It had all started with Avery’s death. The moment her sister had left this world, Quinn’s life had started to unravel, starting with her deserting the Guardians to care for Jack and Ava. Everything that had followed since had only served to add to her confusion. For a hundred years she had served Summerfeld and only Summerfeld, putting her own needs aside. She had never thought of it as a burden, it was simply the Guardian way. Now, however, more than ever, she understood the colossal sacrifices she had made. Thinking of those she had sworn to protect she could not regret it, nor would she let any harm come to them. She thought of baby Sage and her resolve hardened. She would protect the wards with her life – as she had always done, but she would also find the answers that she was searching for. She had too many questions, and she would learn the truth, if it killed her.
“Quinn,” Isaiah’s soft voice sounded beside her. His face was troubled, even more so than her own.
“What is it, Isaiah?” Everything else fled from her mind. This was it – the moment of truth.
“I completed the autopsy,” he grimaced at the mere memory and Quinn swallowed down the lump in her throat. She would never be able to repay him for the monstrous task she had asked him to perform. “It was definitely bites that killed her,” Isaiah continued, and Quinn felt her entire body deflate. Drake had been wrong. She had asked this of Isaiah and for nothing! The vampires who murdered her sister were still out there.
“I’m sorry,” she murmured, getting wearily to her feet. “I’m sorry I asked you to do it. I just had to be sure.”
“It wasn’t vampires,” he cut across her, his face deadly serious. “The bites cut down to the bone in places. I examined them closely... and they don’t match a vampire’s.”
“What are you saying?” Quinn stammered.
“The bite marks fit another supernatural profile,” he replied gravely, “a werewolf’s. Your sister was killed by wolves.”
Chapter 15
“Quinn, calm down!” Isaiah grabbed her by the shoulders and swung her around to face him. Quinn had crossed the entire cornflower field in a blind rage, completely unaware of where she was going.
“I’m going the wrong way,” she murmured, gathering her thoughts. Her emotions were in turmoil, but one word pounded over and over in her head, a mantra feeding her fury. Caleb.
“I’m going to kill him,” Quinn growled, twisting savagely out of Isaiah’s grasp and heading in the opposite direction. She had been thinking of the wolf, which was why she had headed towards Lunar Grove; but it wasn’t a full moon, Caleb would be safely ensconced in his human home.
“You don’t know that he was involved!” Isaiah stepped out in front of her, blocking her path.
“Who else could it be, Isaiah?” It was true that Quinn had no proof that Caleb had been involved in Avery’s murder, but she didn’t like the new werewolf Alpha one bit, and, as far as she was aware, he was the only wolf who had been outside of Summerfeld when her sister was attacked. It was a logical conclusion that he would be her primary suspect.
“I don’t like him either,” Isaiah seemed to read her thoughts, “but we have to be careful. We have to handle this properly.”
“Handle it?” Quinn gave a half-choked sob. “There is nothing to handle. That bastard has answers and I am going to get them one way or another, right now.”
“Quinn, this is bigger than Avery, don’t you see? The fact that a Guardian had been killed by one of the ten means that the sanctity of the Guardianship has been compromised! We have enemies beyond the vampires!” The frantic tone of his voice scared Quinn, enough to make her pause to listen. Casting a glance over his shoulder, Isaiah shepherded her back towards the woods. “I know you want justice for Avery... believe me, Quinn, I want the same. I loved your sister, she didn’t deserve what happened, but, if we react now, without more information, we could risk a war between the wards. We can’t afford to start a panic, particularly when the Guardianship is so fragile.”
“What do you mean, a war between the wards?”
“Think about it. If we retaliate, or accuse Caleb of a crime he didn’t commit, or that we have no proof of, the whole pack could turn against us.”
“The pack would never...”
“Quinn, you proved it yourself! What is the one thing stronger than the bond between the Guardians and the wards? The bond of family,” he answered, when Quinn remained silent. “And as much as Caleb is a newcomer, he is the Alpha. The pack is his family. They could stand beside him. And if the wolves turned on us, the rest of the wards would be forced to take sides.”
The gravity of that statement was not lost on Quinn. A thousand years ago, King Eldon had placed them in a similar position, forcing them to take sides in a war that almost destroyed them all.
“Your need for vengeance cannot come at the expense of everything we protect,” Isaiah finished, his eyes imploring her to understand. And that was the truth of it. Quinn’s actions could mean the death of the City’s inhabitants.
“Son of a bitch!” Quinn screamed, clenching her fists at her sides. “Isaiah, you can’t expect me to do nothing,” she pleaded, “Avery was my sister... my twin... I can’t stand by and do nothing!”
“I’m not asking you to,” he soothed, “I am only asking that you wait; wait until we have more information, until we have more facts. I will help you, I swear it. I promise you your sister’s death will not go unpunished, but I need you to trust me. Can you trust me, Quinn?”
She gazed up at him, her eyes hollow and lifeless; the physical evidence of her pain.
“Yes,” she croaked, “I trust you.”
“Good,” Isaiah nodded, releasing a deep breath. “Now, I know you’re not in any state to deal with this right now. I want you to go home, lock your door and get some rest. Stay there until you’ve got your emotions under control. And when you come out, you act as though nothing is wrong.”
“But...”
“No Quinn, no buts. You cannot tell anyone about this. No other Guardian can know.” Isaiah knew he was being hard on her, but he had his own reasons for wanting to keep this to himself. Reasons that he could not share with her... not yet.
“How do you propose we find the answers I need?”
“I’m not sure,” he admitted, “but I will find a way. Just give me some time.”
He walked Quinn back through the field, neither of them speaking. It pained Isaiah to know how deeply she was suffering, and worse, that a Guardian had been slain by something other than a vampire; but he hid his concern. Quinn needed to be strong now, more than ever. And they needed to find out what had happened to Avery, because something had shifted in their world and, if they didn’t get to the bottom of it, Isaiah suspected things would get a lot worse.
“Will you be okay?’ he asked, when they reached the edge of the field that bordered the town. Quinn nodded stiffly.
“Remember what I said,” he warned.
She did. She made her way home and locked the door behind her, leaning back against the frame for a moment to gather herself. She made it as far as the bathroom before she unravelled, heaving the pitiful contents of her stomach into the toilet before collapsing onto her knees. Unable to keep them at bay any longer, the tears streamed down her cheeks, her face crumpling as she sobbed uncontrollably on the floor, curling herself into a tight ball with only the cold floor for comfort.
Chapter 16
Anaise walked along the pebbled road singing a lilting tune. She took a left at Kellan and Freya’s gate and swept up to the front door, knocking gently. The last time she had been here she had been assisting with baby Sage’s birth. The door opened almost immediately.
“You’re early!” Freya smiled.
“Am I?” Anaise looked up at the sky, where the sun was climbing steadily.
“You are, and I’m delighted. I’ve been itching to get out there. Harlan doesn’t mind you spending the morning here?”
“Mind? He wouldn’t even notice. He’s replacing the pipe
s at Rafe’s. They’ve been rattling for a while and he says if they’re not done soon the house might flood.”
“Isn’t Rafe staying inside the Cathedral at the moment?”
“Yes, but he’ll be back, eventually. That’s what Harlan says, anyway.”
“Your husband is very kind,” Freya ventured cautiously. Caleb wouldn’t be happy with the Fae assisting a man who had been cast out of the pack.
“Harlan says that’s wolf business,” Anaise answered her unspoken question. “He says our obligation is to help everyone who resides in the City, and for now, that includes Rafe. I don’t like him,” she added, and Freya knew she was referring to Caleb.
“Me neither,” Freya shivered.
The small living room was uncharacteristically untidy and Freya dipped her head in apology. “I can’t seem to get on top of the housework since Sage arrived,” she admitted.
“I remember,” Anaise smiled. “It seems like just yesterday that Velkan was a baby.” Velkan was Kellan’s protégée, a handsome young Faery who wanted nothing more than to care for the wards.
“He’s grown into a fine young man,” Freya complimented.
“Too independent for my liking. He wants to move out and get his own place. He’s asked Isaiah to reserve a cottage for him.”
“Already?”
“They grow up so fast.” This was saying something, considering how slowly the Fae aged. “And worse, I think he’s met a girl.”
“Really? Who?” Freya’s eyes danced with joy at the prospect of motherly gossip, but Anaise didn’t look half as pleased as she expected.
“The new Guardian. Monique.”
“Oh.” Freya adored Monique, but she could see how this wasn’t exactly the sweetheart Anaise had envisioned for her only son. The lifestyle of the Guardians was hardly conducive to a stable home life, and the chance of Anaise ever having a grandchild would be non-existent – the Fae could only conceive within their own kind.
“You know, technically, it wouldn’t be breaking the Taboo,” she pointed out, trying to find something positive to say.
“That’s hardly the point.”
“I know,” Freya sighed. “But Velkan is still young and Monique is very pretty. No doubt it is simply a childhood crush. He will grow out of it,” she insisted.
“He should be focusing on the girls in town,” Anaise sniffed haughtily. “Mairin adores him, and she’s the prettiest girl I’ve ever seen. My son needs his head examined.”
Freya knew Mairin well. The raven-haired Faery was only a few years younger than Velkan, and a kind and gentle soul. Her mother, Isadora, was an old friend of theirs, and she, too, had assisted with Sage’s birth.
“Didn’t Mairin apply for apprenticeship with Kellan, too?”
“Yes,” Anaise nodded. “Kellan said she was a bit too young, that she should reapply in a few years.” There was a hopeful note to her voice. No doubt if Mairin was spending her days with Velkan, Anaise hoped the two might strike up a relationship.
“Let me speak to Kellan,” Freya offered. “I’ll see what I can do.”
A small cry rent the air and Freya immediately disappeared into the bedroom, returning with a sleepy Sage. Anaise reached for her, fawning over the tiny fingers, apple cheeks and delicate ears.
“It makes me broody,” she admitted, glancing up at Freya.
“Why don’t you try again?”
Anaise shook her head sadly,
“You and I both know how unlikely it is that we would be blessed with another child. Velkan was our Gift, just as Sage is yours.” The Fae were largely infertile since the Blood War, with most couples remaining childless despite every attempt to get pregnant. Freya had always wondered if it was a means of natural population control. The Fae lived a very long time, and if they had been able to populate as quickly as before, the City would soon have become overcrowded. Kellan and Freya had tried for years to conceive, to no avail.
“Sage came along when we least expected it,” Freya pointed out.
“Harlan says we should simply be grateful that we were able to have Velkan. So many of our friends have never been blessed with a child, it seems greedy to wish for anything more.” A moment passed, broken only by the sweet sounds of Sage’s cooing. “You better go,” Anaise urged. “I’m here now. You may as well take advantage of it!”
Freya didn’t need any further prompting. Shouldering her bow and quiver, she gave Sage one last kiss on the forehead.
“There’s fresh milk in the...”
“I’ll find it!” Anaise laughed, “We will be fine. Now go!”
Freya walked to the edge of the woods across the cornflower field. She looked back at the house, a tiny part of her wanting to go straight back and spend the morning cuddling with Sage, but she knew she wouldn’t. She had been cooped up inside for too long. It was time to breathe some fresh air into her lungs and make herself useful. With the arrival of the Chumana eggs, Kellan was hard-pressed to find the time to hunt, and while Velkan was an excellent shot, Freya was better. Only Kellan could outshoot her with his bow, which was fitting, seeing as he had taught her in the first place. Most of the Fae women performed more traditional feminine duties such as sewing, healing and making the candles, soaps and other small items that every household in town required. The men traditionally hunted, farmed, and took care of the maintenance. Freya broke that tradition. She was one of their hunters, her skills too good to be wasted sitting indoors with needlework.
She could feel the burn in her legs as she continued through the woods, the toll of having been so inactive during the final months of her pregnancy, and the subsequent weeks spent doing nothing but relish her newfound motherhood, mostly spent between the couch and her bed. She broke into a jog, enjoying the exercise. She moved like a ghost through the trees, barefoot, her long white hair braided tightly against her head, the dull green cape she wore providing perfect camouflage against the thick foliage.
Deep within the woods now, she stopped, listening carefully, the pointed tips of her ears pricked for any sound. A sudden rustle to her left and she took flight again, her small feet barely touching the ground as she leaped over fallen logs and ducked under low-hanging branches. There! A small deer, only a few yards away. Freya froze, her eyes locking on the deer as she slowly withdrew her bow. As she pulled back on the string, a branch crunched underfoot and the deer darted to safety, bounding over a small bush and disappearing from view as Quinn walked between it and the whittled point of Freya’s arrow.
“Quinn!” Freya exhaled, dropping her bow.
Immediately assessing the situation, Quinn glanced behind her.
“Sorry!” she winced. “I didn’t know anyone was out here.”
“It’s not a problem,” Freya smiled. “I’ve got the whole morning. Is everything okay?”
Quinn looked troubled, and it struck Freya that she hadn’t seen much of her in a few days. Quinn’s face crumpled for just an instant as she turned away, not wanting Freya to see.
“Everything’s fine,” she assured her. “I was just out for a walk, but I should head back.”
“Quinn, wait!” Freya called, but Quinn pretended not to hear her. A worried frown on her face, Freya turned back to the task at hand.
“Are you quite done?” Kellan smiled up at Freya as she dropped three hares onto the table before him.
“I’m done,” she smiled. She had brought down a deer, two pheasants and the hares, all of which would provide a feast for their community tonight.
“How do you feel?” Kellan asked.
“Useful,” Freya teased. She had twigs in her hair and her braid was coming loose but her eyes glittered and her pale cheeks were tinged pink with health.
“Ready to get back to our child?” Kellan offered her his arm. He was done for the day, too. He had only come into town to check on the meat stores, which, thanks to Freya, were now looking a lot less pathetic than they had this morning. Now, he was ready to go back home and check on the Chumana eggs.
Freya snuck her tiny hand through his arm, curling it around his elbow and allowing him to lead her.
“I’ve been thinking,’ she spoke, when they were outside.
“Oh dear!” Kellan knew his wife too well. “What is it that you need?”
“I thought perhaps you might allow Mairin to start her apprenticeship early.”
“Mairin?” Kellan knew the young Faery well. “Why?”
“Anaise is worried about Velkan,” Freya admitted. “He’s got a crush on Monique.”
“Ah,” the penny dropped. Kellan was aware of his protégée’s budding affection for the Guardian, and he immediately suspected this was Anaise’s attempt at matchmaking. “Sure. I’ll let her know tomorrow.”
“Just like that?” Freya raised her brows. Usually it took a lot more coaxing before Kellan agreed to do something for any reason that wasn’t practical.
“To be honest, I don’t think Monique has even noticed Velkan,” he admitted. “So, in the interest of preventing him from heartbreak, I’d be more than happy to provide a distraction, in the form of a beautiful young Faery.”
“You know Mairin is far too young for you, old man,” Freya pointed out teasingly. Kellan opened his mouth to object, but a frantic calling of his name silenced any response.
“Speak and he shall appear,” he said instead, as Velkan skidded to a halt before them.
“It’s hatching!” the young Faery puffed, placing his hands on his knees as he tried to regain his breath. Kellan and Freya sped off with Velkan panting behind them.
They were too late. When Kellan pushed open the shed door, it was already all over. An empty eggshell lay cracked in half on the dusty floor, and, upon Monique’s lap, nuzzling her neck with excited squeaks, sat a bat-winged, under-sized Chumana hatchling.
Chapter 17
Quinn tried to steady her breathing as she sat at the council table awaiting the others. The stress of keeping such a monumental secret was taking its toll. It had been two weeks since Isaiah had exhumed Avery’s body and they had learned the truth about her sister’s murder. The irony of the fact that Avery had been killed, not by vampires as they had believed, but by wolves - werewolves, to be exact – was not lost on Quinn. The very creatures Avery had dedicated her life to protecting! It infuriated Quinn, who was only just keeping her emotions in check. She shifted in her seat and Tristan cast her a quizzical glance. He could hardly fail to notice how on edge she had been these past two weeks. Everyone had noticed.
Guardians of Summerfeld: Full Series: Books 1-4 Page 38
