“I’m sorry to do this, but I have a ton of stuff to do and I need to get to the store or I’ll be having coffee for dinner.”
Sarah got to her feet. “No problem – I’ll see you later?”
“Sure,” Quinn walked her to the door, standing to one side so that anyone watching the house wouldn’t see her. Thankfully she had parked her car in the garage last night.
“Hey Quinn,” Sarah called back as she reached the porch steps and Quinn cringed at the volume of her voice. “There’s always pizza,” Sarah winked.
Quinn shut the door and stood beside the recently repaired living-room window peering through the curtains. It was over fifteen minutes before she spotted the same black sedan cruising down her street. The windows were tinted, but she had a fairly good idea who was inside. Daniel had had her followed. Quinn figured they didn’t know her exact address – if they did, they wouldn’t be driving randomly around town. No doubt they were searching for her car. Quinn weighed up her options. If the Guardians knew where she was she would need to leave Brookfield, the sooner the better.
She was halfway up the stairs when she thought of Drake. If Hunters were in town they would sense him as soon as they got close. That was his problem, she tried to convince herself, but it didn’t work. She had brought them here; it would be her fault if they discovered him. Drake had saved her life and her conscience wouldn’t allow her to abandon him. Vowing that if she managed to warn him her debt would be repaid, Quinn stole out of the back door and headed for Abbey Place.
It didn’t take her long to identify Drake’s house. It fell just short of being ostentatious, which seemed to fit Genevieve’s personality perfectly, but it was the drawn curtains at every window that alerted her. She had passed the sedan only two blocks back, headed in the opposite direction, but it wouldn’t be long before the Hunters reached this street. Quinn wasn’t sure which of the four Hunters were here in town, but she doubted that Daniel would deign to babysit her. That left Liam, Garrett and Blair. She hoped that Blair had stayed behind with Daniel – she was, after all, the second most deadly Hunter they had.
“What are you doing, Quinn?” she muttered to herself as she jumped nimbly over the garden fence. Why in the hell was she going against her own kind to protect a vampire – a mortal enemy of the City she had sworn to protect? What was it about Drake that got under her skin?
She approached the back door with caution, her senses on high alert. She could hear every thud of her frantically beating heart. Without any better ideas she knocked on the back door and waited. Drake and Genevieve could hardly open the door in the middle of the day, but she listened intently, hoping to hear them call to her to come in. After about a minute she knocked again. Still nothing. Testing the doorknob, she was surprised when it opened.
Quinn entered the dark house leaving the door open behind her to let in some much-needed light. The curtains were all heavily-lined, and, even with her better-than-average eyesight, Quinn struggled to see through the murky darkness.
“Hello?” she called softly. They were here; she could sense them so they must be close. A trickle of foreboding washed over her and Quinn realised her mistake a second too late. Genevieve darted from the darkness, faster than a striking cobra and tossed her through the air as easily as a sack of potatoes. Quinn hit the opposite wall hard, but her instinct and adrenalin kicked in. Launching herself to her feet she turned to face the snarling vampire. Genevieve’s fangs were fully extended, her head bowed low as she glared at Quinn through a white blonde curtain of hair. She crouched low, plotting her next attack and Quinn mirrored her actions, raising her arms in front of her.
She was granted only a moment of satisfaction at the look of surprise on Genevieve’s face and then the vampire was upon her again, typically going for the throat. Her fangs sank briefly into Quinn’s neck, but Quinn managed to twist out of her grasp and turn, bringing her fist up into Genevieve’s ribcage. Genevieve coughed as the wind was knocked out of her and Quinn bolted for the still-open back door, trying to ignore the white hot pain of the bite.
She almost made it but Genevieve caught her around the ankles, bringing her crashing heavily to the ground. A small slither of sunlight flickered across the vampire’s left hand and she shrieked as the flesh there immediately began to sizzle. Quinn kicked out with her right leg, her heavy boot connecting with Genevieve’s face. Blood burst from the vampire’s nose and she raised her hand to stem the flow, giving a screech of frustration. Quinn kicked out again, crushing the bones in Genevieve’s right hand. Not wanting to waste the opportunity, Quinn pulled the stake from her boot as she scrambled to her feet. Genevieve gazed up at her, her momentary shock dulling her instincts. Quinn raised the stake and did the unthinkable. She hesitated.
Faster than she could comprehend, a dark form collided bodily with her and pinned her against the kitchen wall. Quinn struggled against Drake’s weight, but she could not budge him. He had her stake arm pinned above her head and his cruel, glittering green eyes were terrifying. His mouth was set in an angry snarl, his fangs only inches from her face. Quinn fought the urge to close her eyes and tried to wrest her arm free.
“I came here to help you,” she hissed furiously, “and your girlfriend tried to take a chunk out of my neck!” She could feel the warm wetness of the blood trickling down her neck and she saw Drake’s nostrils flare as the smell assailed his senses.
“Let me at her!” Genevieve appeared at Quinn’s side, her long pale fingers reaching for Quinn’s throat. To Quinn’s surprise, Drake released her, turning abruptly and shoving Genevieve halfway across the room. She landed with a thud on the wooden floor between the living room table and the sofa. The look on her face would have been priceless if Quinn had been in any position to appreciate it.
“How dare you!” Drake thundered and Genevieve seemed to shrink before his rage. “This is my house!”
“She would have killed me!”
“She could have killed you,” he corrected, and Quinn wondered how long he had been watching. Long enough to witness her hesitation, obviously. Drake knew that she had had the opportunity to stake Genevieve and that she hadn’t gone through with it.
Another thought occurred to her then. She still had her stake – and Drake knew it. Yet he had turned his back on her, giving her an opening and making himself an easy target. Quinn wasn’t sure if it was a test, but she was sure that she could not stake this vampire.
“I’ll kill her,” Genevieve threatened, spittle flying from her lips. Genevieve was a vampire she could definitely stake, Quinn thought wryly.
“Get upstairs. Now!” he roared when Genevieve made no move to leave. With one last predatory scowl at Quinn, she flew from the room.
Drake didn’t turn around immediately. He stood completely still, his back to Quinn. She made no move towards him, instead, placing her stake on the kitchen counter. Drake sighed.
“Quinn, could you please close that door?” he asked quietly. Quinn did as he asked and then turned to face him. In the blanketed dark she could just make out his silhouette. She flinched when he moved, but he only crossed the room and switched on a small lamp. After the chaos of her impromptu fight with Genevieve, Quinn had forgotten all about the Hunters but now they sprung back to her mind. She had lost valuable time.
“You’re in danger,” she spoke quickly, the words running into one another, “people are coming; they’re here now, in town.”
“What people?”
“People who want you dead.” Quinn could not give any further explanation.
“How do you know this?”
“I saw them – a few minutes ago. They were headed this way.”
Drake crossed back to the kitchen and fetched her stake, bringing it back and holding it up to the light. He examined the intricate markings, his face giving nothing away.
“Genevieve should have killed you,” he remarked idly, still examining the stake. “How did you manage to fight her off?”
“I... I
did martial arts for most of my childhood. I know how to handle myself.”
“Martial arts?” It wasn’t really a question, but she nodded anyway.
“Genevieve is a very old, very powerful vampire. I don’t really think your run-of-the-mill jujitsu would be any match for her.”
“I got lucky,” Quinn insisted, “but that’s not the point. We can discuss this later – for now, you need to get out of here.”
“It's midday,” he pointed out calmly. Drake and Genevieve couldn’t go anywhere while the sun was out. “Why are you doing this?” he added.
“Doing what?”
“Warning us? Trying to save us?”
“Well, I’m only really warning you – protecting Genevieve probably isn’t going to make my to-do list any time soon. I owe you. You saved my life... twice now, actually. I’ll head them off; just lay low. And get out of here as soon as night falls.” She headed for the door, “Oh, and Drake?” He raised his brow. “I plan to do more than just try.”
Quinn sprinted, moving away from Abbey Place and in the direction in which she had last seen the sedan. They would make more than one patrol through each section of town and she only hoped they were still canvassing this area. She pulled the hood of her jacket up, covering the wound on her neck which had already started to heal and stepped out into the middle of the road.
It wasn’t long before the sedan rounded a corner heading straight for her. Quinn faced it calmly and Liam pulled the car over to the kerb. Quinn crossed over to the driver’s window.
“Hello Liam, Blair,” she smiled pleasantly at the two Hunters.
“Quinn,” Liam nodded, looking suitably contrite, but Blair gazed moodily through the front windshield.
“You’re here on Daniel’s orders, I presume?” Quinn continued.
“Yes,” Liam replied haughtily, “we need to find Avery’s crystal.”
“Well I haven’t found it yet – I’ve only been back half a day. Surely you don’t plan to spend the next month following me around?”
“We’ll do what we’re told,” Blair snapped.
“Hunter hierarchy,” Quinn shrugged. “Luckily, we lesser Guardians don’t issue instructions. We work as a team.”
“Oh yes, you’re a fantastic team-player,” Blair snorted with derision.
“Here’s the thing,” Quinn refused to rise, “if you're going to be looking over my shoulder, I'm going to leave this town and continue my search elsewhere. And you won’t find me again,” she warned. Liam and Blair couldn’t argue – Quinn was an exceptional Guardian. Now that she was aware they were tailing her she wouldn’t make the same mistake again and she could easily elude them.
“Tell Daniel that, while I appreciate his concern, I prefer to do this on my own. He knows where I am. I have one month. Until then I do not want to see any Guardians near Brookfield. In fact,” she smirked, another thought occurring to her, “I’ll tell him myself – save you the trouble. Kellan has asked me to assist him with something which requires me to return to Summerfeld. We can convoy.”
Quinn had had no intention of assisting Kellan with Rafe and Channon’s transformation, but returning to Cliffdale was the only way to ensure that Liam and Blair did too. Once there, she had a plan to get Daniel off her back for a while. The full moon was three nights away and the journey would take two days, comfortably. Telling Liam and Blair she would meet them on the outskirts of town, Quinn made her way home.
She had a lightning shower and dressed in a pair of dark blue jeans and a white V-necked T-shirt emblazoned with the words Never say never across the front, which seemed fitting since, only a couple of days ago, she had vowed she wouldn’t return to Summerfeld. Tossing her bag onto the passenger seat of her car she crossed the lawn into Sarah’s beautiful garden.
“Hi!” Sarah opened the door almost immediately after her gentle knock.
“You won’t believe this but the editor wants me to meet with one of his illustrators for collaboration on a new project.”
“But you just got back!” Sarah exclaimed.
“I know, it’s a pain, but it’s a good opportunity!” Quinn rambled. “Anyway, I’ll probably be gone a couple of days. Would you mind keeping an eye on the house?”
“Yeah, sure,” she nodded emphatically, her ponytail bouncing behind her. “But promise me – movie night when you get back?”
“I can’t wait,” Quinn assured her.
On the second day of their journey back Blair picked up the presence of a vampire nearby. Quinn waited at her car as the two Hunters tracked their prey, figuring they wouldn’t be needing her help. She had her stake at the ready, just in case, but she wasn’t paying much attention and she only sensed the vampire an instant before he grabbed her from behind. Quinn ducked, so that he grabbed nothing but air. Swivelling around, she brought the stake up and through his rib cage – piercing his heart. It happened in a matter of seconds, and, as Quinn withdrew her stake, the body began to turn grey. By the time the Hunters returned there was nothing but a pile of ash at her feet.
“Nice job,” Blair drawled, sporting a spectacular shiner on her right eye. Liam’s hair was standing up in all directions.
“This one managed to slip away from us.” He sounded ashamed.
“I figured,” Quinn grinned, and even Blair cracked a smile. For the first time in a long time, Quinn felt the familiar kinship with the Guardians – the sense of purpose and satisfaction that came with knowing they had rid the world of one more vampire.
Chapter 22
“We had better head back,” Tristan called “Isaiah will be waiting for you.” His niece pouted. Isaiah had begun Monique’s training the very day she arrived, and, while she enjoyed it, she would far rather spend her time exploring the wonders of the City than in the training room. Monique had spent most of the past few days exploring Summerfeld, but her desire to experience everything there was on offer seemed insatiable. Isaiah had never seen a Guardian more enamoured with the supernatural creatures, not even the petulant Blair, who displayed an uncharacteristic tenderness with the wards that belied her sullen disposition.
Monique had ridden unicorns, watched the giants - from a safe distance, although she had sulked when she realised that she couldn’t see the dwarves from so far away - and explored Lunar Grove, which was devoid of wolves without the full moon. She had even caught a brief glimpse of a firebird, a very rare sighting, as they were the most timid of all Summerfeld’s creatures. The firebirds shared the Silver Oaks forest with the unicorns. The size of a peacock, they were named for their majestic plumage, which glowed, emitting a red and orange light so bright it looked like flames trailing behind them when they flew.
Monique had pleaded with Isaiah to meet the merfolk and he had grudgingly allowed it. They had travelled to the far side of the lake so as not to come into contact with the dragons. The merfolk had not been particularly friendly but this hadn’t deterred Monique in the least. When her endless questioning had started to annoy the two young mermaids who had answered his summons, Isaiah had gently led Monique away, distracting her with the sight of a Rainia dragon returning to her nest, the deep blue-grey hue of her scales blending into the canvas of the sky.
“How many species of dragon are there?” Monique asked when the beast had settled behind a crag of rock, out of sight.
“Six. That Rainia you just saw is one of only three adults remaining, but she has a cluster of eggs that will increase their numbers. The Chumana line is down to the eggs in Kellan’s shed. The Saurean, Kazaan and Xenica breeds still have a few breeding pairs, so their futures are secure, for now.”
“That’s five,” Monique had been ticking them off on her fingers as he spoke.
“I wasn’t finished,” Isaiah chuckled. “The sixth dragon breed is the most dangerous. The Orochians are highly aggressive, and territorial. They are the only breed of dragon we don’t worry about.”
Monique was determined to return to Lunar Grove to see the werewolves in their wolf form w
hen the full moon rose, but her mother had flatly refused and she had to be satisfied with spending an hour at Rafe’s mother, Vivienne’s, home during the course of the day. In human form, the wolves were very good company and Monique had been beaming when they had finally managed to drag her away.
Tristan had taken her to Lion’s River – a section of Summerfeld characterised by long grass and a river running through it – to see the gryphons. Monique watched, mesmerised, as the magnificent beasts used their beaks to pull fish from the river, beating their wings as they backed up the riverbank. While they had the head and wings of an eagle, the gryphon’s powerful bodies, tail and back legs resembled those of a lion. They were not dangerous, feeding solely on fish, and Monique was able to get close enough to touch a feeding female.
“Mom!” she yelled, “come and touch it!” Camille, who had accompanied Monique’s various excursions, shook her head, her hand over her heart, trying to calm her nerves.
The beauty of the City, while captivating the young Guardian, seemed to both enchant and terrify Camille. She was taking it remarkably well, considering that she had just learned that creatures of myth existed. Isaiah knew that it was easier for Camille because she was a descendent of the original twelve. Her blood, like the Guardians, was imbued with the blood of the wards, even though she had not been branded.
“They really do exist,” Camille exclaimed, over and over again like a mantra, as though trying to convince herself.
“They do,” Isaiah murmured gently. “They are our greatest treasures.”
“How can a child be entrusted to protect them?”
“She has been branded,” he replied simply. “She is destined to do so. King Eldon himself has deemed her worthy, who are we to question it?”
“He was the King of the Fae?”
“Yes. A wise and formidable ruler. Eldon’s magic is the most powerful force on earth.”
The Cathedral of Cliffdale Page 14
