Guardians of Summerfeld: Full Series: Books 1-4

by Melissa Delport

  “Rather we lose one species, than ten,” she told Isaiah as they waited for the unicorns that would carry them to Lake Avalon.

  “I didn’t say anything.”

  “You didn’t have to. I can tell what you’re thinking, and yet you didn’t argue back there.”

  “Because you’re right,” he turned to look at her. “You make the tough calls, the decisions that I don’t have the nerve to make. I told you once that you will do great things. I believe I am witnessing those things now, when we need you the most.”

  Embarrassed, Quinn looked away, just as Sheehan and Etana burst from the trees. Quinn recalled that these same two mares had carried her and Kellan to Dragon’s Peak to save the Chumana egg cluster. That was when Jack and Ava’s safety was the only thing she had been worried about. It seemed like a lifetime ago.

  “Quinn! Isaiah!” Quinn faltered as her father’s voice carried to them. He was moving towards them, an unreadable expression on his face.

  “Braddon!” Isaiah called out in polite greeting. Quinn could barely bring herself to look at him.

  “Where are you headed?” Braddon asked, gazing up at them.

  “We’re just doing a routine check of the herd,” Isaiah replied easily.

  “May I join you?”

  “No!” Quinn’s answer rang out and Braddon’s head jerked up at the sound. “I mean, there’s no point, really,” Quinn continued awkwardly. “We won’t be long and we’re already mounted.”

  This time there was no denying it. Braddon searched her face, holding her gaze for longer than was necessary.

  “Is everything okay, Quinn?” he asked.

  “Fine,” she smiled, “I’m just tired.”

  “I went by to see Jack and Ava earlier.” Braddon let the sentence hang between them.

  “Camille wanted to see her family,” Isaiah interjected smoothly. “I allowed it and I thought it might be traumatic for the twins to be separated from her after everything they’ve been through already.”

  “And you didn’t feel I should know?” Braddon was skirting the line between accusation and forced politeness.

  “He told me,” Quinn snapped. “I was their custodian for two years and I said it was all right.”

  Braddon didn’t say anything for a long moment but eventually he stepped back.

  “Okay, well, I’ll see you later. There is something I’d like to discuss with you,” he added, glancing meaningfully at Quinn.

  They had only just entered the woods when Isaiah opened his mouth to speak.

  “Don’t,” Quinn warned. “I don’t want to talk about it.”

  Reaching the lake, the familiar mist blanketed them in its icy embrace and Quinn shivered in her inadequate tank top. At least her legs were warm, encased in black cargo pants and her most comfortable black boots.

  She was morbidly curious to see how Isaiah would summon the merfolk, and she felt oddly deflated when he simply stood at the water’s edge, doing nothing. She came to stand beside him, scanning the smooth surface of the lake.

  “Aren’t you going to call them?” she whispered after a few more minutes of silence.

  “There’s no need,” he smiled, “they already know we’re here.” He indicated a spot a few yards out, where Quinn noticed a small ripple forming. It became larger and larger until a crown of golden hair broke the surface.

  Taking in the onyx black eyes, Quinn recognised the merman who had saved her life when she was still a girl and she and Avery had ventured too close to the dragon’s den. She had been terrified then, a young girl who had disobeyed her father’s rule. Now, she stood before the merman as a powerful Guardian, unnerved by the cold glint in his eyes.

  Isaiah greeted the merman, calling him by a name that Quinn couldn’t pronounce.

  “What is your message, Guardian?” the merman asked, and Quinn got the distinct impression that he felt them to be beneath him. It was strange, when all the other wards treated the Guardians with reverence, or at the very least, respect.

  “War is coming.” Isaiah replied simply. “The vampires have discovered the City’s location.”

  The merman’s black eyes showed no emotion.

  “Thank you for the warning.” He started to retreat below the surface and Quinn stepped forward.

  “What will you do?” she called.

  “We will retreat to the caves.” He eyed her meditatively. “You have grown into a beautiful woman, daughter of Braddon.” Quinn was startled. She had not thought he would recognise her.

  “My name is Quinn, and… thank you,” she added graciously, “but I don’t think you realise the danger you are in.”

  “My people have lived in these waters for almost two thousand years. I expect we will continue to do so for centuries more.”

  “Two thousand?” she asked, but he had already dived beneath the surface.

  The Blood War had taken place a little over a thousand years ago, and the City had been created shortly after. Quinn wondered if the merfolk had any concept of time. Sensing her confusion, Isaiah explained.

  “Eldon could not move merfolk into the City, they would perish out of water. So instead, he created Summerfeld around them. This particular clan has been here since the beginning of time.”

  “This clan?”

  “Yes. The Avalon clan was the largest in existence when Eldon created Summerfeld.” As he spoke, it struck her that there was still so much she didn’t know.

  “But then… if there was more than one clan and it’s so difficult for the vampires to reach the merfolk under the water, does that mean that there are still others outside of Summerfeld? In the realm of man?”

  “Oh, I am absolutely certain there are, but we would never find them, and, even if we did, we couldn’t possibly move them, so our concern is for this clan only.” Quinn was beginning to feel as though she had learned more in the past few days than she had in her three hundred years of being a Guardian.

  “But, if merfolk remain, even if the City falls, surely the Guardian charm cannot be broken?”

  “Sadly, I don’t think that is the case. The charm exists to protect the wards in need of protection. The merfolk outside of the City have never relied on us for their survival, and we couldn’t help them even if we wanted to. It is the same with any other wards that are outside of the City. Caleb is proof that there are those who remain in the realm of man, but I think the charm binds us only to the inhabitants of the City.”

  “So basically put, when the last ward of Summerfeld falls, so do we?”

  “In a nutshell,” he replied grimly. “But we’re not going to let that happen.”

  They had had a busy day, seeking out and warning the wards and their journey to Lake Avalon had taken more time than they expected. As they trotted back to the cornflower field, Quinn was acutely aware of the darkening horizon, when something else occurred to her.

  “There is still one group we haven’t considered,” she pointed out as they dismounted, “the gypsies.” As much as she distrusted them, the gypsies needed to be warned about the danger coming.

  “Yes, I had thought of that,” Isaiah replied. “But as far as they are concerned, there is only one logical solution.” Quinn nodded grimly. It was something she had sworn she would never do.

  “We have to let them out.”

  Exhausted, she followed Isaiah to Camille’s house, where Jonas and the others had taken up lodging with Monique since Camille’s departure. The absence of Jack and Ava made it seem empty and lifeless. Quinn took Balthazar aside, not wanting to alarm the others.

  Chapter 42

  While Quinn was warning the Summerfeld wards, Drake had a different contingent to deal with. The surge of vampires into New Haven was mind-boggling. They arrived in droves, under the cover of night, reporting immediately to the house he was sharing with Charlotte. The owner invited each one inside, at Charlotte’s command, which was the only reason she was keeping him alive. As spokesperson for the council, Charlotte greeted each n
ew vampire arrival personally, before instructing them to keep their presence a secret. Lenora raised an eyebrow at this, given that the sheer number would be impossible to hide, but Drake ignored her.

  Charlotte had not been thrilled by Lenora’s sudden reappearance, but she tolerated her because Lenora was an old and powerful vampire, and because she claimed she wanted to be a part of the uprising. She was also shrewd enough to realise that harming Lenora so soon after Genevieve’s demise might cause Drake to snap. Charlotte was more attracted to him than she would ever have believed. He was the first man since her rebirth who excited her, and the first person she was afraid of, which only fueled her lust. Meanwhile, unbeknown to her, Lenora was trying desperately to break the hold that Charlotte had over Drake.

  Cornering him in a quiet part of the house while Charlotte busied herself with the latest arrivals, Lenora tried once more to get through to him. It terrified her that he seemed to have completely given himself over to Charlotte, obeying her every instruction and hanging on her every word. He was a completely different person. She cursed Quinn, and whatever it was she had said to him in the woods that night that had pushed him over the edge. Charlotte was a predator, and it had taken only one moment of weakness for her to sink her claws into Drake, twisting him around her finger until he was barely recognisable. Lenora had never known him to be so cruel, or so cold.

  “She’s evil,” Lenora insisted, for what felt like the hundredth time. “Why are you helping her?” Drake picked up his glass and swirled the amber liquid inside before lifting it to his lips.

  “I had to make a choice. I will not be party to the slaughter of hundreds of our own.”

  “If you really believed that, you would tell her that the Guardians know she’s coming,” she pointed out.

  “And risk my own life?” he laughed without mirth, “Or do you have a better explanation for how they know. Besides, you should be proud of me, I have given the Guardians a fighting chance. It’s more than they deserve.”

  “Hell hath no fury like a vampire scorned,” Lenora drawled. “I can’t believe you would give Quinn up just because she wounded your damned male pride.”

  He leapt to his feet, knocking over his glass as he did, and seized her shoulders, his hands biting painfully into her soft flesh.

  “Lenora,” he snarled, his green eyes icy with rage, “I have known you for a very long time and you have earned my respect, but I swear on my grave if you mention that name one more time, I will end you.”

  “Why?” she challenged. “Because you know I’m right? Because you know you’ve made a terrible mistake? You love her, Drake.”

  “Love her?” he sneered. “I barely know her! She could never compare to what I have with Charlotte.”

  “All you have with Charlotte is a lifetime of pain and suffering. How can you forget everything she put you through so easily?”

  “I was weak when she needed me to be strong. I failed her once, I will not make the same mistake again.”

  “She doesn’t care about you.”

  “Shows how little you know.”

  “This isn’t you. You think Charlotte cares for you because she’s good in the sack? It doesn’t work like that and you know it. She’s always had this hold over you, but it’s not love. It’s not real.”

  “Like what you had with Isaiah?” he taunted. “All this time I thought you were noble, to steer clear of the Quest, but you’re not. You’re a coward! Staying out of the action because you were pining for an old lover who didn’t want you anymore, who would rather you were dead than spend one more minute with you. You can’t fool me, Lenora – the only reason you want to stop this invasion is to protect your beloved Isaiah, but you need to face the fact that he will fall… just as they all will.” Lenora refused to rise.

  “I want to stop this invasion because it’s the right thing to do, and deep down you know it. I only hope that you realise it in time, because you won’t come back from this. What you felt for Quinn… that’s real. You think losing Charlotte was bad? If Quinn dies because of you, you will never forgive yourself.”

  The mention of Quinn’s name was the final straw and he pushed her away in disgust.

  “I want you gone,” he ordered. “Now. Get out of town or I will tell Charlotte that you are not who you claim to be.” Lenora shook her head in disgust.

  “Fine!” she hissed, realising that nothing she could say would make any difference. “Watching you self-destruct is not something I want to witness anyway. But don’t come looking for comfort when this is over and you realise you’ve made the biggest mistake of your life!”

  As she fled the room she passed Charlotte who had come looking for Drake.

  “What was that about?” Charlotte asked, her brow furrowed. She longed for a reason to execute Lenora, and it was only the fear of Drake’s wrath that kept her in check. If they had had a falling out, that no longer applied.

  “Nothing,” Drake bared his fangs. “What is it?” His foul temper did nothing to diminish her euphoria and Charlotte leaned against the door frame, looking absurdly pleased with herself.

  “It’s time,” she replied simply. “Everyone is here. We’re attacking the City… tonight.”

  A small frown crossed his face.

  “I thought we were going to ambush individual Guardians and secure their crystals?”

  “We have two… all thanks to you,” she added smugly. “And there is no more time. My source informs me that the Guardians may suspect something.”

  “Your source?” he moved toward her, gazing down at the ample swell of her breasts. “Don’t you think it’s time you told me who this Guardian is?”

  “Why, are you jealous?” she taunted.

  “You should know me better than that,” he replied arrogantly. “But I think I have earned your confidence.”

  “You have,” she smiled sweetly, “bringing me the crystals proves it. But it doesn’t matter who my source is. It only matters that we are finally going to annihilate them all.” An erotic thrill washed over her. “Tonight, Summerfeld will be destroyed, along with every living creature within it. Tonight, we feast on Guardian blood!”

  Her excitement overwhelmed her and she clutched at him, not caring that the door stood open or that the others would hear. She needed a release and Drake willingly obliged. He had her back, finally, and he lost himself in her sweet cloying scent and the warmth of her embrace.

  When it was over, he led her downstairs and out into the night. In a twist of irony, Charlotte gathered the vampire army in the gypsy clearing, spilling out into the woods surrounding it. The Guardians wouldn’t stand a chance against the veritable army the council had sent, and Drake’s blood thundered in his head as he listened to Charlotte instructing them. He was doing this all for her, but, as her words rained down on him he started to believe them. These were his people, he was one of them and this was exactly where he belonged. The war would end, tonight, and it would be over. Charlotte would be satisfied and they would all be safe. And then, it would be just the two of them, with an eternity to spend together, without fear of attack.

  Just as he had forbidden Lenora to mention her name, he pushed all thought of Quinn to the very darkest recess of his mind. He hoped she might survive the attack, but even if she didn’t, what did it matter? They were enemies, after all, and all that mattered now was Charlotte.

  Chapter 43

  “We could help,” Balthazar insisted when Quinn broke the news. He sounded just like Kellan and Channon.

  “No. You honestly couldn’t,” Quinn insisted, “but I appreciate the offer. The three of you need to get out of here as soon as you can. I will escort you through the Gateway myself. Pack only what you absolutely…” she trailed off at the sight of Piper, who was sprinting down the cobbled street toward them. Piper was a calm and gentle soul but the look on her face turned Quinn’s blood to ice in her veins. They were too late. Leaving Balthazar in mid-sentence, she raced toward her friend. Her fears were confi
rmed the second Piper opened her mouth.

  “Daniel sent me,” she panted, clutching her chest. “He’s in the Cathedral, with Blair. He said to tell you they’re coming.”

  She didn’t need to explain any more. Quinn knew who ‘they’ were; the vampires were coming. Everything seemed to happen in slow motion after that. Screaming for Isaiah, Quinn watched as he emerged from the house, his face rigid. As their eyes met, Quinn nodded and Isaiah leapt off the porch, his feet pounding the flagstone beneath him.

  “Piper, the City is under attack!” Quinn roared at her terrified friend, who didn’t seem to grasp what was going on. “Fetch the Guardians – all of them!” Not waiting for a response she tore after Isaiah.

  The Cathedral was deceptively quiet. Quinn rushed immediately to one of the massive windows but she saw no sign of anything untoward.

  “I don’t see anything,” she whispered.

  “Quinn,” Daniel cleared his throat behind her and she whirled around to see him standing near the altar. He wasn’t alone, Blair stood a few feet from him, glaring at the woman on his other side. Even in the dim light, Lenora was instantly recognisable. “They are coming,” Daniel assured Quinn. “Lenora came to warn us.” Quinn’s eyes immediately sought Isaiah’s, but his wise face showed no expression as he gazed at Lenora, nor did he make any move towards her.

  “I overheard Charlotte telling Drake as I was leaving,” Lenora explained, casting an apologetic look at Quinn at the mention of his name.

  “Drake is with her?” Quinn could hear the tremor in her own voice.

  “Yes. I’m sorry, Quinn. I tried to stop him, but he’s too angry. Charlotte preys on his dark side. I did warn you this would happen,” she added meaningfully.

  “Drake is your friend?” Daniel asked. “The one you mentioned?”

  “He was,” Quinn replied. “Obviously not anymore.” She didn’t let on how much this hurt, or how badly his defection affected her and she was saved from having to say anything else by the en masse arrival of the other Guardians.