Page 100 of Quintus

Gabriella pulled her dried t-shirt over her head, dressing. She’d finger-combed her wild mane into a braid and now stared into the mirror. She blinked, her eyes changing from blue to yellow, the wolf burning to escape. This, however, was a job for her magick.

She looked to the vial she’d set on the counter next to the sink. In the melee of leaving the fae’s realm, she swore she heard him whisper something to Quintus about a warning. Instinctively she knew, after touching the bone with her own fingers, that the potion could harm her. But the power she’d gain would outweigh the risks. Kill or be killed. She had no choice but to fight, because Lilitu would pursue her forever.

No more than a spoonful, the elixir looked innocuous enough; however, given the ingredients and fae magick, Gabriella knew otherwise. She tugged at the small cork, easily removing the stopper. Within seconds, the room sparkled in black magick, the scent of sulfur filtering into the air. Hellfire.

Although they hadn’t discussed it, Gabriella had overheard Kellan telling Quintus that it must be taken in Lilitu’s presence. She recorked the vial and exhaled loudly. Lilitu would come for her no matter where she went. But this time, she’d trap her into her own death.

When Gabriella had retrieved her clothing from the dryer, she’d investigated her surroundings. After taking one look at the remote location of Hunter’s cabin in the bayou and the rickety fishing boat tied to the dock, she determined she needed another means of travel. With very little knowledge of the swamps, navigating the murky alligator-infested waters would take her forever to get back to New Orleans.

Her only feasible option to escape would be to leave the same way they’d arrived. Very few vampires could flash from location to location. Although she was aware the skill was utilized by only the most advanced witches, Gabriella suspected she could materialize to a location. Ever since she’d mated, Quintus’ magick had begun to merge with hers, and she noted that she was less and less sick each time they’d traveled.

Gabriella stuffed the vial into her front jeans pocket, and wrapped her fingers around the brass door knob, slowly turning it until it opened. She listened for movement and heard only the soft snoring coming from the bedroom. Quietly she padded through the hallway and into the kitchen, praying he didn’t hear her. As long as she was on the property, with her emotions sealed off tight, Quintus would have no need for concern.

She glanced outside, noting the light of the waning moon glistening on the water. Without her phone, she’d lost track of time and suspected dawn would arrive within hours. She glanced over her shoulder before she reached for the lock and clicked open the deadbolt. As she put her hand on the knob, she heard his voice in her mind. Come back to bed, bella. Rest. We’ll go soon. Her lips drew into a tight smile that didn’t reach her eyes. She had to keep him safe. There was no other way, she told herself.

“Sleep, my vampire,” she whispered, sending her magick to him, invoking a spell. “Somnium, sopor, nox. Blessed be.” It was one of the early spells she’d learned from her mother. She’d used it several times on the coven children who’d had trouble sleeping at night. But for Quintus, she suspected the spell would only last minutes, then he’d chase her.

As she opened the door and closed it behind her, she breathed in the swamp air. Crickets and frogs sang into the night. Spanish moss swayed gently in the cypress trees, a warm breeze blowing over the water. As she took a step onto the dock, a creak released from its wooden planks.

“I love you, Quintus,” Gabriella whispered, firing up the energy within her soul. She closed her eyes, her palms upward to the sky, calling on the magick of the earth and moon. Imagining Lilitu, she focused on what she’d brought to the world. Death. A place where the veil between the living and the dead stretched thin, where grief and loss tore at its fragile fibers.

She called on her wolf, pleading for the powers of her mate, Quintus. Imagining her body dissipating into a thousand molecules, she siphoned his magick. Her pulse raced as the transfer began and she prayed she’d make it alive.

Within seconds, breath rushed into her lungs and she tumbled onto the gravel. She glanced up to the familiar pyramid-shaped tomb, its chalky white walls reflecting the street lights. A marble angel sat atop its peak, beckoning visitors who couldn’t see over the brick walls.

Gabriella shoved up onto her hands and knees, listening for others. Although the cemetery’s locked gates kept humans at bay at night, supernaturals found their way into the cities of the dead. She recalled her first meeting with Ramiel, standing on the corner off of Basin Street. She’d given him a sample of her blood, seeking to sell it.

Gabriella shrugged off the bad memory and pressed to her feet. She slid her fingers into her pocket and retrieved the potion. With dark energy sizzling around her, Lilitu would find her within minutes.

“Where are you, bitch?” Gabriella sniffed, cringing as she smelled the scent of urine in the air. “Is that you? Come find me. I’m here now.”

Her boots crunched the stones beneath her feet as she proceeded with caution down a dimly lit path. Although she’d been in the same cemetery many times, she never shook the feeling she was a breath away from death.

Gabriella inhaled deeply in an attempt to calm her thoughts but they continued to race. Kellan had warned Quintus. The potion in her hand didn’t exactly come stamped with FDA approval. Not only was she going to drink her own blood, she’d ingest the ancient bones of a witch and the earth of the devil. Fae magick was notoriously dangerous, its victims often dying a slow and miserable death. But it was too late to turn back and even if she could, she’d stay and face it. No more running; she was determined to protect others from the witch.

“Goddammit. Where the fuck are you?” Gabriella mumbled under her breath. She expected Quintus would wake up any second and come look for her. Although she’d kept her thoughts closed off, he’d break through her barrier within minutes.

“I know you can hear me, you shitty excuse of a witch. You’ve been following me my entire life. Get your fucking ass here now.” With each step, the cemetery grew more silent. Crickets ceased to chirp, and no cars traveled the usually busy street. She opened her mind, allowing her wolf to filter the intermittent dark magick that morphed into a static current.

Gabriella ran her fingers over the cool stone of a crypt in an attempt to reach the dead. But even the spirits remained quiet in their sleep. A crackle of lightning struck a nearby mausoleum, and she ducked as rock blasted into the air. A jagged piece smashed into her back, forcing her to the ground. Her wrist snapped as she fell onto a pile of bricks. The vial slipped from her fingers and rolled onto gravel, disappearing underneath a crypt.

Stunned, Gabriella struggled to breathe and shifted onto her back. The chalky particles coated her tongue as she coughed, a cloud spinning like a dust devil through the cemetery. Panic superseded the pain as she realized she’d lost the potion.

“Where is the bone, wolf? I can feel it’s here. If you give it to me now, I’ll give you a quick death,” Lilitu’s voice cackled.

Gabriella shoved to sit up against a tomb. Cradling her injured arm against her chest, she reached with her other hand, fumbling blindly for the vial.

“Where’s your vampire? The wolf? Are they off chasing his Jiangshi?” Maniacal laughter followed.

Gabriella’s stomach rolled at Lilitu’s words. Mao. Was she responsible for creating the hideous atrocity and bringing it into their lives?

“Maybe I’ll just burn you like your mother. Your pathetic mate and Alpha will come running. Don’t make me kill them too,” she threatened.

Gabriella’s fingertips caught the rim of the vial, but it rolled further into the crevasse between the bricks and the crypt. She turned her head and caught sight of Lilitu floating through the haze as if she were a ghost. The high priestess’ dark magick grew stronger, and she sensed other witches in the distance. The coven.

Desperate, Gabriella rolled onto her knees, and with only one hand she felt for the potion. Despite the threats, she doubted Lilitu would kill her, not without her prize.

“What are you looking for over there, girl? A protection spell? An amulet? Whatever it is, it won’t help you.”