Quinn's Lady (5 page)

Chapter 8

Eyes narrowed, Quinn stared at Nardik. “Are you saying she has to kill me before she can use it?”

“Yes.”

“What happens if I kill her first?”

“I cannot say for sure. In many instances, when a witch dies, whatever spells she has cast die with her. But the dragon is obviously not dead.” Rising, he added, “Until we know one way or the other if it is Serepta we are dealing with, I would caution both of you to be vigilant when you leave the house.”

“Where are you going?” Seleena asked.

“It grows late,” Nardik said. “I will find lodging nearby.”

“You’re welcome to stay here,” she said.

Nardik glanced pointedly at Quinn. “I think it will be best if I go elsewhere.”

Nodding, Seleena walked him to the door. “You need to be careful, too.”

“Do not worry about me.”

“How are things at Brynn Castle?”

“Very well. Though Marri has been Queen only a few weeks, she has already settled into the role. The people adore her. She is a remarkably astute woman for one so young.”

“And Gryff? How is he doing?”

“Surprisingly well for a man of his background.”

“I had no doubt that he would. They complement each other perfectly.” She glanced away before asking, “Does Amerris make you happy?”

“As much as anyone can.” Leaning down, he brushed a kiss across her cheek.

“Take care, Seleena. Vampires cannot be trusted.”

#

Seleena watched Nardik until, with a wave of his hand, he vanished from her sight. And still she stood there, gazing into the darkness. Was it possible their daughter still lived? She had never stopped loving Serepta, but she had long ago known, as had Nardik, that their daughter was no longer the promising young woman she had once been. She had immersed herself so deeply in Dark Magic that the girl they had loved so dearly no longer existed in the woman she had become.

Her thoughts turned to Quinn and the kisses they had shared.

A pleasant tingling warned Seleena that he had come up behind her.

“Are you all right?” he asked quietly.

“I’m fine.” There was a faint tremor in her voice. Had he heard it? Did he know she was thinking about what they had been doing before Nardik arrived? She shivered as his hands slid over her shoulders.

“Come inside,” he said. “It’s cold out here.”

“Is it?” His breath fanned her cheek, warming her in a way no fire could.

“You’re worrying about what you’ll find tomorrow.”

She nodded.

“Come inside,” he said again, taking her hand in his. “And I’ll make you forget all about it.”

“Forget about what?” Seleena murmured as they moved into the living room.

Quinn’s gaze searched hers as he sat on the sofa and drew her down beside him.

He could feel her trembling, smell the heady musk of her skin. And beneath the musk, a faint scent of fear, no doubt planted by Nardik’s parting words.
Vampires cannot be trusted.

Quinn lowered his gaze to the pulse throbbing in the hollow of Seleena’s throat. Maybe the old wizard was right. He could smell the blood flowing through her veins, feel the brush of his fangs against his tongue as his hunger roared to life, knew his eyes had gone red with need.

“Quinn…”

Bolting to his feet, he turned his back, hands clenched at his sides. What was happening to him? He had never known a need like this before, never felt so helpless to resist it.

Afraid to spend another minute in her presence, he fled the house.

#

Wrapping her arms around her waist, Seleena rocked back and forth, her mind in turmoil, her body aching for Quinn’s touch. And all the while, she heard Nardik’s unwanted warning --
vampires cannot be trusted.

Perhaps he was right. The sudden red glow in Quinn’s eyes certainly made it seem so. Where had he gone? Was he coming back? Should she let him in if he did?

Rising, she moved through the house, placing new wards on the chimney, the doors and the windows. When that was done, she contemplated withdrawing Quinn’s invitation to enter. Should she? Was it foolish of her to welcome a vampire into her home? If he intended to do her harm, wouldn’t he have done so by now? Better safe than sorry, she mused. But she couldn’t do it. As far as she knew, he had no friends, nowhere else to go. But it was knowing that Serepta had turned him against his will that determined Seleena’s final decision. She couldn’t deny Quinn the hospitality of her house, not after what her daughter had done to him.

Returning to the living room, she collected the cup and wineglass, carried them down to the kitchen and placed them in the sink. As she brewed a fresh pot of tea, she wondered where Quinn had gone and if -- and when -- he would return.

#

Shrouded in a cloak of invisibility, the vampire prowled the darkness outside the house, her heart filled with thoughts of vengeance. Those who had plotted her demise were inside. They had failed before. They would again.

Once she retrieved the power that resided within the dragon, she would be immortal. Indestructible.

She smiled into the darkness as she returned to her lair. If there was one thing her mother had taught her, it was the value of patience.

#

Quinn left the village with no destination in mind except to get away from Seleena. He had told Nardik his hunger was under control and when he’d said it, he was certain it was true. But now…now he wasn’t so sure. Holding Seleena in his arms, he had wanted nothing more than to carry her to bed, to make love to her all night long. To taste the very sweet essence flowing through her veins even though she had warned him it would be painful. Perhaps fatal. At that moment, he hadn’t cared.

He stalked the darkness in search of prey, finally ending up in front of a run-down spaceport on a lonely stretch of road. Several LandSkiffs were parked near the entrance.

He paused inside the doorway. Two pilots were hunched over a table, a bottle between them. An old man sat at a corner table, snoring softly. A middle-aged woman with frowsy black hair regarded him speculatively as he stepped up to the bar and ordered a glass of red wine.

Quinn slid a glance in her direction. She looked to be well-used and smelled bad. No doubt her blood was tainted with drugs and alcohol, but at the moment, all he cared about was easing his hunger. Summoning his preternatural power, he called her to him, took her by the hand, and led her outside into the shadows.

As he had suspected, the woman’s blood tasted foul. A blessing, perhaps. Otherwise, he might have broken his promise to Seleena and drained her dry.

After wiping the memory from the woman’s mind -- another handy vampire talent - he strolled through the darkness. Serepta had been able to turn into mist. Could he actually do that?

Even as he considered it, it happened. One minute he was a solid physical mass. The next, he was little more than ethereal pale gray vapor hovering above the ground. He could see and hear and move, but had no sense of touch. No sense of himself. It was scary as Hel. What if he couldn’t return to his own form again? His first two tries failed. Fighting the urge to panic, he calmed his thoughts and tried again.

Relief swept through him when he again felt the earth beneath his feet. He ran his hands along his arms, over his chest and face. He looked down at his legs, wiggled his toes. Everything seemed to be in the right place and in working order. Dissolving into mist might be a handy talent, but he wasn’t sure he ever wanted to do it again.

Vampires were also able to change shape. Any shape, he wondered?

He spent the next twenty minutes experimenting -- a bull, a horse, a wolf. Changing into a wolf came the easiest and satisfied some deep feral need he didn’t quite understand. Perhaps it was because both vampires and wolves were predators.

It was near dawn when he returned to the house with the blue door.

Seleena had left a light burning in the window for him. He stood in the yard for several minutes, just staring at the faint welcoming glow. As he strode up the walk, that beckoning light made him feel like he was coming home.

An unexpected warmth flooded his heart as he stepped inside and closed the door behind him. A small fire burned in the hearth.

He stood in the center of the small living room, surrounded by Seleena’s scent. He had never had a home of his own. Never had anyone -- man or woman -- who gave a damn whether he lived or died.

But Seleena cared. It was a sobering thought, and a little frightening. The last thing he wanted to do was hurt her.

Nardik’s words echoed through the corridors of his mind. How long do you think you can keep your lust for blood under control?

It was a question that haunted him throughout the night.

#

Nardik arrived at Seleena’s front door early the next morning. He glanced at Quinn, obviously displeased to see him again.

“Are you ready to go, Seleena?” the wizard asked.

“Yes.” She donned a long, dark blue cloak. “I’ve asked Quinn to go with us.”

Displeasure flashed across the wizard’s face. “If you wish.” Closing his eyes, he murmured an incantation that carried the three of them out of Seleena’s house and into the great hall of Serepta’s castle.

The room was eerily silent. Dust motes danced in a slim ray of sunshine. A rat scurried across the floor and disappeared behind a credenza.

“Do you feel it?” Nardik asked.

Seleena nodded.

Quinn didn’t have to ask what he meant. Serepta’s scent fouled the air. She had been in the room not long ago.

Quinn and Seleena followed the wizard through the kitchen and into the back yard. A narrow gravel pathway led to a tall wrought-iron gate. A small cemetery lay behind it.

Seleena reached for Quinn’s hand as they followed Nardik through the gate toward a fresh grave located near the far wall.

A wave of the wizard’s hand removed the earth, revealing a wooden coffin, the top intricately carved with runes and symbols.

Seleena took a deep breath as Nardik’s magic lifted the lid.

The body inside was male. Two puncture wounds, smeared with dried blood, told the tale of his death.

With a cry of denial, Seleena buried her face against Quinn’s chest.

Quinn didn’t miss the sharp look of censure in Nardik’s eyes. The wizard might be engaged to another woman, but it was obvious the man was jealous as Hel. Unable to resist the urge to poke the bear, Quinn smiled faintly as he slid his arm around Seleena’s waist.

With a look of disgust, the wizard replaced the lid on the coffin. A wave of his hand filled in the grave.

“Where do you think she’s holed up?” Quinn’s question wasn’t directed at anyone in particular.

“I am sure her lair is nearby,” the wizard said, his voice cool. “Perhaps even in some hidden room within the castle itself.”

“She’s helpless during the day,” Quinn remarked, thinking out loud. “This would be a good time to hunt her down…” He shut his mouth abruptly at the look of horror on Seleena’s face.

“I fear he is right,” Nardik said. “Without her magical powers, she is helpless until the sun sets.”

“Perhaps we can help her now,” Seleena said, stepping out of Quinn’s embrace. The wizard snorted. “Painful as the truth is, we must face it. With or without her magic, Serepta is beyond redemption.”

“I refuse to believe that.” Seleena glared at Nardik. “I simply cannot.”

“She must be stopped. She has taken two lives that we know of in the last few days, and who knows how many others? Do you want more innocent blood on your hands?”

Seleena flinched at his words.

“I am going to search for her,” he said. “You can join me, or not, as you wish.”

Quinn laid his hand on Seleena’s arm. “You’re in danger as long as she’s alive,” he said quietly.

“I am not afraid of her.”

Quinn shook his head ruefully. “Maybe you should be.”

“No one is safe as long as she is alive,” Nardik said. “I intend to destroy her. And this time, I intend to make sure nothing is left to chance.”

Chapter 9

“I’m going home,” Seleena declared. “Quinn, are you coming?”

He hesitated. Daylight was when Serepta would be at her most vulnerable. If she was here, if they could find her and destroy her, Seleena would no longer be in danger. On the other hand, if he destroyed Serepta while she was helpless, Seleena might never forgive him. And that was a risk he wasn’t willing to take.

“Quinn?”

He nodded. “I’ll go with you.”

Smiling, she reached for his hand.

Being transported magically was similar, and yet different, from when he did it as a vampire. Both were fast, but they didn’t affect him the same way. When he transported from place to place, he had no real sense of movement. He thought of where he wanted to go and he was there. When Seleena did it, he was aware of moving through time and space.

But both methods got you where you wanted to go.

As soon as they reached home, Seleena went into the kitchen and brewed a pot of tea. He could see she was still badly shaken at knowing that the daughter she had thought dead these past weeks was still alive.

Thinking she probably needed a few minutes alone, Quinn went to his room and stretched out on the bed. While he appreciated being able to be awake during the day, he was sometimes overcome with the urge to crawl into a dark place and rest.

Eyes closed, he followed her progress in the kitchen by sound alone – her footsteps as she crossed from the stove to the cupboard. The clink of china as she placed cup and saucer on the counter. A hiss of hot water as she filled her cup. Her footsteps again as she moved into the living room. The creak of the rocker as she sat down. Freyja’s purr as the cat settled on her lap.

The near-silent whisper of tears slipping down her cheeks.

He stayed on the bed, eyes closed, for several moments and then, unable to help himself, he went into the living room. Took the cup from her hand, placed it on table next to the rocking chair, and pulled her to her feet.

And into his arms.

Her eyes were red and puffy, her hair mussed, and she had never looked more desirable. Murmuring her name, he covered her mouth with his.

She leaned into him, her eyelids fluttering down as she clasped her hands behind his neck. Every thought fled her mind as his tongue swept over her lower lip, stealing the breath from her lungs, the strength from her legs. She clung to him, her whole body aching for his touch.

Until she remembered that he had been her daughter’s lover. She tried to tell herself it didn’t matter, but she couldn’t get past it, especially now, knowing that Serepta was still alive. That she might still have power over him.

With a choked cry, she placed her palms flat against Quinn’s chest and pushed. It was like trying to move a mountain.

For a moment, she thought he wouldn’t release her.

For a moment, she hoped he wouldn’t. But only a moment. So why did she feel bereft when he stepped away?

His knowing gaze met hers. She could almost hear his voice, slightly taunting, assuring her that sooner or later, it was going to happen.

Hands clenched, she lifted her chin. Maybe he was right, she thought defiantly. But it wouldn’t be today.

#

Too restless to sit still, Seleena went out to work in her garden. She had been afraid that Quinn would follow her, but he had sent her one last smug look and returned to his room.

Angry with him, annoyed with herself, she pulled weeds with a vengeance, turned the soil, gathered a variety of herbs. And all the while she relived his kiss, the way his arms felt around her -- sure and strong and, yes, even comforting. The way she felt so at home in his embrace. How was that possible when she had known him such a short time? When they had nothing in common? He was a bounty hunter, a rootless wanderer. A vampire. Even though she had conjured a spell to allow him to walk in the sunlight and to consume mortal food, he was no longer mortal. Nardik was certain that, sooner or later, Quinn would lose control and succumb to his vampire nature. That fear, however much she tried to ignore it, was a very real possibility.

She looked down when Freyja rubbed against her leg. “What is it?”

The cat meowed loudly, her bright yellow eyes glinting in the sun’s light.

With a nod, Seleena left the basket of herbs on the kitchen table on her way to open the door for Nardik.

She knew by the look on his face that he hadn’t found Serepta.

“There was no sign of her,” he said as he followed her into the living room. “I searched every inch of that castle, from the dungeon to the turrets. If she was there, she is well-hidden.”

Indicating Nardik should have a seat, Seleena lowered herself into the rocker. Freyja curled up on the floor at her feet. “What do we do now?”

“I believe we only have two options. We can send Quinn to the castle to wait for her. Or we can wait for her to come to him.”

“You want to use him as bait?”

“They are going to meet eventually. It is only a matter of where and when.”

Seleena didn’t have to look over her shoulder to know Quinn stood in the doorway. The very air in the room felt charged with his presence.

He strode across the floor and stood in front of the fireplace, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes like flint. “Maybe the two of you ought to consult me before making any plans that include pitting me against Serepta.”

“Quinn…”

“We were merely discussing possibilities,” Nardik said curtly.

“Uh-huh. And what do you think the possibilities are of me surviving such an encounter?”

Nardik lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “I have no idea. I do not know how powerful either one of you are. I know she was once a witch to be reckoned with, but I have no knowledge as to what her abilities as a vampire might be. Just as I have no idea of yours.”

“That makes two of us. I didn’t want to be a vampire and my lack of enthusiasm made her angry. She trapped me in that damn statue a couple of days later. I never had a chance to explore what being a vampire really means. I’m just now learning what powers are mine.”

“That is unfortunate,” Nardik said, his voice totally lacking any hint of concern, “as she has been a vampire for several decades.”

Quinn’s brows rose. “That long. Then I guess the power’s on her side.”

“Perhaps not,” Seleena said. “If you could learn to wield the magic in that tattoo…”

“Wield it how?”

She shrugged. “I don’t really know. I’ve never seen anything like it.” She paused, her expression thoughtful. “I have an old grimoire that my mother left me. Maybe there’s something in there that could enlighten us.”

“It’s worth a try, I guess,” Quinn remarked.

“I shall leave you to it,” Nardik said, rising. “I must return to Brynn Castle to advise the queen on a matter of state business. Let me know if you discover anything.”

Nodding, Seleena stood and walked him to the door. “I’m glad you didn’t find her,” she said. “I know you think she is past redemption, and maybe she is, but I still have hope that we can save her.”

“It springs eternal, they say.” He touched her cheek lightly. “Good day.”

Seleena closed the door, then stood with her back pressed against it. Not long ago, her life had been quiet, peaceful. She had tended her garden, helped the villagers, taken long walks. Grieved for her daughter.

Now there was a man in her living room who tied her emotions in knots, who, by merely looking at her, made her whole body ache with longing. And Serepta was alive. Or as alive as a vampire could be.

Sighing, she pushed away from the door and went to face the man who had turned her life upside down.

#

When she returned to the living room, she found Quinn standing with his back to the fireplace, hands shoved into his pants pockets. For a moment, they simply stood there, facing each other, while the air between them crackled with sexual tension.

Finally, clearing her throat, Seleena said, “I’ll just go look for that grimoire.”

Quinn nodded, though magic -- at least book magic -- was the last thing on his mind.

Her scent filled his nostrils and teased his hunger as she hurried passed him on the way to her room.

A good twenty minutes ticked by before she returned, a large book cradled in her arms. When she put it down, the coffee table groaned beneath its weight. Dust motes drifted up from the cover.

Sitting on the edge of the sofa, she used her athame to make a tiny cut in her thumb. Murmuring an incantation, she held her hand over the grimoire. A small drop of blood fell onto the cover, sizzled a moment, then disappeared. A faint puff of what looked like white smoke rose from the book when she lifted the cover.

Quinn moved in behind the sofa and peered over her shoulder. The page she was studying looked like an ancient work of art. Colorful flowers and intricate vines, faded by time, decorated the border. A small drawing depicted a witch bent over a cauldron. The text below the picture was in some fancy, foreign script.

“What’s it say?” he asked.

“It’s a spell to summon a lover.”

Quinn rubbed his hand over his jaw as he considered and rejected several ribald remarks.

She turned another few pages, each as beautiful and ornate as the one before.

He was thinking they were wasting their time when she turned one more page, and even though he couldn’t read the words, the pen and ink drawing in the center of the page spoke volumes.

Seleena looked up at him, then back at the drawing, which depicted a man tattooed with a dragon similar to Quinn’s, save that the dragon was yellow instead of black.

“What does it say?”

“As we suspected, your dragon is a receptacle for black magic. There is no way to remove it, no way to undo it except by killing the host. However, it indicates that the magic can be transferred to the host, but it doesn’t say how.”

“So we’re back to square one.”

“Not exactly. At least we know it’s possible for you to unleash the dragon’s power.”

“That’s something, I guess. Is there anything in there about a vampire becoming mortal again?”

“I don’t know. I’ll look for that, too.”

He watched her for several minutes, then started to pace the floor in front of the hearth. What if she found a way to make him human again? Did he really want that? He kind of liked his new strength and powers. And then there was the tattoo. What if she discovered the secret to controlling whatever magic the dragon held? If he could combine the power of the dragon and his vampire strength, maybe he would be able to defeat Serepta.

Quinn grunted softly. Power or not, he wanted the dragon gone before Serepta got hold of him again.

He glanced at Seleena. How was it possible she had given birth to such a cruel, vindictive woman? No doubt about it, he thought, the daughter must surely take after her father.

And he didn’t trust either one.