by Jamie Davis
Quinn’s eyes widened. She was unable to move away, her speed and energy nearly depleted. The leaf-shaped blade came straight at her chest.
A shove from the side launched Quinn away from the incoming strike. She landed on the stone floor hard, sliding several feet on her already injured shoulder.
After she rolled and somehow came back to her feet, ready to defend herself, she saw Avery smiling at her.
Quinn returned the smile. They’d done it. They’d eluded Gemma’s final attack and defeated her shifter minions.
The smile faded as the other girl’s eyes rolled back in her head and she collapsed.
Quinn cried out as everything around her came into focus again.
Avery lay prone on the floor, her body rigid and trembling with the end of the golden spear jutting from her back. Miniature arcs of green energy ran up and down the spear’s shaft.
Gemma had bolted for the tunnel exit, with a few of her shifters right behind her.
The badgers finished off the remaining werepanthers. The fight had gone out of them, and now they just struggled to get away.
Quinn turned toward Gemma at first, then stopped. She couldn’t be in two places at once. She couldn’t both pursue Gemma and try to save Avery.
Growling deep in her throat, Quinn ripped her eyes from the tunnel and ran to Avery’s side.
The redhead’s pale skin had turned gray. She lay in a spreading pool of blood.
Quinn had little energy left, but she had to try something. Laying her hands on the woman’s back, Quinn pressed on the wound as she gripped the shaft of the magically energized spear. It felt like she had grabbed a live electrical wire.
An idea occurred to Quinn as she groaned at the pain from holding onto the spear. Instead of fighting the magical energy, she opened herself to it, envisioning her spasming hand and arm as a conduit. The arcs of magic power surged from the shaft up her arm.
Quinn directed the flow of power toward expanding her stamina bar in the HUD. To her surprise, a new bar appeared titled “Manna.” That bar filled with the green energy until she’d drawn all of Gemma’s spell from the spear.
She drew upon her new source of power and funneled the flow into a healing spell focused on Avery’s still form.
As she let the energy of the spell go, Quinn drew the spearhead from Avery’s back. The healing power flowed around the wound, staunching the blood and sealing the edges of the gash.
Then the last trickle of manna was gone.
It would have to be enough. Quinn had nothing left. She could barely hold herself up on one arm as she leaned over Avery. She remained there, gasping for air as if she’d just sprinted a mile. It was all she could do to remain conscious.
Gentle hands grasped her shoulder, startling her.
“Quinn, hon, you’ve done all you could.”
She turned to look at her mother, who was crouching behind her, then twisted back to stare at Avery’s still form. How long had she been sitting beside her? Someone had rolled her onto her back.
Tears welled in Quinn’s eyes. She looked at Clark as he checked the other Huntress’ pulse.
“Is she—”
“She’ll live,” Clark said. He knelt beside Avery.
“Oh, thank God.” Quinn let herself sag backward to lean against Naomi.
Clark looked at Quinn. “I don’t know what you did, but it seems to have stabilized her. When that spear went through her, I didn’t think she had a chance.”
Quinn nodded and looked around. She shook her head. “Gemma got away.”
“She’d better run fast and far,” Naomi growled, her voice icy with resolve. “Now that we’ve exposed her, she cannot seek refuge with those who might otherwise shelter her. I suspect she’ll run back to Filippa.”
Quinn said, “We need to deal with that particular piece of Fae trash. You know that, right?” The last question, she directed at Clark.
The old Hunter nodded. Whatever soft spot he’d had for the princess seemed to have hardened at last.
“Gemma said she has others like Avery out there,” Quinn continued. “She can train a new Huntress and come back for another try.”
Naomi said, “Don’t worry about that now. If she comes back, we’ll deal with her again.”
One of the werebadgers came to the center of the chamber. “We have seen to those of us who are wounded. We must go and find the rest of our brothers and sisters. They’re trapped in cages back at the house.”
Clark nodded. “Thank you for your help. You’ve proven your honor, and we are thankful to count you all friends.”
“It is we who should thank you. The Huntress reminded us of who we are and who we should be. We will tell Inez what was done today.”
Quinn allowed herself a weary grin. “Tell her we’ll come by the restaurant when she rebuilds and pick up our free meal as a thank you.”
The werebadger smiled. “I will do that.”
He gave a stiff nodding bow and turned away. His remaining companions, some carrying their fallen, followed him from the room.
Quinn leaned toward Avery. “We need to get her somewhere better than this stone floor to recover. Help me lift her.”
Naomi frowned. “Quinn, are you sure? You’re still weak.”
“She saved my life, Mother.”
Naomi nodded, a grin spreading across her face. It was only the second time Quinn had called her that aloud.
Together, Quinn and Naomi lifted Avery. Clark retrieved the golden spear and followed them out, leaving the chamber of the Crystal Well behind them.
They’d have to return. They needed to divine more about its power, which the Huntress must use sometime in the future. That could wait a few days since they had the spear. Gemma and Filippa would need time to recover and plan a new attack.
Let them come, Quinn thought. I’ll be ready.
Chapter Twenty-Eight
A cough from her bedroom woke Quinn. She sat up from where she’d been asleep on the couch. For three days, she’d slept out here so Avery could get the best rest possible.
Quinn glanced at her phone. It was early, barely six in the morning. She stood and padded to the doorway to check on her guest. Quinn smiled as Avery’s puzzled expression greeted her from where she sat up in bed.
“Finally awake, I see,” Quinn greeted her.
“How long?”
“Were you asleep? Three days. Taylor wanted us to take you to the hospital. I nixed that. I knew your Huntress genes would heal you if we gave them time.”
Avery reached around to rub her lower back. “I ache. Especially down here.”
“You saved me, but you forgot to dodge the stupid spear.” Quinn smiled and walked to the bed to sit beside the other Huntress. “Some might call that an epic fail.”
“I remember.” Avery met Quinn’s eyes as she realized what had happened. She reached out and took Quinn’s hand in hers. “That should have killed me. You did it, didn’t you? You found a way to transfer the healing energy, just like I showed you.”
“I had a little help, but yes, I figured it out.” Quinn didn’t mention her hand. It still tingled from gripping the spear while the magic flowed through her.
“And Gemma? Did you get her?”
Quinn shook her head. “She got away. Clark and Naomi have been out searching the city, but there’s no sign. The last I heard, a contact told Clark she might be headed south toward the Carolinas or maybe Florida. We’re not wasting time chasing her as long as she’s gone from Baltimore. She’ll come back, and when she does, she’ll have two Huntresses to deal with.”
“You think she’ll return?” Avery asked.
“If she doesn’t, I don’t think Filippa will be very happy about it.”
Avery’s stomach let out a long, gurgling growl. The women stared at each other for a split second and then burst out laughing.
“How about I go and make you something to eat down in O’Malley’s? There’s nothing for breakfast up here. You feel up to coming d
own, or should I bring it back here?”
Avery patted Quinn’s hand and slowly stood, steadying herself on the Huntress’ shoulder. “I think I’ll be fine, but I need a shower first. You go down, and I’ll be right along.”
Quinn nodded and watched as Avery headed to the bathroom, grabbing a fresh towel from the closet on her way. As soon as the door closed, Quinn slid her shoes on and grabbed her apartment keys. Time to make breakfast. If Avery was anything like Quinn, healing energy used a lot of calories. The other Huntress was going to need tons of food to refuel the reserves.
By the time Avery came down twenty minutes later, Quinn had not only pulled together breakfast, but she’d also reached out to the rest of the clan. The others came down to join them. With eggs, sausage, fruit salad, toast, and orange juice laid out on the table, they all sat down to eat.
Quinn said to Clark between bites, “I told Avery you’ve been out every evening, making sure Gemma has really gone. Any more word from the street last night?”
“No, nothing. Naomi and I have checked every source we have. There’s no sign of her.”
Naomi nodded. “I think that one tip we got about her heading south was right. Besides, I don’t think she’d be stupid enough to stick around. I say she’s gone.”
“What about the chamber with the glass dome? She wanted access to the magic there.” Avery asked.
“It’s called the Crystal Well,” Taylor said. “I bet Gemma will think twice before she heads back down there. First, Quinn kept the golden spear. Apparently, that’s needed to activate the room’s magic. Second, Inez and her werebadgers took on the task to act as guardians for the whole place after the original guardian was killed. They’ve taken over watching not only the room but the entire system of tunnels they re-opened.”
Quinn smiled. “If she and her followers show up again in force, the werebadgers should be able to hold the tunnels long enough to sound the alarm so we can get there to take her down. The only thing we have to worry about is whether she really has more Huntresses stashed somewhere.”
Avery frowned and Quinn asked, “What’s wrong? You’re safe now. We won’t let her hurt you.”
“But what of the others? You’re right. If she has more girls like us out there, they’re in danger.”
Quinn smiled. “It’s all right, Avery. We’ll keep an eye out for any other Huntresses coming to town.”
“But they won’t know…well, anything. I grew up thinking I was unique. Since everything happened, I’m confused, just struggling to understand who I am. Thinking of what she could do to corrupt others like me, I’m not sure I can remain here where it’s safe, knowing what I do. I have to find them and warn as many as possible about Gemma and what’s been done to them.”
Quinn tried to hide her disappointment. She’d hoped Avery was here to stay. The two of them might’ve had a chance at something more than a friendship. “You don’t have to go right away, do you?”
“Perhaps not immediately. I need to recover my strength. But I can’t remain here for longer than that takes me. I’m not the one and only Huntress like you are, but I’m still trained as one. This is something I have to do.”
Taylor asked, “Where will you start? You didn’t know any of the others, right?”
“No, I did not. I’ll have to return to the castle where Gemma raised me. There must be records there about the others. She was meticulous about keeping track of everything else.”
Clark nodded. “If you find something we can use, please forward it to us. Anything we can do to put a hold on Gemma’s plans to return will be helpful. We can help, too. I’ll reach out to the Keeper, Joshua Dalton. He’s been able to locate more of our lost financial resources. We’re not rich by any measure, but he should be able to get you what you need to travel there and begin your search.”
“Thank you,” Avery said. “I will make sure to report anything I find.”
“We’ll all need to keep in touch,” Naomi said. “We will pass along any information we turn up, too. This has the feel of something larger than just this one attack. More information from other sources will help paint a better picture of what Gemma and Filippa are planning next.”
Avery smiled and dug into her breakfast, pulling more sausage onto her plate and adding a scoop of the scrambled eggs. By Quinn’s count, that was her third serving.
Quinn sat in silence while the others added their ideas about how they could help Avery with her new mission. She was afraid if she said anything, she’d betray the sadness she felt at Avery’s announcement.
Once breakfast was finished, they all helped clean up, so Juni and the other servers didn’t have extra work. Afterward, everyone headed off to take care of their own duties, leaving Quinn and Avery alone at the table.
Avery smiled at Quinn. “You’re not angry with me for leaving, are you?”
“To be honest, no. A little sad or maybe disappointed.” Quinn quickly added, “Not in you, never that. But I’d hoped we’d—” She stopped and met Avery’s eyes.
“There’ll be time for that. I promise. First, we have to attend to our duty. If we don’t, nothing we build together can last. You see that, don’t you?”
“I do, but I don’t have to like it. When will you leave?” Quinn asked.
“A few days, I think. I already feel better than I did when I got up this morning.”
Quinn sighed and stood. “Well then, we should start getting the things you’ll need together. We can’t let you leave without the things every Huntress needs for the road.”
“I’d like that,” Avery replied. “Maybe we can get in a little shopping before I go.”
“Definitely. Come on upstairs and get some more rest. If you’re anything like me, after an injury and a load of food, you’re going to want some sack time.”
Avery shot Quinn a sly grin. “Only if you join me.”
“But you said—”
“We have two days, Quinn. Let’s make the most of the time we have.”
Quinn smiled and stood, taking the Huntress’ hand in hers. Two days wasn’t much, but at least they’d have some great memories to hold them over until Avery returned.
Jamie’s Author Notes
April 17, 2020
As I finished up writing Huntress Scout the world was in the midst of the Coronavirus lockdown. In some ways it felt very strange to write about Quinn and the rest of the clan going out without wearing masks or talking about social distancing. The members of the clan are the type who need to be out in their community, ensuring safety, making sure the bad guys don’t get away with stuff.
I’m an RN and a retired paramedic which is why I like to write about heroes and those who go out to make a difference no matter the danger. My characters use their powers to protect them while they vanquish the bad guys and save the day. However, it’s important to realize there are real heroes among us who go out to serve their communities without super powers to back them up. They’re normal folks just like you and me. They are our mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, children, and neighbors. They’re everyday people who do what they do day in, day out without asking for recognition.
Maybe you’re one of these unsung heroes, the “essential employees” of all kinds who are as scared as the rest of us are of this danger we can’t see or touch. If so, I want you all to know I write these stories with you in mind. That’s because the real heroes in our world are the ones who are scared as hell and still find the resolve inside to go and do what needs to be done.
We used to think of these people in specific roles as soldiers, EMTs, firefighters, and police officers. But one of the things this horrible pandemic has done for me is to remind me that we all have that hero inside us. We know this because there are grocery clerks and stockers, ER techs, warehouse employees, truck drivers and delivery people, and so many more normal, ordinary neighbors just like you and me who thumb their noses at this virus. They keep going to work so we can stay home and safe while this storm passes over us.
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br /> I urge you all to keep this in mind because we’re all being tested in this difficult time. When you see an opportunity to let out the hero inside you, release them and follow through. There are many people suffering because they’re hungry, lonely, depressed, and anxious. This is the time where a phone call, a FaceTime, a Zoom call, or even a simple text message can make you a hero to someone else when they need it the most. None of us are truly alone when one other person expresses compassion and concern. Remember and be the hero.
Until next time, thanks for reading my books. Peace.
Huntress Adept
Huntress Clan Saga™ Book 5
Chapter One
For a young woman who’d had her share of crazy nights, this one had topped them all. Quinn ducked beneath the swipe of an enormous clawed paw and yelled, “Mom, I could use some help over here.”
“I’m a little busy, dear,” Naomi replied.
Quinn spared a quick glance in Naomi’s direction. Her mother delivered a pair of lightning-fast slashes into the body of what could only be described as a giant slug—that is, if slugs had circular gaping maws filled with multiple rows of dagger-like teeth.
A chittering snarl from in front of her snapped Quinn’s attention back to her foe. The giant squirrel, easily the size of a horse, looked like any other squirrel except for the glowing red eyes and the carnivorous-looking teeth behind the glistening yellow tusks jutting from its upper jaw.
The creature’s rear legs bunched up, tensing for a leap. It was barely enough of a warning for Quinn to launch herself backward into a handspring that catapulted her out of reach of the freakish thing. It propelled itself forward in a charge at where she’d been standing a split-second before.
Thank God the thing wasn’t too bright. It appeared a little confused to find she was no longer where it had landed. Quinn took advantage of the pause to dart in and slash at the neck, digging in deep with her Bowie knife before dodging back to safety.
