Huntress Clan Saga Complete Series Boxed Set: Books 1-6

by Jamie Davis

  Quinn rested her hands on Avery’s shoulder and stomach while she reached out with her mind, pulling up her HUD map overlay. A ley line ran underground about a quarter-mile away. It wasn’t the most powerful one she’d seen, and it was a stretch for her to siphon energy from it, but she had to try. If it didn’t work, she’d have to get Avery into the van and try to get closer to the power.

  Reaching out, she stretched her senses to the limit and brushed the edges of the magic coursing through the natural energy source. She tried many times to pull in some energy, but it was like trying to grab paper streamers flapping in the wind. She’d hold on to a tiny piece, but it would break away from the rest, leaving Quinn with only a tiny amount of magic to absorb.

  After trying for several minutes, she finally peeled the thinnest of magical strands away and pulled it in her direction.

  As the trickle of power filled her, Quinn watched her mana bar in the HUD. She waited for it to fill, then directed that energy in a healing flow as Avery had taught her months before. Though the magic filled the bar, it wasn’t powerful enough to do everything Quinn wanted for her friend’s wounds. It was enough to stabilize her, though. At least Avery wouldn’t die now.

  The thread of power dwindled to nothing, and Quinn let go as the final bit passed through her to Avery.

  Avery’s eyes fluttered open.

  “Feel better?” Quinn asked.

  “Yes, but you should have left me.”

  “Never. I only just got here.”

  Avery smiled. “You’re not thinking like a Huntress, Quinn. Those girls are more important than me.”

  “I’ve got my dragon on it. Sylvie will let me know when she finds something. In the meantime, I’ve got to get you real medical attention. You’re still severely injured. Can you get up?”

  Avery tried but sank back to the ground. “I’m no good for anything right now. You should go.”

  “Not a chance. Not until I get you someplace to rest.”

  Quinn tapped her earpiece to activate her comm unit.

  “Taylor here, what’s going on?”

  “Avery’s hurt. Too hurt to travel on her own or come with me to rescue the girls.”

  Clark’s voice came on. “The girls are gone?”

  “Yes, taken before I got here. Clark, I need you to drive to—” Quinn looked around before continuing. “Well, wherever here is and pick up Avery. She’ll need medical attention.”

  Clark asked, “Taylor, do you have a fix on their location?”

  “It’s in North Carolina, near the Virginia border. It’s about six hours away.”

  Clark asked, “Will she be able to hold out that long?”

  “I used healing magic to stabilize her. It’ll have to do until you get here.”

  “Okay, I’m leaving now.”

  “Taylor, do you still have tracking data on Sylvie?”

  “Yes, I show her about a half-mile away from you right now. How’d she get so far away? Did the VR system screw up?”

  “No, I sent her to follow someone. As soon as she stops moving, tell me so I can go after her.”

  “What are you going to do in the meantime?” Naomi asked over the comm.

  “I’ll get Avery as comfortable as I can so I can leave her for Clark. I’ll call later when I’m ready to go. Ping me if Sylvie stops.”

  “Will do,” Taylor said.

  The comm clicked off, and Quinn looked at Avery. “You are a mess. Let’s get you inside and see if we can make you more comfortable.”

  Avery tried to object again, but she slipped into unconsciousness before she could say anything. Quinn picked her up and carried her into the shack.

  The fighting had overturned most of the furniture inside. There was an old single mattress on the floor in the corner. Quinn set Avery on it and keyed her comm again.

  “I’ve got Avery in a shack at these coordinates. She’s resting and should be all right until Clark gets here.”

  Taylor said, “He just left. I’ll keep track of his progress. What are you doing?”

  “I’m going after Sylvie. You’re still tracking her location, right?”

  “Yes, She’s about a mile away to the south and moving fast. She has to be in or on a moving vehicle. I don’t think she can fly as fast as a car.”

  Quinn searched Avery’s pockets but couldn’t find the keys. She checked the floor, moving the overturned chairs and table, and spotted them by the door.

  “I have Avery’s keys. I’m going after Sylvie now. Send her location to my phone, and I’ll hone in on her. You can update it on the fly, right?”

  “Yes, but Quinn, maybe you should wait for Clark.”

  “No. I have a feeling if I do that, it’ll be too late to rescue the kids. Gemma needed them for something, or she wouldn’t have gone to all this trouble. Whatever it is, we can’t let it happen. Avery said they’re special, and I believe her. I have to go after them now. Keep track of my location, and send it to Clark when he reaches Avery.”

  “Got it. Be careful, Quinn. I’ve sent the tracking info for Sylvie to your phone. Do me a favor and don’t just go rushing in. If it looks like you’re outnumbered, wait for Clark.”

  “Taylor, outnumbered is my favorite way to fight. Gotta go. I’ll check in later.”

  Quinn cut the connection before Taylor could argue further. She checked on Avery one more time, then headed for the van.

  She drove down a country road, following the phone’s directions to wherever Sylvie was. The data updates shifted the dragon’s location regularly. She was still moving south.

  Quinn focused on the road ahead, squeezing the best speed from the van, given the winding roads on which she traveled. As she drove, her mind drifted back to concern about Avery. It took a lot to knock out a Huntress. She was every bit as tough as Quinn, so the injuries were severe. She hoped Clark got there in time. Quinn hated leaving her there alone.

  As she shifted her attention back to the route displayed on her phone, a ping sounded. Quinn slowed as she read the notification. Taylor’s message said Sylvie had stopped moving. Quinn pulled over and stared at the map. A switch to satellite view displayed a cluster of buildings set back from the road amidst trees and hills. It was the perfect hideout. That was where Gemma’s demon-kinder had the girls.

  Quinn sped up again and concentrated on the road. She could be there in fifteen minutes if she hurried.

  Chapter Seventeen

  Quinn pulled off the road onto the grass and shut off the lights. She could make out a narrow track leading into the woods. She glanced at the phone again. The long driveway to the cluster of buildings was still about a quarter-mile down the road. The dirt track didn’t show up on the map or satellite view.

  Quinn decided it was a perfect place to park the van out of sight. She’d walk the rest of the way. She hoped this track led to where the girls were being held. It started heading the right way, at least.

  For a while, the narrow lane angled to the left, then it ended abruptly at a tall cell phone tower surrounded by a chain-link fence. Using the cleared space around the tower, Quinn turned the van around so it faced back the way she came. If they pursued her on the way out, she could drive away in a hurry.

  Checking her phone to make sure the dragon was still around the buildings, Quinn started into the woods.

  She tapped her earpiece and said, “Hey, T, you still there?”

  “Always. What’s up?”

  “I’m at the location. Still no change in where Sylvie is, right?”

  “Nope, she’s still somewhere in or around those buildings. I can see you’re about five hundred yards to the north of them. What’s your plan? I know it seems like a long time, but Clark will be there in about five hours. You know how fast he drives. Wait and watch.”

  “No, I have to go in. I have an awful feeling about this. I can’t shake the thought we can’t let them do anything to those little girls.”

  Taylor paused for a long time. “You will not listen to m
e, so be careful and try not to get caught.”

  “Who, me? I’m like a shadow.”

  Taylor laughed. “Sure you are. I’m signing off, Ms. Shadow. Like I said. Be careful.”

  The comm clicked off, and Quinn kept moving toward the buildings. She could make out lights ahead through the trees. As she continued walking, the lights grew brighter until she reached the perimeter of a large circular clearing with a house and four small barns and storage sheds.

  Crouching behind a tree, Quinn scanned the area, trying to see if there was any security other than the bright lighting. It would negate her shadow-hiding ability, so she wasn’t going to sneak up to the house if anyone was watching. She’d have to race across open ground to get to any of the structures.

  Realizing there was no other option, she resigned herself to making the dash when something brushed her shoulder. Quinn whipped around and drew her Bowie in a single motion.

  “Eeeep?”

  “Oh, my God, Sylvie. You scared me. Did you see the girls? Are they here?”

  An image appeared in her mind. It showed an aerial view approaching the home and flying up to one window on the second floor. The girls were huddled in a plain unfurnished room with a wooden floor.

  Quinn looked at the home, studying the outside. She thought the window Sylvie had shown her was the second-floor window closest to her position. A small detached garage with a covered breezeway was just below the window. If she could get up on that garage roof, she could cross the breezeway’s roof and be just outside the girls’ room.

  “Outstanding job, Sylvie. Now I need you to keep watch and tell me if anyone is coming. With all the floodlights, once I’m on that roof, anyone in the yard will see me instantly.”

  Sylvie’s head bobbed and she took off, circling high above the yard beyond the lights.

  Quinn moved around the wooded perimeter until she reached the point closest to the garage. A metal drainpipe at the corner might help her climb up to the roof. She was worried the downspout might not be sturdy enough for what she wanted, but she could boost her speed and strength too. It might be enough for her to leap, grab the garage’s coping, and pull herself up.

  Taking one last look around at the yard for sentries, Quinn ran across the open space to the garage.

  Pressing her back against the wall, she listened for an alarm. Hearing nothing, she reached up and tested the downspout. The aluminum creaked and pulled out of its mount almost instantly. It was far too flimsy to support her weight. She’d have to find another way up.

  Peeking around the corner to make sure the coast was clear, Quinn took four steps back. She drew off some of her stamina and boosted her strength.

  Quinn ran at the side of the building, pushed off, and jumped with everything she had. Reaching up, she gripped the roof’s edge and pushed off with her toes against the siding. She pulled herself up with ease and settled onto her stomach across the pitched roof’s edge.

  The asphalt shingles still held some of the day’s residual warmth. It radiated through her clothes and helped to dispel the chill of the night air. She waited there, pressed flat against the roof, while she listened for any reaction from below. She glanced up and sent a message to Sylvie, circling above in the night sky.

  Is it clear?

  An image of the whole clearing seen from above entered her mind. She studied it and saw no one anywhere on the grounds. It was odd. Gemma wasn’t dumb. She should have put out sentries to watch for a rescue or other intruders.

  Quinn looked back over her shoulder at the trees. Maybe she should wait for Clark. After a few seconds, she shook her head. She was committed now. She couldn't go back and risk being seen running away.

  Quinn got to her feet and ran to the other side of the garage roof and the covered breezeway beyond. The girls’ window was right there. She had a clear path to it.

  As she reached the edge of the garage and stepped down onto the breezeway roof, a flash of movement below caught Quinn’s eye.

  A man stepped out from under the breezeway roof, raised a crossbow to his shoulder, and pulled the trigger.

  Quinn had built up too much speed and momentum to do much. She twisted her torso out of the way a little, but that was it.

  It was enough that she avoided the killing strike from the crossbow bolt. It coursed past her ribs, scoring a grazing wound before passing into the darkness. The wound wasn’t serious, but the evasive move had pulled her off-balance.

  Her arms windmilled as she teetered on the edge of the roof. She tried to think of something, even calling upon her connection to wild magic to stabilize her.

  Nothing worked.

  Realizing it was a losing battle, Quinn pushed off the edge, trying to control some aspect of her fall.

  She tried to angle enough that she would land atop the man now frantically working at reloading the crossbow.

  He looked up at the last instant. Seeing her coming, he stepped aside just in time to avoid her.

  Quinn landed hard and it knocked the wind out of her, delaying her rise.

  Gasping for air, Quinn struggled to her feet and turned to face the man who’d attacked her. He’d reloaded and stood barely five feet away.

  There was no way he’d miss from that range.

  Behind him stood three women, each holding a sword.

  The woman in the center pointed her blade at Quinn. “Surrender, or I’ll tell the mortal to fire.” Her voice had the otherness of the demon-kinder.

  Quinn straightened and pulled her hand away from the hilt of her Bowie. If the bolt didn’t kill her outright, the three demon-kinder Hunters would finish her. She might have been able to take two of them on, but not all three, especially while injured.

  “Toss your blade onto the grass over there, Huntress.”

  Quinn did as she was told, feeling naked without her weapon.

  An image of fiery explosions entered her mind.

  No, Sylvie. Stay up there. I’ll call you when I have a way for you to come help.

  The youngling sent a flurry of images too rapidly to understand. Quinn didn’t catch all of it, but what she saw conveyed annoyance and disappointment.

  To the three women, Quinn said, “I surrender. I won’t attack. I came to make sure the girls you kidnapped still live.”

  “You cannot kidnap that which belongs to you,” a familiar voice said. Gemma stepped into the breezeway between the house and garage. “I’m not sure how you got down here so quickly. My agents reported you were still in Baltimore.”

  “It’s hard to find good help these days. People are so unreliable.”

  “It matters not. Since two of my Hunters are missing and you’re here, I assume you killed the ones I left to finish Avery?”

  “Oh, yes. Avery’s fine, too. She sends her regards.”

  “I doubt that, or she’d be here with you. That means she’s either dead or sorely injured. Good. I’d rather only deal with one false Huntress at a time.”

  Quinn refused to rise to the bait. She let the smile remain on her face and held Gemma’s gaze.

  Gemma waved a hand. “If you three want to have some fun with her first, I’m fine with that. Just make sure she’s alive when you bring her inside. And make sure you restrain her. She’s a very resourceful girl.”

  The three women sheathed their swords and ran at Quinn with a blinding speed she hadn’t expected. She blocked only a few of the incoming blows before they took her to the ground. They kicked and punched her for a long time before they stopped.

  One retrieved some rope from the man with the crossbow and they restrained Quinn, tying her arms behind her at both the wrists and the elbows. Then they marched her into the house.

  The house and the property around it seemed to be abandoned. There was little furniture in sight as they took her in through the kitchen to an adjacent room.

  A folding card table sat in the center of the room, along with four folding chairs. Carryout and delivery bags were piled in the corner. Gemma occupied on
e chair and stared at the screen of a tablet propped on the table. It looked like she was checking messages or email.

  “What should I do with her?”

  “Remove her phone and any other electronics she has on her. Make sure you get that thing in her ear.” Rough hands pulled at her belt, removing the comm unit along with the earpiece. The shortest of the three dug into Quinn’s pockets, removing her phone.

  “Now take her upstairs and put her in one of the empty bedrooms. Tie her securely. We don’t want her getting free. We might be able to use her for the rites once we arrive in Baltimore.”

  The three women tugged at Quinn but stopped as Gemma said, “Oh, and while you’re up there, tell those brats to stop crying. I can hear them from here.”

  Quinn concentrated and caught the faint keening of a child. Her anger boiled over. “Gemma, you’re the one who brought those girls together. Perhaps you should treat them a little better.”

  “Quiet, Huntress. If I want your opinion on how to deal with children, I’ll ask for it. Crying will be the least of their problems once they’ve served their purpose in a few days.”

  “What do you have planned?”

  Gemma smiled. “You’ll die in ignorance. Just know that everyone and everything you ever cared about will be utterly destroyed. Take her away.”

  A demon-kinder, this one with red hair, asked, “What are you keeping her alive for? No rite is worth the risk. Kill her now.”

  “No. She has power, just like the girls upstairs. Her life sacrifice will open the portal even wider than we planned.” Gemma stood and picked up the tablet. “I’m going out for a bit to complete plans with my colleagues. Once that is finished, I’ll send for you. Bring her and the little ones and come meet me.”

  “Leaving so soon?” Quinn quipped as the lanky demon-kinder yanked her by the arm toward the stairs. “Afraid of what I will do to your last three lackeys here?”

  “My last three?” Gemma laughed. “Oh, no, my dear, there are many more where these came from. Our operation has been ramping up for over a year, waiting for what is coming. You’ll see soon enough.”

  The demon-kinder yanked again at Quinn, and she stumbled up the stairs. They’d beaten her pretty badly, and she had trouble staying on her feet. She stopped at the top of the stairs to catch her balance. The crying from the bedroom was clearer.