The Keepers: Ethan. Rae Rivers

he knew, a destiny he treasured, honoured, but sometimes, like now, he resented the hell out of it because of the stifling confines that came with it. Keepers were good, noble, respected – dedicated to protecting witches and the balance of nature. Protecting the innocent. That was the easy part, something he’d sworn to do, but over time, as their enemies had grown stronger and claimed more loved ones and innocent lives, something had altered inside him. A rebellion against everything he was.

      Their war was a constant, monotonous battle, where they only attacked when absolutely necessary. Self defence.

       They defended.

      And it was bullshit.

      Their enemies had killed his parents, Sienna’s parents, Rose, his sister, and many other innocent people. They’d attacked Sienna. Kate.

      And yet, despite all that, their nobility and duty prevented any retaliation.

      A rush of air swept across the floor, unsettling a pot plant at the top of the stairs. The railing groaned beneath his grip, caving from the pressure. He relaxed his hand, the motion triggering the flow of colour to his whitened knuckles. He frowned at the indentation he’d left in the metal.

      Turning back to the street, he breathed in again, but it did nothing for his agitation, only calmed the breeze. The overturned plant he’d deal with later.

      “Ethan?” Jenna murmured from the top of the stairs. She’d moved so quietly and he wondered how he’d missed her approach.

      A few strands of blond hair had escaped the messy knot at the nape of her neck, softening her features. She wore a sleeveless black shirt tucked into jeans, the cut neat and simple. Not a frill or bow in sight.

      She held up two beers, the sight of her easing his frustration. But instead of going to him, she held back and glanced at the steps. “I can leave if you’d prefer to be alone.”

      The flash of uncertainty in her eyes surprised him. She was a powerful warrior. A kick-ass ninja. Always sure. Always certain. Seeing that flicker of doubt intrigued him. Why, he wasn’t sure. But it did. More than he’d care to admit.

      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