when the bunny girl approaches, she points at her, accusing her of being responsible for the disappearance of someone named Todd.

I guess one of our targets from the ancient family lines was her boyfriend. Too bad.

Chuckling to myself, I continue to observe the chaos unfolding as others scream that they are missing people as well. My team selected only six this time, but they were of a higher rank than anyone we’ve chosen before. I believe it will make it easier to get what we need and the effects will last longer to help the eldest gain even more of themselves in return.

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