The Map, The Dagger, and The Vampyres (Fated Chronicles Book 2)

by Humphrey Quinn

  In the cover of woods not far away, Meghan and Ivan appeared out of nowhere lying on the ground, each with a hand on the Magicante, gazes glued in wide, we’re about to get caught panic. Bird popped into the air, Nona jumped to solid ground. Meghan and Ivan dropped their heads and breathed the we didn’t get caught air.

  Ivan got to his feet and helped Meghan do the same. She cleaned the pine needles off her clothes and followed Bird who chirped and motioned with his beak to move deeper into the woods for better cover.

  Once they did, Meghan poised herself at Bird and Ivan, folded her arms, and stared them down. “Just so you’re both clear, we are not leaving here until you spill. I want to know everything you’ve been hiding from me.” She softened. “But we can catch our breath first.”

  Ivan glanced at the Magicante. “That book sure does come in handy.”

  Meghan nodded in agreement. “Kept our breaking and entering a complete secret.”

  “Brilliant,” Ivan said. “If we had broken in without it, we’d have gotten caught for sure.” He pivoted to Bird. “You all right?”

  Bird used his beak to nod a yes.

  He sighed, relief from not getting caught over. “I suppose we had better… you know…” Ivan used his head to point at Meghan.

  Bird flew behind the dark shadow of a nearby tree.

  “Hey,” she called out. “No way you’re running… oh.” She caught herself. Bird was transforming into his human form. Ivan threw Bird a bag he had been carrying over his shoulder. It contained clean clothes and shoes, plus a coat to stave off the winter chill.

  Meghan tapped her foot against the ground nervously. She was about to meet Bird. He’d saved her life in Grimble. He’d helped Colin out of quite a few jams. Frankly, they owned him more than they’d ever be able to repay.

  What the heck would she say without sounding like a bumbling idiot?

  A branch snapped.

  Her head jerked up to greet him and her face morphed to stone.

  “Hi, Meghan.” A young man stared back at her apprehensively. She had not seen him in nearly two years but he had not changed, much. He was taller, his hair a little darker, but just as crazily curly as it had always been.

  Without thinking, she raced forward and wrapped her arms around him.

  “Sebastien,” she cried out in utter disbelief.

  He hugged her back, but in a more guarded manner.

  “I-I don't believe it,” she said, stepping back. A stray tear fell down her cheek.

  “Believe it,” he said in a mock, playful voice. “It's me. Surprise.”

  His wide smile, although tinted in apprehension, still caused her heart to flutter. She blushed, unsure what to say to him. Last time she’d seen him she’d basically come out and admitted she had a crush by kissing him. Barely a real kiss, but the most daring move she’d ever made. And heck, she’d only been thirteen. And now almost two years older, nothing had changed.

  Except that wasn’t true.

  Everything had changed.

  And the reality, Sebastien was Bird.

  Bird had been there from the beginning. Since she’d gotten stuck with the Svoda.

  It was Sebstien who’d done all those miraculous and timley things that had saved their butts more than once.

  What she known of Sebastien, had carried her through some of the tough times. Wondering if he was searching for her or Colin, or thinking about her. Remembering the fun they’d had. Her crush, and that time she’d accidentally Called him, using Firemancy.

  She stepped back, smile fading. Replaced by a shifting, skewed new reality.

  This was the part Sebastien was dreading. The part where she pieced it all together and never forgave him.

  “You knew about magic? All this time?”

  He nodded. “I'm from a magical family, Meghan. I was sworn to secrecy when we first met.”

  “Why?”

  “Many reasons.”

  “I'm getting really tired of vague answers.”

  “I'm sorry. I don't mean to be vague. I just don't know where to start.”

  “The beginning always works,” she spouted, not waiting for an answer. “It was you all along, and you didn't tell me.” Her voice was rising.

  “I couldn't, Meghan. I wanted to. But it wasn't safe so I stayed distant and helped when I could.”

  Meghan just shook her head, gaze lowering, teeth digging into her lips to keep from spewing the long line of incoherent obscenities burning her tongue.

  Sebastien was Bird.

  Bird was Sebastien

  He’d saved her life. And Colin’s.

  And he’d lied the entire time they’d been friends.

  Was it even real?

  Was anything in her past life, real?

  This sickened disbelief wound its way into her blood. This is what Colin felt like when she’d betrayed him. This is what betrayal felt like. A hurt that cut deep. So deep, it was a wound that would not easily heal.

  It was too much.

  All too much.

  Her head lifted. Eyes on fire. Skin lined with pulsing hot veins.

  Ivan’s eyes widened, he backed up, shooting Sebastien a look that said, good luck.

  Sebastien decided to try to sway Meghan back to his side with good news.

  “I can tell you your Uncle Arnon is alive. He's fine and living with Kanda now. It was her that saved him from the Scratchers the night you and Colin...”

  Meghan's eyes narrowed into dagger-like arrows.

  His plan backfired.

  “You knew he was alive and you couldn't find some way to tell me this? I don't care you had to be all secretive ‘cause believe me, I'm getting used to that!” Her arrow-like eyes shot toward Ivan, who backed away as if she might actually shoot fiery arrows at him. For all he knew, Firemancer’s could.

  “I couldn't tell you anything because you might have discovered who I was,” continued Sebastien. “I could not chance that, Meghan. You have NO idea what kind of chains I was bound by.”

  “And you're not now?” she shouted.

  “No. I'm here. Now. And I will be completely honest, about everything.” His voice wavered. Being honest was going to take a lot of courage.

  “Waiting,” she said impatiently, jaw clenched.

  “Well...” he closed his eyes like she was going to go insanely crazy on him at any moment. “It was me who attacked Colin back in Grimble. I'm sorry,” he spat out. “I was under orders that I had to obey.”

  “You. Did. What?” she demanded scathingly, thinking she must have heard him wrong.

  “I knew he’d be okay. Because he had you.”

  “Um, Meghan,” said Ivan, pointing to her face. “Careful.”

  “I don't care about my damn face,” she shot back, with veins pulsating in fiery streams of light threatening to burst into flame.

  “Meghan, please let me explain.”

  She just stood, staring, breaths coming out in furious pants.

  “It’s all Amelia,” Sebastien rushed out.

  “Amelia Cobb? The leader of the banished Svoda?”

  “You've heard of her then?”

  “Yes. Not much. She grew up with Juliska Blackwell as a half-sister, and is the leader of the banished.”

  Ivan took over, allowing Sebastien to find his feet again. The poor guy looked beat up and ready to keel over.

  “Amelia is more than just a leader, Meghan. She's crazy.”

  “And what's new? Everyone in this whole damn world is crazy! It’s making me crazy!”

  Ivan jumped forward and covered her mouth before she could say more, forcing her to listen. Her skin was fever-hot but didn’t burn him. Sebastien seemed shocked by his daring maneuver.

  “Meghan, do you remember in Grimble when Colin saw someone on top of the candy shop roof?”

  She nodded yes.

  “That was me.” He kept his grip firm, feeling her trying to shout something underneath his hand. “I have been a secret informant for the banished Svod
a for the past four years. I did so in order to have contact with the outside world while we traveled. I never agreed with what Amelia was doing, but I played along to keep my contacts open. I never dreamt she would actually discover a way to make it happen.”

  Meghan forced Ivan's hand off her face and shouted, “Make what happen? Would you get to the point already?”

  Sebastien took over again. “Amelia is planning to return magic to the world. The entire world. A world that has forgotten it ever existed. And...” he paused. “I don't know to what extent, but you and Colin have always been some vital key to making this goal of hers happen.”

  “Okay.” She dug deep to remain calm. “So what this all comes down to is everyone is completely off their damn rockers!”

  “Sort of.” It was a simplified summation of the problem.

  “So if I have it straight, this woman, Amelia, wants to return magic to the world. The Grosvenor, of whom one it seems just so happens to be my father, wants to destroy all magic and take over the world. Oh and here's one for the two of you... Catrina Flummer is not the Projector. Don't imagine I need to explain Catrina to you, Sebastien, since you've been following us around all this time.”

  “No,” he said cautiously. “But what do you mean it’s not her?”

  “Yeah, what do you mean?” asked Ivan. They both looked equally perplexed by this revelation.

  “I don't believe it. Is there something the two of you don't know? Some piece of devastating news I can actually tell you?” Meghan’s voice wandered into psychotic. “The Projector everyone is hunting down, is my brother. It’s Colin everyone wants to kill!”

  “How do you know this?” asked Ivan, looking paler than she’d ever seen him.

  Meghan just shook her head. “Why don't you just trust me?” she threw back at his face.

  “Well, this isn’t good news,” said Sebastien, ignoring her anger.

  “And off topic!” reminded Meghan. She spun back to Ivan. “None of this has anything to do with Jae Mochrie. Your turn. Spill!”

  Ivan took a deep breath. “Okay. Um. It’s not so much Jae, as Juliska,” he spoke in muted tones. He had not yet explained to Sebastien about Meghan’s vision, which indicated Juliska might be the twins' mother. “And since we're being completely frank, I still have no idea what Juliska Blackwell is up to. I just know that whatever it is, it’s definitely not good. That’s not doing it any justice. She’s not a good person, Meghan. But I think you’ve already come to that conclusion.”

  Meghan swallowed hard. She had no more strength to speak.

  Her mother was evil. She needed to accept this.

  Ivan went to speak but she held up her hand for him to hold off. She turned away from them and closed her eyes. She’d wanted the truth. Now that she was hearing it all, part of her wished she could go back to being in the dark.

  A siren blared.

  They gasped. An announcement ringing out across the island.

  “We are under attack! Return to your homes at once!” It repeated three times in quick succession.

  The three and Nona, who’d been so patiently quiet and keeping watch for any intruders to their conversation, bustled to the edge of the woods. Someone was running around the bend in the road.

  “Jae?” questioned Meghan. She took off after him before anyone could stop her. Was he thinking he could fight the Scratcher again? He was crazy do try it on his own. She rounded the corner only to freeze. Ivan and Sebastien ran up behind her.

  Darcy had bounced out of nowhere and was chasing Jae, shouting for him to stop.

  “What the hell?” Meghan pushed off again, Nona at her heels. Ivan and Sebastien cast each other a, “here we go again,” and took off after her. Meghan ran and ran until there was nowhere else to run. She skidded to a stop, gaping at her friend, who was staring out to sea, balancing himself precariously at the edge of a very high cliff. There was nothing below other than the freezing Atlantic Ocean. Far, far below.

  “Jae!” Ivan called out to him. “Don’t do this.” He inched closer. Cautiously, so as not to spook Jae. Sebastien grabbed Meghan to keep her from moving any closer. They hadn’t finished explaining everything yet and she had no clue what was happening.

  Her gaze locked onto his; those eyes she once shyly thought about in her dreams, screaming a thousand apologies she wasn’t able to accept.

  “Jae,” called out Ivan again when he did not respond.

  “Just leave me,” Jae cried back mournfully.

  “Please let us help you,” Ivan pleaded with him.

  “You can't help me. I messed up. I have to end it.”

  “You went too far, Jae. That doesn't mean there isn't a way back.”

  Jae teetered on the edge. Ivan inched closer.

  “Jae, you've been betrayed by the people you trusted and believed in. I understand this more than you know. But it’s not too late for you.”

  He’d pretty much come out and told Meghan it was too late. But she kept her mouth shut and let Ivan do the talking.

  “Jae… please. Step away from the edge.” Ivan stopped, Jae twisted around to see them. Gaze stoic. Decided. “It is not too late.” Ivan silently begged him to listen.

  “You’re wrong,” Jae denied them. “It is too late.” He stepped out, falling over the edge. Disappearing.

  Slow motion.

  The world stopped spinning.

  The horror of watching Jae step over that edge permanently branding a scar into their memories. Meghan screamed and attempted to run to the edge, Sebastien held on in stunned, breathless disbelief.

  Slow motion. No sound.

  That didn’t just happen.

  Jae did not jump.

  The world came crashing back in like a bomb exploded.

  Up over the side of the cliff two massive bodies flew upward, clashing in a vicious battle. Wolf-like heads, sleek bodies, gnashing teeth, deadly wings, and claws. They landed onto the ground near the edge biting out at each other.

  “No…” Meghan shook her head. What she was thinking, this… no. This had to be wrong. So very, very wrong. This world was severely messed up. A world she’d come to believe she belonged in. She didn’t want anything to do with it… not if…

  Sebastien and Ivan pulled her back out of harm’s way.

  The two Scratchers battled it out.

  Meghan found Ivan’s gaze fixed on her. He read the silent question there. And nodded.

  “No,” she cried. “No.”

  “Juliska created the Scratchers, Meghan.”

  This wasn’t possible. Scratchers hunted down and killed Svoda. This would mean the woman who was potentially her mother was a cold-hearted killer. A murderer of her own people.

  “How could she?”

  “I don’t know why. Only that she did.”

  They gasped, the Scratchers… no, Jae Mochrie… one of those beasts was Jae… snarled and took off into the air. Claws and wings duking it out overhead.

  Meghan’s legs faltered. If Juliska was her mother, the same blood ran through her own veins. Bad blood. A killer’s blood. And a Grosvenor for a father, what chance did she have of not turning evil too?

  There was a thud and they twisted to see one of the Scratchers slam into the ground. It clambered to its feet, wings thrashing. The other lunged and pinned it to the ground, stabbing a claw through its delicate web-like wings, tearing through it. The imprisoned beast howled out in brutal agony.

  Meghan closed her eyes, pleading for the pinned creature not to be Jae. She heard Ivan and Sebastien gasp, and opened her eyes to a ghastly sight. The free Scratcher lifted its head into the air and pierced the cold morning air with a ferocious, mournful cry. When it stopped, it jumped back, unpinning its rival.

  Before the injured beast made it upright, the other outstretched its murderous wings and stalked toward it. The injured beast wailed desperately as the wings enclosed securely around it. The wail ended abruptly. The wings released and the dead Scratcher slumped lifelessly to the ground.


  Meghan, Ivan, Sebastien, and Nona held their breath, having no idea if it was Jae who just died. Voices… getting closer. People were coming.

  “Over here, it’s over here,” they heard someone shout.

  Ivan and Sebastien dragged Meghan out of sight. Nona kept a vigilant watch to make sure no one spotted them. They had only a little cover in a thin tree line.

  Meghan sputtered out, “You’ve known a long time.” His father was the first to die at the wings of a Scratcher.

  “I saw my father killed when I was four,” Ivan explained. “I never told anyone until Bird. I mean, Sebastien,” he restated. “I saw the Scratcher transform. It was someone my father considered a friend, and that friend killed him. I was little, but it’s not something you forget. I did not comprehend what it meant, only that it was wrong.”

  Familiar voices were calling out. People screaming and shouting as they arrived to the sight of a dead Scratcher on the edge of the cliff and another hovering over its kill.

  Billie Sadorus arrived alongside her brother Garner, and his wife, Ravana. The Jackal sisters, Kalila and Kalida hobbled in. Tanzea Chase strode in, looking particularly strong for her aged body and wearing a fiendish glare aimed at the living Scratcher. Lots of others strolled in, many, Meghan did not recognize.

  And there she was. Juliska. Her eyes wild with fury she was sure most blamed on the attack. How would she get out of this one?

  The crowd of onlookers were not sure if they should be poised to attack, run, or just continue gawking. They’d never seen a Scratcher attack one of its own kind before. There was a simultaneous gasp and draw back as the living Scratcher began to morph. So did the dead one. Its death, returning it to its human form… Meghan gasped, covering her mouth.

  Darcy…

  That’s why she’d run after Jae. Why they’d become some version of friends.

  Juliska had recruited her too.

  But this meant…

  The living Scratcher finished morphing and Jae Mochrie stared down Juliska Blackwell.

  “Jae? Son?” Irving Mochrie pushed through the crowd. His mother and sister nowhere near. Jae’s dark gaze never acknowledged his father, his spite all aimed at Juliska. The woman responsible. He stepped back to the edge of the cliff again.