“Why?”
“I guess you could say they make deals with the devil on a regular basis,” I joked wryly in an attempt to ease his concern and make amends for my silence.
Quinn just sighed in frustration.
“Not funny, huh?” I quipped, but Quinn didn’t even crack a smile. “Fine.” I shook my head, fully aware of the risk I was about to take. “If you must know, they’re called Moon Mercenaries.”
“‘Moon Mercenaries,’” he repeated, sitting up. “And they are?”
“The best men for the job, apparently.”
“How do you know that you can trust them?”
“I don’t. But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t meet with them.”
“What it they’ve teamed up with the Servants?”
“I highly doubt that’s the case. From what I’ve heard, they’re not the type to play well with others. They’re independent contractors, and apparently their only allegiance is to their own kind.”
“Their own kind? Evie, are these guys even human?” he asked in alarm.
“I’m pretty sure part of them is.”
“You’re not making me feel any better about this meeting.”
“Quinn, there’s nothing to worry about. I’m sure everything will be fine. ”
“If that’s the case, then take me with you.”
“I can’t.” I shook my head. “I have to meet them on their terms.”
“I’m not going to win this one, am I?”
“Nope.”
Quinn stood up, walked over to where I was standing, and wrapped his arms around me. “Will you at least promise me you’ll be careful?”
“I promise.”
“And I want you to come back here right after the meeting, got it?” he ordered.
“Yes, sir.” I reached up and gave him a quick kiss. “I’ll see you soon.”
5. hired guns
I teleported myself behind some rocks on the shoreline near the agreed-upon meeting spot. I looked at my watch; I still had fifteen minutes. Perfect. The sun wouldn’t be setting for another hour. I walked along the beach towards the water, stopping just out of the tide’s reach. I looked down the coastline in both directions to survey the surroundings. I was alone. I closed my eyes for a moment and inhaled the briny air. I held my breath, soaking in the ocean, letting it saturate every part of my body before exhaling.
Feeling inspired by Minerva’s sense of style, I’d morphed into a pair of black jeans and a fitted black leather jacket with a dark grey tank top underneath. I also wore black leather boots, but I skipped the heels just in case I needed to fight. And I had taken off my engagement ring and shoved it in my pocket—I didn’t want to test the limits of the Moon Mercenaries’ interest in thievery or, for that matter, my personal business.
“You the broad Tartuf told us about?” I heard a voice call out from behind me.
I opened my eyes and turned around to see two hard-core biker types walking towards me. Bandanas covered their heads; aviator sunglasses covered their eyes. They wore unzipped leather vests, no shirts, jeans underneath leather chaps, and combat boots. On their belts, I could see sheathed knives attached to one side and holstered guns on the other. And as they got closer, it looked—and smelled—like they were in serious need of a good, long shower.
“That depends on who’s doing the asking,” I replied. “Are you two in the business of retrieving stolen property?”
“I guess you could say we’re jacks-of-all-trades,” one of the Mercenaries said while the other one chuckled.
“Well, maybe you can help me out then.” Satisfied that these two were Chase and Jaegar, I introduced myself. “I’m Evie.”
“Jaegar. And that’s Chase,” the taller and older of the Moon Mercenaries offered.
“We hear you’re in quite the jam,” Chase mused.
“A couple of nasty bastards stole something that belongs to a friend of mine, and I want it back.”
“These ‘nasty bastards’ have names?” Jaegar asked, smirking.
“Cy and Rex,” I replied.
“Good old Cy and Rex,” Chase said, smiling.
“You know them?” I asked in surprise.
“We may have run into them from time to time, but I heard Cy was taken out a couple of months back.”
“He was,” I confirmed.
“You couldn’t possibly be the lovely little Shepherd who eighty-sixed him, now could you?” Chase smiled and eyed me up and down in a way that made me feel like he was undressing me in his mind. Cold shivers ran down my spine, making me squirm uncomfortably inside.
“What’s it to you?” I asked warily.
“Don’t mind him,” Jaegar replied, smacking Chase in the chest with the back of his hand. “We make it a habit not to pry into others’ personal affairs.” I noticed Jaegar’s face was badly scarred. His arms were covered in scars, too.
“C’mon, we got a right to know her baggage with the Servants before agreeing to the job,” Chase argued.
“I’m the one who took out Cy,” I said boldly, adjusting my posture. I wasn’t going to let these guys intimidate me.
“Prove it,” Chase demanded. He, too, was scarred up, but not nearly as badly as Jaegar.
I took off my leather jacket and dropped it, knowing it would disappear before the Mercenaries’ eyes. They didn’t flinch. I turned around so my back was to them and pulled up my tank top, exposing the scars on my back.
“Damn! Those are beauts!” Chase exclaimed in admiration. “I’d love to hear the details behind those.”
“I’m sure they’re no more interesting than any other Shepherds’ stories about their scars,” I remarked as I pulled my tank top down into place and morphed back into my jacket as I turned to face them.
“There aren’t that many stories out there,” Jaegar replied.
“Why’s that? Because most Shepherds aren’t the type to kiss-and-tell?” I asked.
“No,” Chase chimed in. “Because most Shepherds who get wounds like those aren’t around long enough to tell the tale.” I was taken aback by his response, but I remained stone-faced, refusing to let them see me rattled.
“So, can you help me get the blood back or not?” I asked, cutting through the rest of the BS formalities.
“No,” Jaegar replied coolly.
“Why not?” I asked, offended.
“Because you can’t get the blood back,” he explained. “If your friend’s blood is as important to the Servants as Tartuf let on, then the demons have it stashed it away deep in their lair,” he continued.
“So?”
“So,” Chase chuckled, “the Servants’ lair is harder to find than the lost city of Atlantis. No one on the outside knows where it is.”
“So, what, you’re saying it’s impossible to retrieve the blood? That no one can do it?” I could feel the anxiety begin to well up in the pit of my stomach.
“Not necessarily,” Jaegar replied. “We could call in a few favors and get it for you … but it’ll cost you.”
“What kind of favors?” I asked hesitantly.
“Let us worry about that,” Chase responded. “You ready to deal?”
“Yes.” My anxiety was increasing.
“Good. We’ll trade you.” Chase smiled greedily. “The boy’s blood for yours.”
And there it was. Tartuf had nailed it.
“How much do you want?” I asked without blinking.
“Not too much,” Chase said, pulling six large, empty vials out of his knapsack.
I stared at the empty vials; it seemed like they were asking for a lot. Having no concept of what was a fair trade in this market, I relied on the one rule of thumb my dad had taught me about bargaining—never accept the initial offer because it’s designed to screw you.
“So, what’s it gonna be?” Chase asked.
“I’ll give you three vials after you recover Quinn’s blood.”
“Three?” Chase exclaimed, throwing his head back and laughing. “Just w
ho do you think you’re dealing with here, sister?”
“Tartuf told us you wouldn’t waste our time, but clearly he was wrong,” Jaegar stated. Turning to Chase, he said, “C’mon, let’s go.”
“Fine, four vials,” I offered.
“Not the way we operate, little girl,” Chase sneered. “The price for our services is what it is—all or nothing. Oh, and by the way, we take payment in full up front.”
“You may be the one that wants this blood back,” he went on to say. “But we’re the ones who have to stick our necks out on the line to get it for you. But, hey, if you think you can find someone else to help you, and at a better deal, go for it. But good luck finding help before you run out of time.”
Crap! This wasn’t a negotiation—it was extortion.
“I’ll tell you what,” I stated. “Come back with some information—some proof you can locate Quinn’s blood and recover it in two weeks time, and I’ll give you one vial.”
“Three.”
I shook my head. “Two vials after you prove the job can be done and another three after I have his blood in my possession with confirmation that it’s his. That’s my final offer.”
Chase and Jaegar looked at each other for a minute.
“Five vials is better than none,” I threw in, hoping to sway them. “And I’m sure your customers will be plenty satisfied with some of my blood now and more in a couple of weeks. You can probably find some way to turn a bigger profit from this arrangement,” I scoffed.
“Fine,” Jaegar agreed reluctantly. “Meet us here tomorrow night—same time.”
“And be prepared to pony up some blood,” Chase threw in.
“Fine.”
“And bring your friend, too,” Jaegar added.
“Why?” I asked protectively, narrowing my eyes.
“We need his scent so we can track his blood,” Jaegar replied. “No blood from the boy, no deal, got it?”
“Yeah, I got it,” I agreed uneasily.
*
I returned to the Falls only to discover no one was there. Quinn had left a note on the bed, informing me Dylan had taken him to pack up his tent and equipment from his last campsite in Jackson Hole. I wrote a quick response on the flipside of his note, telling him my meeting had gone well and that I was going to swing by the Archives for a bit.
I wanted to talk to Tartuf, to hear from his own mouth that Jaegar and Chase were trustworthy. I needed assurance Quinn and I wouldn’t be walking into a trap. But when I arrived in his private library, Tartuf wasn’t there. I scanned the books and piles of papers stacked about. I walked over to one of the two walls of books and began to run my fingers over the bindings as I perused the titles, many of which were in different languages, about all kinds of demons.
“He left,” I heard Tara say from over my shoulder. I stopped what I was doing and looked at her. “Shortly after he met with you. I doubt he’ll be returning here any time soon.”
“Oh.” My chest sank knowing I wouldn’t be able to get the reassurance I wanted.
“You look distressed,” Tara noted. “Anything I can do to help?”
I shook my head in response. “Thank you, again, for asking Tartuf to meet with me. He was very helpful.”
“Judging from your expression, I am not convinced you got all of the answers you sought.”
I took a deep breath and sighed. “It’s just—I still don’t understand why any of this is happening. What if Quinn never becomes more powerful than he is now? What will the Servants do to him then? I can’t help but think it might be better for us to be apart so the bond between us doesn’t get any stronger. Maybe then they’ll leave him alone.”
“Eve, physical separation will slow down the development of the bond between the two of you, but it will not stop it. And, as I mentioned before, the Servants have ways to try to force the connection, which I believe they will use if you try to stall. It is time you confront the situation head-on instead of running away from it. Find the courage to forge the bond with Quinn so you will both be at your strongest if you should need to fight.”
“But I don’t know how.” I sighed bleakly. “I love him with everything I have—everything I am—and I know he feels the same way about me, but that doesn’t seem to be enough.”
“Unconditional love is only part of the equation, my dear. You need to have unconditional faith and trust in each other.”
“Despite what I am, despite our history and our supposed destiny, neither of us has thrown in the towel. Whatever the future is we’re willing to face it together. Isn’t that ‘unconditional faith and trust’?”
“You tell me. It seems to me Quinn has always been in the position of having to place his faith and trust in you. After all, you are the one who is immortal. You were the one charged with protecting his life. Have you sensed a change in his feelings towards you since Dylan has replaced you as his Shepherd?”
“No.” I shook my head.
“Than perhaps it is you who is holding back. Can you honestly say you have placed in him the same level of faith and trust as he in you?”
I didn’t have to think much about Tara’s last question; I knew the answer already—no. I was ashamed of my answer. I truly wanted to feel those things as strongly as Quinn did. But I also wanted what I thought was best for Quinn. And I just couldn’t get past this paralyzing fear that he couldn’t handle being completely immersed in my world. I wanted to protect him from it, from all the bad things that came with it—the creatures that were watching him like he was the main attraction at the circus, either betting on him to save our world or hunting him to end it. I wanted him to remain unaware of the huge storm brewing while I prepared to shoulder the worst of it. Was that so wrong?
“In light of the fact that both of you have yet to realize your full potential,” Tara continued in the wake of my silence. “I think it would be wise for the two of you to assess exactly where your faith and trust in each other is lacking, and then figure out how to improve in these areas as expeditiously as possible.”
“Easier said than done,” I replied bleakly.
She sighed. “Eve, I realize our rigid ways have likely hindered your ability to let go and explore the depths of your feelings for this young man—that part of you will always keep Quinn at arm’s length because of the fear of being separated from him for breaking our traditions and Rules. But you must find a way to be fully and unreservedly committed to each other, despite the circumstances that have led you two to each other. It is the only way you two can fulfill your destinies. And it is why we now have stepped aside to allow your relationship with Quinn to continue to grow emotionally, at least until we can understand the full extent of the power derived from your bond.
“Well,” Tara continued as she glanced at her watch, “you have much to do, and time is slipping through your fingers like sand up here.”
“Crap!” I mumbled under my breath as I looked at my watch. It was the middle of the night on Earth. I was sure Quinn was awake, wondering when I’d return. “I need to go.”
“Good luck—to both of you.”
*
I returned to the portal to find Quinn pacing the entrance of the cave, his back to me, with both of his hands locked in his hair. I could feel the tension radiating off of him even from where I was standing. I cleared my throat to let him know I was back, and he whipped around to look at me. Oh boy. If he was upset with me before, he was furious with me now. I took a deep breath.
“Hi,” I squeaked.
“Where the hell have you been?” he seethed.
“The Archives,” I replied, unsure as to why he was questioning me. “Like I said I would be.”
“Like you said you would be.” He flashed me an incredulous look. “And when exactly did you tell me that?”
“In my note.”
“What note?” Now he looked puzzled.
“The one I wrote on the back of yours—you know, the one you left on the bed.”
“Evie,
I never left you a note.”
“What? Of course you did!” I exclaimed, marching past him into the cave. “I returned here after meeting with Jaegar and Chase, just like I said I would, and no one was around. So I came in here and found a note lying right there.” I stopped beside the bed and pointed to the duvet.
“Evie, I didn’t leave you a note.”
“Yes, you did. You had to have,” I stated in annoyed disbelief. “It was in your handwriting. You said Dylan took you to clean up your campsite in Jackson Hole. So I thought I’d take the opportunity to stop by the Archives for a bit—I wrote that, almost verbatim, on the back of your note.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about!” Quinn replied, just as flustered.
“Well, it has to be here somewhere! I don’t know, maybe it fell off the bed.” I walked full circle around the bed, looking everywhere for the slip of paper but saw nothing. “I don’t understand.” I looked up at him in confusion. “Quinn, I swear it was here.”
“I don’t understand either, but I swear I did not write you a note. And Dylan and I did not go back to Jackson Hole to clean up my campsite. I did that before you returned the other day. In fact, the only thing still there is my truck.”
“So, where were you when I got back?”
“I asked Dylan to take me to North Carolina,” he stated unapologetically.
“To do what? Spy on me?” I accused angrily. Whoa! Talk about my trust issues!
“No. I just wanted to make sure you were safe,” he replied, offended.
Okay, so we’re back to just my trust issues, I told myself sheepishly.
“I was fine. I told you I’d be fine.”
“Yeah, well it’s the stuff you don’t tell me that makes me not entirely trust the stuff you do.”
Great, so not only do I have my own trust issues, but now I’m also causing Quinn to form his own about me. I really suck at this bonding stuff.
“K.C.? That you?” Dylan called out as he and Minerva entered the cave. “Where have you been?”
“I had a few questions after my meeting, so I stopped up in the Archives, which I told you all in my note.”
“What note?” Dylan asked. I just moaned in aggravation.
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