Quinn's Lady (4 page)

Chapter 6

“A vampire?” Seleena stared at him, her eyes wide. “Are you sure?”

“Takes one to know one.”

Pressing a hand to her heart, Seleena lowered herself onto her rocking chair.
Vampire.
Serepta had been one of the undead. Was it possible? No! She refused to consider it. For a moment, she stared, unseeing, into the distance. “I need to see the body.”

“Why?”

She stood abruptly. “Just take me to it.”

Quinn frowned, confused by her reaction, and then he left the house. She trailed behind him.

“Tinnly’s place,” she murmured as she followed him down the path to the back of the house. “He lived alone.”

Quinn opened the rusty gate.

Seleena hesitated a moment before following him into the yard. Then, as if going to her doom, she walked slowly toward the corpse. For a moment, she stood there in silence. Closing her eyes, she lifted her arms skyward, chanting softly in a language he didn’t understand.

It went on for several minutes. When she finished, her face was fish-belly white.

“What is it?”

She stared up at him through haunted eyes. “If I didn’t know it was impossible, I would swear Serepta had been here. But I saw her die. Her throat was ripped out…”

“That wouldn’t kill her.”

“She was dead. It was a killing wound,” Seleena insisted. “There was blood everywhere.”

“Vampires can recover from almost anything. If you want to make sure they stay dead, you have to drive a stake through their heart, cut off the head, or burn the body. Otherwise, they’ll rise again.”

At his words, her face paled even more, if that was possible. “I know all that, but I couldn’t stay and watch. I just couldn’t. Nardik gave instructions to one of the servants and paid him to dispose of the remains for us and then we went to Brynn Castle with Marri and Gryff. I stopped at Serepta’s grave on my way back home. Sennix was working on a headstone.”

“Did you look inside the coffin?”

Seleena stared at him in horror. “Of course not!”

“So, for all you know, it could have been empty.”

“No!” Seleena shook her head vigorously. “I refuse to believe that.”

Quinn blew out a sigh “You need to at least consider the possibility,” he said quietly. “Because if I’m right, then Serepta is still a threat. Odds are that the man who was supposed to dispose of her remains is buried in that grave.”

Seleena’s gaze moved to his shoulder. The dragon’s tail was visible beneath his rolled-up shirt sleeve. “Serepta imbued you with a part of her magic,” she mused, her expression pensive. “She was always a clever girl. Always thinking ahead, planning for every eventuality.”

“Why would she come here?”

“Revenge.”

Quinn glanced at the corpse. “Against him?”

“No. I think she just wanted us to know she’s still here. Let’s go. I need to find Waggner and ask him to collect Mr. Tinnly’s remains.”

Quinn followed her out of the yard, his brow furrowed, one hand rubbing the tattoo. What the Hel did it all mean?

#

That was the question he put to Seleena when they returned home.

“I don’t know what it means.” She sat in the rocker, the cat cradled in her arms. “I hadn’t seen my daughter for years before she died. She could have shared her magic with dozens of fledgling witches.”

“So, can anybody be a witch?”

“Most are born. A few are blessed with the ability to learn the art, although that is extremely rare.” She closed her eyes a moment, her expression thoughtful. “Serepta was born a witch. Her magic was inherited, a part of her. Nardik didn’t actually
take
her magic away from her, so much as neutralize it.”

Quinn scrubbed a hand across his jaw. He had a bad feeling about what she was trying to say.

“The thing is, another wizard could restore it, although he would not only have to be ancient, but also possess the power to restore magic. Not every wizard has that talent.”

“Does such a man exist?”

“To my knowledge, Nardik is the oldest wizard on Brynn Tor. But there are other galaxies. Other covens.”

Quinn dragged a hand over his jaw. One more thing to worry about. “The dragon on my shoulder. It feels like it bites me every time you mention Serepta’s name. How do you explain that?”

“Like I told you before, it’s imbued with a form of magic, some of it dark.”

“Yeah, you said yours and hers and Nardik’s. How can it be all three?”

“I learned some of my magic from Nardik. Serepta learned some of hers from both of us. It’s all entwined, light and dark, good and bad.”

He didn’t like the sound of that, couldn’t figure out why Serepta had branded him with ink in the first place. “The tattoo, can you remove it?”

“I don’t know. Take off your shirt and come here.”

Ears laid back, the cat hissed at his approach.

“Freyja, quiet.” Taking hold of Quinn’s arm, she chanted softly as she ran her fingertips over the tattoo. Power coalesced around them, vibrant, palpable.

Seleena gasped as pain shot from the dragon’s mouth to her fingers and skittered up her forearm, leaving her hand and arm feeling numb.

The cat howled and bolted out of the room.

Quinn dropped to the floor, his body shaking uncontrollably, curling in on itself as agony splintered through him. Sweat dripped from his brow.

Seleena knelt beside him. “Quinn? Quinn!” She reached toward him, then drew back when the dragon hissed at her.

A minute passed. Two.

Gradually, his body relaxed. The tremors stopped. Struggling to sit up, he grabbed his shirt from the floor and wiped the sweat from his face and chest.

“Are you all right?” Seleena asked, still wary of touching him.

“I’m guessing what just happened means you can’t remove the damn thing.”

“I’m sorry.”

“Well, it’s good to know, one way or the other. Are you all right?”

She shook her hand, which still felt a little numb. “I don’t think we should try that again.”

“Yeah, probably not a good idea.” Gaining his feet, he offered her his hand.

She hesitated a moment before taking it.

Not that he could blame her after what had just happened. He pulled her gently to her feet.

For a moment, his gaze searched hers.

And then he drew her into his embrace.

And kissed her.

She tasted as sweet as he remembered. She fit into his arms as if she had been made for him and no one else. Her scent -- tinged with magic and a hint of lavender -- enveloped him.

Seleena pressed her fingertips to her lips, her gaze searching his. Why did he have this power over her? One kiss and she wanted to take him to her bed, to run her hands over his shoulders, explore the corded muscle in his arms, run her fingertips over his ridged belly. No other man had ever affected her so strongly, aroused her so quickly, intrigued her on so many levels.

He cocked his head to the side, a silent question lurking in his dark eyes.

Taking a deep breath, she eased out of his embrace. And immediately felt the loss of his warmth, his strength. His tattoo possessed a small portion of her own magic. Was that what made him so irresistible? But he also possessed a bit of Nardik’s power. And Serepta’s, as well. It was a potent combination.

He had been her daughter’s lover. She had to remember that. Wanting to take him to her bed seemed like…like incest, somehow, even though the two of them weren’t related.

“Can’t blame a guy for trying.” He kissed her lightly on the forehead, grabbed his shirt, and left the house.

Seleena stared after him. And then she sank down in front of the fireplace and wept for all she had lost.

And for all she wanted that she could never have.

Chapter 7
  

With no particular destination in mind, Quinn strolled through the village. Passing Tinnly’s house, he noted signs had been posted warning neighbors and other curious folk to keep out.

The faint scent of blood still lingered at the scene, arousing his hunger, but there were few people on the roads to choose from, mostly old men that he didn’t find appealing. But he needed to feed, and it didn’t seem like a good idea to keep hunting for prey where he lived. Better to hunt elsewhere. The next village, perhaps…

Vampire, he thought. Maybe it was time to try out some of his own preternatural powers. Like Seleena, Serepta had been able to rapidly transport herself from one place to another. Could he do the same?

He had no idea how vampires managed it, only knew it was possible. Griggstown was the next village. He pictured the place in his mind, pictured himself there. Power surged within him. The next thing he knew, he was on the outskirts of the city.

He had been in Griggstown once before, searching for one of Jagg’s runaways. He was suddenly inundated with sensory overload as what seemed like a thousand different scents assailed his nostrils, while a cacophony of sound pummeled his ears. What the Hel! He looked at the world around him as if seeing it for the first time. Colors were brighter, sharper. He noticed details before unseen. And blood…the scent of it tantalized him. The sound of a hundred beating hearts thundered in his ears.

This was what it was like to be a vampire. Power hummed through him. It took every ounce of willpower he possessed to keep from attacking a middle-aged woman hurried by.

Hands shoved deep into his pockets, he ambled down the street. Several blocks later he found himself in a less upscale part of the city. The houses were ill-kept - fences sagging, windows broken, paint peeling. The air smelled of drugs and alcohol.

He was about to turn back when a woman staggered toward him. She was young, no more than twenty. But her skin was dry and wrinkled, her eyes older than her years.

“Hey, mister, I’ve got what you want if you’ve got the credits.”

Quinn smiled faintly. Ordinarily, he would have been offended by the stink of her unwashed body, but the lure of her blood was stronger. Folding his hands over her shoulders, he pulled her body against his. “You’ve got exactly what I want,” he growled.

And buried his fangs in her throat.

#

When Quinn returned to the house, he found Seleena sitting in her rocking chair, the cat on her lap. Freyja hissed at him but didn’t leave the room. He took that to mean the furry beast was finally getting used to him.

Refusing to meet Seleena’s eyes, Quinn dropped down on the sofa.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

He lifted one shoulder and let it fall. “Just out.”

“You went hunting, didn’t you?”

He nodded, suddenly ashamed. And how stupid was that? He hadn’t wanted to be a vampire, but the deed was done and he had to endure the consequences of Serepta’s treachery as best he could. “I didn’t hurt anybody.”

“I know.”

Quinn frowned. “How could you know what I was doing?”

“Maybe it’s because you carry a little of my magic in that dragon.”

“Swell.” That was all he needed, someone able to monitor his every move 24/7. Could she read his thoughts, too? Probably not. Because if she had been able to read his thoughts when he was kissing her, she would have thrown him out on his ear. And bolted the door behind him.

He risked a glance in her direction.

She was watching him, one hand idly stroking Freyja’s head. The cat was watching him, too.

“At Tinnly’s, you said you thought Serepta wanted you to know she’s here,” he remarked, deciding to change the subject of where he’d been and what he’d been doing. “Why warn you?”

“I think she always planned to destroy her father and me, eventually. But we took her magic from her before Gryff….before Gryff did what he did. Like I said, she always planned ahead. I’m sure that’s why she imbued you with a part of her magic. And now she wants it back.”

“You don’t seem very worried about her coming after you.”

“I’ve been around a long time. Not much scares me anymore.”
Except my feelings for you.

“Just how long have you been around?”

“A gentleman
never
asks a lady her age.”

“I’m a bounty hunter, remember? Not a gentleman.”

“Can’t you be both?”

He shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Pity.”

He grinned at her, his dark eyes filled with amusement. “Yeah? Why’s that?”

“I prefer gentlemen.”

“Really?” Rising, he crossed the distance between them and pulled her gently to her feet.

Freyja hissed irritably as she tumbled to the floor.

Muttering, “Damn cat,” he pulled Seleena into his arms. There was nothing gentle about his kiss. His mouth covered hers, his tongue demanding entrance.

At first, she was too stunned to resist. And then all thought of resistance fled.

He kissed her until she clung to him, breathless, mindless, her whole body on fire for his touch.

When she thought she might faint dead away, he lifted his head. “Still think you want a gentleman?”

She stared up at him. Then, drawing his head down, she whispered, “Shut up and kiss me again.”

He had no sooner claimed her lips than there was an urgent knock on the door.

Murmuring, “Save my place,” she slipped out of his arms.

Quinn swore softly. Talk about lousy timing. He heard the door open, Seleena’s gasp of surprise, the rumble of a deep male voice.

Quinn frowned. He had met Nardik only once, but his was a voice not to be forgotten.

Seleena and Nardik whispered together for a moment.

With his preternatural senses, Quinn had little trouble overhearing their conversation as Seleena explained why he was staying at her home.

“Quinn.” The wizard’s voice and expression were neutral as he stepped into the room.

“Nardik.” The wizard looked as Quinn remembered, tall and thin but solid as oak. A narrow face framed by long gray hair. Flat cheeks, an aquiline nose, eyes the color of honey. Power radiated from him.

The wizard didn’t offer to shake hands.

Neither did Quinn.

“Please, both of you,” Seleena said, “be seated.”

Quinn sat at one end of the sofa, Nardik the other.

Ever the good hostess, Seleena asked, “Can I get either of you anything?”

“I’d like a glass of wine,” Quinn said. “Thanks.”

Nardik smiled at her. “A cup of your green tea would be wonderful.”

Obviously ill at ease at the idea of leaving the two of them alone, Seleena glanced from one man to the other before hurrying into the kitchen.

“So,” Quinn said, “what brings you here?”

“I am sure you know.”

“The dead man.”

“Yes. I fear Seleena is in danger.”

“I can look after her.”

“I am afraid she is in equal danger from you.”

“She’s got nothing to fear from me,” Quinn said sharply.

“No? How long do you think you can keep your lust for blood under control?”

“As long as I need to.”

Nardik lifted his head, nostrils flaring. “Serepta’s magic is all around you.”

“I’m handling it,” Quinn snapped.

Nardik looked doubtful but said nothing.

When his temper was under control, Quinn said, “You know the man, Tinnly, was killed by your daughter, don’t you?”

“I have my suspicions.”

Stepping into the room, Seleena asked, “Suspicions about what?” She handed a china cup to Nardik, a crystal goblet to Quinn. Her skin tingled pleasantly when his fingers brushed her. Smiling inwardly, she resumed her seat in the rocker.

“I visited the dead man’s house,” Nardik said. “Like Quinn, I suspect our daughter is behind the killing.”

Seleena’s face paled.

“Her scent is there,” Nardik said.

Quinn nodded. “It’s the same, yet different than I remember.”

“Yes,” Nardik said. “The signature of her magic is gone.”

“You need to visit her grave and see who’s inside that coffin,” Quinn said. “It’s the only way to know for sure.”

“I think you are right. We will leave in the morning. If Serepta is indeed alive, I do not wish to confront her after dark.” Nardik glanced at Quinn, his expression thoughtful. “How long do you intend to stay here?”

“Nardik!” Seleena glared at him. “That’s hardly any business of yours.”

“Considering our past, and what he is, I have every right to be concerned.”

Quinn put his glass aside, then turned toward the wizard, his hands clenched into tight fists. “Just what am I?”

“You are a young vampire with much to learn. My daughter’s evil magic resides somewhere within you. Dormant, at the moment. I have no idea what, if anything, will restore that magic. Or if it is even possible. There is no way to know for sure.”

“Nardik,” Seleena said quietly, “I can take care of myself. I’ve been doing it for years. It’s nice of you to be concerned, but you needn’t worry about me. Or about Quinn.”

Nardik regarded her a moment, then glanced at Quinn. “You carry a mark of some kind. I would like to see it.”

“Why?”

“Please.” The word was more demand than request.

Quinn hesitated a moment, then peeled off his shirt.

Nardik put his cup aside. Leaning forward, his brow furrowed, he studied the tattoo. When he reached toward it, a small streak of white-hot flame shot from the dragon’s mouth. The wizard recoiled, an oath escaping his lips. Looking at Seleena, he asked, “Have you attempted to remove it?”

Seleena nodded.

“It’s not something I’m willing to try again,” Quinn remarked.

“Nor I,” Seleena said.

“Probably not a good idea, at any rate.” Putting his cup aside, Nardik stared at the tattoo. “Does it move?”

“Yeah. So, what now?” he asked.

“I sense the dragon is imbued not only with remnants of Serepta’s magic, but with a bit of her very essence. I am not sure what that means, especially for you. But she has obviously come here to retrieve whatever magic the dragon holds.”

“She’s welcome to it if it will rid me of the damn thing.”

“I am afraid you do not understand,” Nardik said. “She cannot recover it while you live.”