The Quest (38 page)

She snatched the papers from my hand. “What is this?”

“Copies of agendas showing who was involved with Project E, the document declaring the project a success, my birth record, and more importantly, the petition you filed seeking to destroy the subject created from Project E.”

Lorenzo peered from her side as she glanced at the pages. Silence lasted only a minute.

“These documents are worthless.” She threw the papers at me. “They prove nothing.”

The stack fell to the ground. A gust of wind lifted the pages and scattered them.

“They prove you organized my creation. My birth date occurred a week before you declared the project a success.”

“Coincidence.” She crossed her arms. “Not proof.”

“You wanted to create a mixed creature. I have records showing my blood comes from different breeds.”

“Big fucking deal. Do better. The world won’t care.”

“The names on the agendas also appear on the petition to destroy me.”

“Not mine,” my father said. His eyes became cold and hard as he stared at my half sister “I can’t believe you petitioned the court to have her killed and hid it from me.”

“The initials for those people on the agendas and petition all belong to dead people,” I said louder. “The only one living is Martin. Do you honestly believe that once the council finds out, he will continue to stand by your side?”

Sure, I made an assumption on the last part, but all I needed to do is plant the fear and let it take root.

“People aren’t dumb. They can match up the initials with the names of clan leaders and councilmen. They will see the truth. You wanted me dead and everyone who knew about me dead too. That’s why you set up the meeting at the dump.”

Her heart pumped fast. The sound was music to my ears.

“They won’t believe you.” A rosy color appeared on her cheeks.

“I’m more than confident they will. The facts speak for themselves.”

“You’re a fucking liar! You won’t go public. If you do, the world will know what a freak you are.”

I laughed silently. “I’m the freak you had created and wanted to destroy.”

“I’ll tell them how dangerous you are. That I had to petition for your death because you failed to return for testing.”

I looked at Lorenzo. “I’m sure Claire can testify as to my whereabouts and can produce my school records. My college transcripts should be easy to find too.”

“I will produce enough evidence to support you, and I know Claire would testify for you.”

“You would help that abomination over me, your true daughter?” Galluzzi said, her voice hinting at panic.

“Leave her alone, Barbara, and I won’t have to take such drastic measures.”

At that moment, I wanted to punch my father. His daughter killed people. Didn’t he care? Didn’t he believe she deserved punishment for murdering innocent lives?

“The council will seek retribution. Martin will have to confess. I’m sure his admitted involvement will sway enough minds,” I said.

“What makes you certain I will admit to your claims?” Martin said as he approached.

“Arturo read the papers. He knows of your involvement and plans to inform the council immediately. With a majority vote coming in a day’s time, you will be cast out, shunned by your peers,” Anubis said.

Two seconds later, Martin stretched out his arms and the sky light up. Anubis pulled me to his body while my half sister and father lifted their hands to shield their eyes. Energy heated the air and crackled. Large gusts of wind tossed my hair in every direction. Above, clouds swirled in a tornado with the thin bottom spiraling toward us.

“Oh my God,” I said as Anubis backed away while holding me tight against his body.

“He’s creating an escape route for himself. He knows he doesn’t have time to argue if Arturo gets to the council before sunrise,” Anubis said.

Flashes of lightning appeared from the field next to us. The bolts reached up and circled around the twister. Anubis stopped and pointed his gaze toward the field.

“What’s happening?” I asked, confused.

“Other warlocks are here.”

Two older men emerged from the small gaps between the cornstalks, several feet away from Martin. Both had humps in their backs and looked eerily similar. They stepped onto the dirt road with their arms extended toward the sky. Bright specks of light sparked from their fingers.

“I know them. That’s Zachary. I worked with him at the warehouse. Zander is the local warlock clan leader. Boss introduced me to him.” And if I guessed right, they were brothers. Side by side, the resemblance in their round faces, thinning hair, thick glasses and the curvatures in their spines stood out.

The wind slowly died along with lightning. Tension strained Martin’s body as he reached his hands toward Heaven. Sweat coated his face. The warlock was probably old and powerful, but his strength couldn’t match that of two of his kind. After a few minutes passed, he dropped his arms to his sides.

“Martin Sneidagier, you are under direct orders by the council to refrain from use of your powers and to stand down,” Zander said. Both he and Zachary lowered their arms.

“Who are you?” Galluzzi demanded. “What are you doing here?”

Zander stepped away from Zachary and pushed his thick glasses up his nose. “Boss informed me about a meeting. I had a duty to report it to the council. They instructed me and my brother to investigate.”

Galluzzi shot me a malicious glare. “You knew.”

“No, I didn’t.”

Zachary and Zander walked toward Martin, both shuffling their feet on the road. “He’s to come with us at once.”

Although dirt drifted off from their steps, I heard no sounds indicating movement. I listened closer, focusing on the two men. Not only were their steps silent, so were their heartbeats.

“Why can’t I hear them?” I asked softly.

“They used a spell to keep their actions hidden. A smart move on their part,” Anubis said.

The two warlocks claimed their prisoner. Zander gripped one of Martin’s arms while Zachary held onto the other. The two old men didn’t appear strong enough to restrain him, but with their combined power, I was certain they could. The three men left without another word, into the cornfield.

My sister spun around and lunged toward me. Lorenzo gripped her arm and yanked her back.

“Do you have any clue what you are about to do?” she asked. “You’ll destroy everything I’ve worked for. You’ll make a mockery of us, our family and the council.”

Her attitude had changed from anger to fear. Maybe she finally believed I’d follow through with my plans.

“Sure, blame me,” I said, staring pointedly at her. “But I didn’t organize and give the order to kill. You did.”

“You will regret this. You’ll see.” She jerked her arms, but my father held her in his firm grasp.

“Yeah, we’ll see. Have your toothbrush packed by ten.”

“I hate you. You won’t win. You’re weak. They’ll see you for what you really are, a monster.” The panic-filled words raced from her mouth. The fear had blossomed.

“Leave, Shelley. Sal and I will see her home.” Meeting my father’s eyes, he gave me a single nod. “Go.”

Anubis nudged my shoulder. “Come.”

I looked one last time at my half sister and saw the same evil and hatred from the first time I met her. She was a half-breed demon with the heart and spirit of a full-blooded one. I doubted she would ever change.

Anubis walked by my side as we headed away from my father and half sister. The heavy weight I’d carried for so long had finally vanished. Word would spread in a few hours once the council learned the details of the meeting. Arturo would report to them and share his knowledge too. By early morning, more would know. By noon, she would find herself staring at bars. The pleasant image brought a smile to my face.

The evidence said enough. A conviction would come down from all leaders, the courts, the council and even the public. I was certain of it. Judging from the last look in her eyes, she knew it too.

I gazed up the sky and watched the volatile clouds start to separate and reveal a tranquil atmosphere. The scene reminded me of my life.

Anubis gripped my hand. “You did well.”

Smiling, I lowered my gaze. Peace filled me, having accomplished my goal. With my half sister no longer a threat to me or anyone else, I could move on. Now, I needed to decide what to do in post-Galluzzi days.

Chapter 27

Four days later, I sat in a soft lawn chair on the front porch, watching the last bit of sun dip beyond the horizon. A cool wind brushed over my skin and scooted leaves across the lawn. The peaceful sunset quieted my soul. I wished my world were as tranquil.

Anubis, Boss, Jonas and I, had spent the four days at one of Boss’s secured homes. The house reminded me of the old one, set in a neighborhood with few houses, lots of land, a basement, plenty of bedrooms, and more importantly, ample space. How long could we live together? The answer grew clearer with each passing day–not much longer.

Feet smacked on the wood porch, alerting me to a presence. The thump of a heart informed me who my visitor was. For the last several days, he’d been the only one with warm blood and a pulse in the house. I twisted my head. Jonas stood outside the front door, bare feet, no shirt, jeans unfastened and drops of water on his chest. The sight of his beautiful body gave rise to a smile.

“I thought I’d find you out here,” he said, scrubbing a towel over his head as he strolled toward me.

“It’s nice and quiet.”

He chuckled. “What, can’t tolerate two vampires trying to decide what you should and shouldn’t do?”

I shook my head. No, I couldn’t, not any more. Night after night, they argued. As a result, my sex life came to a screeching halt. I couldn’t tolerate either vampire with their “you need to do this” lines. A man telling me what to do with my life was not cool, ever. Both knew that. So why did they persist? I had no fucking clue. Not even Jonas understood them anymore. He admitted his frustration during the few minutes of private time we had when I fed from him. He tried talking to Boss, but it didn’t help. In fact, it added tension between them. The extra stress seemed to make matters worse between all of us.

Sex starved and still transforming into a vampire, I wanted to spread my wings and fly the coop. Not literally of course. I couldn’t fly, but I did have enormous strength and gifts, thanks to Anubis. As luck would have it, I also retained my demon ability to mist. Changing took great effort at first, but after several tries, I misted faster than I ever had before. Once I discovered I held onto my demon abilities, I worked on testing my angelic ones. Sadly, I couldn’t pop in and out of places nor walk through objects. Those days were over. At least I could tolerate a little sun.

“Have you heard the latest news?”

Again, I shook my head. I’d stopped watching television two days ago. The last image I’d seen was Galluzzi dressed in an ugly orange jump suit, handcuffed and standing in a courtroom. The judge withheld bond and ordered her to wait in a maximum-security prison until further notice. The memory would stay in my mind forever.

Jonas tossed the towel over his shoulder. “The council, members of the deceased families and the local pack are asking to stone her and Billy on the Statehouse lawn.”

“What?” I couldn’t hide the shock in my voice. “That’s biblical punishment. Will it kill them?”

“It’s better than cruel and unusual. And yes, they’re flesh and blood like me. They won’t survive.”

“What about Martin?”

“He made a plea bargain with the council. He confessed everything in exchange for his life. In two days, the council will gather the eldest warlocks together. They’re going to strip all of his abilities from him and then drop him off on the island of Las Almas Perdidas.”

“What kind of island is that?”

“It stands for Lost Souls. There’s a prison on the island for the condemned supernatural.”

The island part seemed a little too nice of a punishment for Martin. Once Jonas said there was a prison, I gathered his new residence wouldn’t involve luxury accommodations and spa treatments. “How do they take his powers?”

“From what Boss told me, they suck all his energy along with his memories, then put a spell on him.”

“He won’t have any memories?” Having no memories myself, I almost felt bad for him. Almost.

“They have to wipe his mind to ensure he won’t be able to think of a way to get his abilities back. The spell is an extra measure too. Warlocks are tricky.”

They couldn’t be any worse than a demon. Perhaps it was a good idea to remove his memories so he couldn’t, somehow, remember how to cast spells or magic. I’d hate to see a convicted warlock recall his talents and go after their victim.

Jonas leaned over the edge of the rail and gazed up at the sky. “I miss Tabby. Maybe things will perk up around here once she’s back.”

I nodded in agreement and looked forward to seeing my shape-shifting friend soon. Jonas had spoken with Tabby two days ago and found out she’d traveled to Chicago with her sister for a few days of shopping. She screamed with joy when Jonas invited her home. He told her we’d pick her up at the airport. She said she couldn’t wait to see us. We couldn’t wait to see her. Secretly, Jonas and I hoped her happy-go-lucky presence would lighten the atmosphere in the house. A little hope never hurt.

“When are we picking her up?” I asked.

He turned around to face me. “We should leave in an hour to get her.”

“I’m ready when you are.” I had my dagger in my boot and my purse sitting on the table in the entryway. I even stashed extra funds in my wallet. Well, Boss pretty much ordered that I keep extra money with me. I didn’t complain over such a miniscule item.

“In that case, would you want to head out there early and watch the planes?”

“Yeah, sure.”

“I’ll finish dressing. If you want to grab the keys, I’ll meet you in the car in five minutes.” He back stepped toward the door.

I gave a casual swat of my hand through the air. “Take your time.”

He disappeared in the house two seconds later.

Since we arrived at the new site, none of us had ventured far. Perhaps staying homebound had added to our strained relationships. Yes, the house was spacious, but we each needed time and distance from each other, if only briefly. Here was my first opportunity, and I refused to let it go.