Nikolas (2 page)

As long as she could remember, Sophia had studied all she could about the half-blood shapeshifters in her family as well as the full-blood Gargoyles who lived in the States. When she moved to New Atlanta, she focused on those who lived in and around the city. Sophia knew they would someday be one big Clan whether JoJo wanted them to be or not. She knew this, because one of them was her mate. She loved her family and was loyal to them as much as she could be, but as soon as she figured out the reason she had transitioned to a half-blood, Sophia made it her mission to bring them all together.

Since she had hidden cameras in Tessa’s home, Sophia knew when her cousin transitioned as well as the cause of her changing to a half-blood. Tessa unknowingly confessed the one secret her grandfather had withheld during her studies. Like Tessa, when Sophia phased for the first time, she had been alone. She knew what to expect after watching her cousin writhe around on her kitchen floor. As soon as Sophia had her inner shifter under control, she searched the city for members of the Stone Clan until she found the one who made her want to drag him into a dark alley and screw him senseless.

Sophia pilfered one of her grandfather’s journals and “hid” it in the library among his published works, anticipating the day her mate figured it all out. Until then, she waited for others of his family to begin finding their mates. She knew it was only a matter of time until he found her. The day he did, her shifter rejoiced. The day Nikolas Stone came into the library and she touched him, Sophia knew her life was going to change irrevocably.

Present Day 2047

Sophia felt someone’s eyes on her when she entered the airport. She wanted to chalk the feeling up to nerves since this was her first international trip, alone or otherwise. Sophia knew better, though. Having Original Gargoyle blood flowing through her veins gave her an advantage over most humans. The fact that she was a half-blood shifter herself? That intensified her gut feeling, and she knew not to dismiss it. Considering she was traveling to Egypt at the behest of an anonymous note to locate her missing parents, why wouldn’t someone be watching?

New Atlanta International was still a busy hub thirty years after her grandfather brought the city, as well as the world, to its knees. The chairs outside the departure gate were mostly full. Sophia didn’t want to squeeze in between strangers who might strike up a conversation. Instead, she opted to wait in one of the restaurants located on the concourse. She kept her back to the wall and her senses aware. She had almost an hour before her flight began boarding, so she pretended to read a book while sipping on a cocktail. What she was really doing was regretting having to leave the country now that Nikolas had found her. If he’d only found her sooner, they could be taking this trip together. She knew if they were truly mated, Nikolas Stone would never let her make such a dangerous journey alone.

When it was almost time to board the flight, Sophia made a quick call to Tessa, letting her know she was on her way to Egypt. If her cousin didn’t have her hands full with her watcher duties, Sophia would have welcomed the company. However, Tessa was juggling her time between siblings and was needed in the States. The first class passengers were called to the gate, and Sophia grabbed her carry-on bag, making her way through the throngs of people headed to their own area. While sitting in the restaurant, she hadn’t felt the twinge of being watched again, but that didn’t mean someone wasn’t. Sitting in first class gave Sophia the advantage of observing those who got on the plane after she did. Almost everyone had boarded when goosebumps pimpled on her arms. She tried desperately not to look, but she failed.

The last group of passengers consisted of several men and only one woman. The female was late twenties, about five-ten, had long blonde hair, and wore cowboy boots and a denim jacket. She could have been a model she was so stunning. Most of the men were forgettable. There was one man, though, who demanded attention. He was broad and tall, reminding Sophia of one of the Stone Clan. If she didn’t know better, she’d say he was a Goyle.

As the flight attendants prepared the cabin for takeoff, Sophia’s mind drifted back to the last time she’d taken an impromptu trip alone. She hadn’t thought about the bus ride in a long time, nor the way she left home. Thinking back to that night reminded Sophia of the map her mother had been studying. Egypt. The note she received regarding her parents whereabouts instructed her to travel to Giza. Could it possibly be a coincidence? She thought not. If there was one thing life had taught her so far, it was there were no coincidences.

During her three-hour layover in France, she figured out which one of the passengers was following her. At first, she thought it was the woman. Sophia found the nearest restroom as soon as she was in the terminal. The woman entered the restroom at the same time Sophia was exiting. Her spine tingled at that moment, but she had to sidestep to miss one of the men. She didn’t have to make eye contact to know which one it was. The testosterone seeping from his pores was a dead giveaway. Thankfully, there was a restaurant a short distance from the restroom. She pretended to look around at her options, making sure the man wasn’t waiting on the woman
. The woman exited the restroom and walked down the concourse. The large ma
n never looked her way. He did, however, look Sophia’s. It was amazing to her how obvious the man was being. Whoever was in charge of this kidnapping, abduction, whatever this was called, should have hired someone a little stealthier to follow her.

Now, they had landed in Cairo. While Sophia was waiting in line to get her tourist visa she didn’t feel anyone else’s presence, but now she was waiting for her luggage at the carousel, and she felt that nagging tingle. Both the woman and one of the regular guys were also waiting on their baggage; however, the large man was nowhere to be seen. Sophia could feel him, though. As soon as she tapped into his energy in France, she was able to continue monitoring his presence with her shifter senses.

Once she retrieved her luggage, Sophia made her way to the taxi stand. She waited while the driver put her bags in the trunk, and when he got in and closed his door, she told him
where to
. If there was anything to be thankful for, it was the fact whoever had her parents had brought them to an English speaking country. Her Spanish was good, her French decent, her Italian passable. She had only started studying Italian when she figured out Nikolas Stone was her mate. She couldn’t think of the gorgeous male now. She had to keep her mind sharp and worry about getting her parents home safely. Once she’d accomplished that, only then would she think about a future with the hot Gargoyle.

The note Sophia received instructing her to travel to Egypt had listed an address for a hotel in Giza. She made a reservation there under her name, but instead of actually staying in Giza, Sophia made a reservation in Cairo using an alias, Clara Fort. She would use the size of the Nile Grand Hotel as well as its busy location to her advantage. She had also made a reservation at a bed and breakfast downtown under a false name. The people following her would probably continue to tail her for a while, but eventually she would give them the slip. That was the plan, anyway.

Sophia might be new to traveling abroad, but she was not a novice when it came to hiding out. She learned from the best. JoJo had told her his story… from the time he met Caroline and was ostracized, to cloning Tessa, to the present. He taught her as much as she could learn about chemistry and physics. She secretly watched Tessa. She followed her cousin when she went out in New Atlanta. She snuck into Tessa’s home when she was out of town. The feisty redhead wasn’t the only one who could bypass an alarm, pick a lock, or install hidden cameras. Sophia might not be experienced, but she wasn’t scared. Not really. She was ready to put her knowledge to the test.

Sophia checked into the large, posh hotel. The bellman aided her with her luggage since she had several pieces. When she packed, she had no idea how long she would be away or what equipment she would need. She had brought only the basic electronics, fearing the larger pieces would cause her to be detained by customs.

As soon as she tipped the bellman, she turned and took in her room. Sophia had wanted to book a suite, but she figured most of her time would be spent at the bed and breakfast anyway. The room was large even if standard size. It was nicely furnished and would suit her needs for the little time she would be there. She tossed her bags on one of the double beds and began unzipping the one containing her disguises. A scratching noise came from outside her door. “What the hell?” she asked herself as a piece of paper appeared underneath. So much for not going to the hotel as they instructed. Since she didn’t have a gun on her, she reached out with her shifter senses to detect footsteps running down the hall. When she found no sign of life outside her door, she walked over and picked up the note. It was typewritten, same as the previous one had been.

Travel by ferry to the Giza Zoo. Have a seat across from the leopard.

As with most of the world, the near apocalypse brought social devastation to Egypt but not to Cairo. The larger cities waned for a bit, but most bounced back quicker than their smaller, sister cities. Giza, once a booming tourist attraction, was still trying to find its way back on the map. It surprised Sophia that the zoo was actually open. Her original note told her to go to Giza. Now she understood why. The fact she received another clue meant they knew exactly where she was.
No date or time was listed on the note telling her when to be there. Normally Sophia liked puzzles. When her parents’ lives were on the line? Not so much.

She pulled out her laptop and turned it on. While waiting on her computer to boot up, Sophia unpacked her clothes, separating them into two stacks: those she would wear as herself and the ones she would don as her alter egos. Having watched her grandfather these last few years had taught her so much more than sitting in a class at the university had. Tessa had been a teacher of a different sort, only she hadn’t been aware of her younger cousin’s presence. If she ever found out how Sophia had repeatedly duped her, she’d probably be one pissed off redhead. Sophia would worry about that if and when it happened. Now, she needed more information on the Giza Zoo.

The zoo was not as thriving as it once had been, but it still had a goodly amount of animals.
This ought to be fun.
Animals didn’t like shifters because they sensed the beast inside the human body. No puppy or kitten for her when she was little. It wasn’t nearly as bad with half-bloods as it was with Gargoyles. They may look human, but they were truly all shifter. She had once asked JoJo why the Gargoyles looked human when they weren’t, and he said the only explanation he could come up with was so they would fit in the human world undetected.

The note specifically said to take a boat to Giza. That seemed odd considering she could take a taxi and be there a lot quicker. Sophia searched the internet for ferries traveling the Nile. She found one that left early the next morning, so she booked it. Since the note didn’t specify when, she made the choice for the next day so she would have the rest of the afternoon to check into the bed and breakfast and store the majority of her equipment at the smaller inn.

Sophia was ready to do a little recon. She transformed herself from the twenty-something young lady she was to an older grandmother type she would never be.

After calling for a taxi, Sophia grabbed two suitcases and rolled them to the door. She reached out with her shifter senses. Not hearing anyone in the vicinity, she eased into the hallway. She needed to be certain whoever followed her didn’t see an old lady leaving her room. When she reached the front of the hotel, she made her way to the cab waiting for her at the curb. She allowed the driver to stow her luggage in the trunk as she got into the back seat. She gave him directions to another hotel. Once there, he removed her bags, and she paid him. She then hailed a different taxi and rode the seven blocks to the bed and breakfast.

Her second temporary residence was a small, two-story building. It was within walking distance of The Nile Grand, but she’d taken the taxis just in case. She entered the small hotel and admired the few Halloween decorations adorning the lobby.
Beatrice Nightingale
checked into a room on the second floor overlooking the park across the street. Sophia requested the second floor for safety reasons. Should someone try to get in her room through an exterior window, they would have a harder time if her room was higher up. With only two suitcases, Sophia rolled her own luggage to her room. Unlike the hotel’s opulence, this room was small and quaint. That suited Beatrice just fine.

Once in her room, Sophia unpacked the clothes from one suitcase, hanging the grandmother type clothes in the closet so they could unwrinkle. There were also items someone like Tessa might wear. She hung those up as well. The bag containing half of the gadgets and disguises she left intact. She would remove the items as she needed them and store the unneeded ones under the bed. Keeping her current persona in place, Sophia grabbed a few things out of her case and deposited them into her large handbag. Checking her reflection in the mirror, Sophia was pleased with what she saw. She hauled the purse over her shoulder, and Beatrice headed out to do some sightseeing.

There were plenty of people walking on the crowded sidewalks, so Sophia decided against another taxi. She kept her senses open to anyone who might be following. She couldn’t believe the man who’d been tailing her at the airport had been so easy to lose. Still, he had to be somewhere close by. It was possible she had lost him when Beatrice left the hotel, but she would remain on high alert.

Beatrice ambled through several shops as a tourist would do. She was about to step back out onto the sidewalk when she caught sight of the blonde woman from her flight. She was not alone. Walking beside her was the same man from the luggage carousel as well as the large one Sophia could sense. All three of them were scanning the area. Sophia had a feeling she knew who they were searching for.