The Heart of a Monster: The Complete Series

Chapter 27

Quinn

Ahalf hour later, I slumped against the tinted backseat window and gave the drawing in my sketchpad a final once-over. Lance scooted to sit closer to me like he had when he’d cauterized my wounds with his fiery breath, tucking his chin over his shoulder. “Can I see?”

“It doesn’t look like much,” I said, tilting the pad so he had a better view.

Clothing was far from my expertise, but I’d fixed torn seams and lost buttons over the years. I had a basic understanding of how the pieces needed to fit together and what sorts of construction made sense. I’d just have to count on an expert to figure out the precise logistics.

The sort-of vest I’d sketched out looked like a broad-coverage sports bra, the neckline curving along my sketched model’s collarbone to two narrow straps, the base set a couple of inches below the breasts. I’d drawn a closeup of the materials I wanted stitched together for the entire piece other than the straps: flat beads woven in an interlocking pattern so that they could shift with my movements but left only the slightest gaps in between them.

“I think it should work,” I said. “I mean, as much as anything should, if this works at all. I figured we’d ask for alternating silver and iron beads so that both metals have an evenly distributed effect.” I sucked my lower lip under my teeth. “Do you really think this will suppress the sorcerer vibe I give off? I thought it was in my blood too. I can’t go around in a full hazmat suit of this stuff.”

My question was directed mainly at Torrent, who’d suggested the metal vest solution. He’d been behind the wheel for the entire time I’d been drawing, cruising north along the highway. He figured we had the best chance of finding someone who could build what we needed in Jacksonville, since it was the biggest city anywhere nearby. I hadn’t wanted to stick around Daytona Beach with Rollick searching for us there anyway.

“The effects of the metals worked for a while when we were at the cabin,” he said. “There were posts of silver and iron under the water around the property to discourage other shadowkind from coming near, and it took a few days before your energy got strong enough for it to seep through.”

“But if it keeps getting stronger?—”

He shot me a brief glance over his shoulder. “That should be less of an issue once the other shadowkind aren’t stalking you as closely—and we’ll be keeping more of a distance rather than being in close quarters with you 24-7. This shield will also create a much more concentrated effect directly around the most potent source of the energy. I can’t guarantee it’ll work, but it’s our best chance.”

I couldn’t really ask for more than that, could I? I slumped back in my seat. “All right. Now how are we going to find someone to put this together—and fast?” The afternoon had only gotten later, the sun dropping ever closer to the horizon, and it wasn’t exactly a normal project at the best of times. “We’ll have to pay them a lot too, especially for a rush job.”

I started mentally calculating how much I could take out of my bank account in one go from an ATM. Would any branches of my usual bank be open by the time we got to Jacksonville so I could ask for more in person? It was coming up on the end of the afternoon. Random independent seamstresses weren’t likely to take a credit card.

“I can take care of that,” Torrent said before I got very far in my assessment. “Money isn’t a problem. Crag, give her my phone.”

As the gargoyle handed the device over with a worried frown, Torrent went on. “Find someone in Jacksonville who’s got the resources, can work quickly, and can start right away. Offer them a hundred thousand dollars if you need to.”

My jaw dropped even as my gut twisted. “I’m sure someone would do it for that, but are you kidding me? I can’t ask you to give me that kind of money.” It was at least twenty times more than all I had to my name.

Torrent let out a scoffing sound. “I’ve had centuries for my accounts to accumulate interest. Believe me, that’s a drop in the bucket. You’ll find most shadowkind who’ve spent much time mortal-side have no cash-flow problems.”

“Oh.” That made sense. But a knot remained in my stomach as I started searching the internet for local clothes makers and designers.

A whisper of a memory rose up in the back of my head of overhearing Mom and Dad murmur to each other about how much the insurance would cover, how they’d leverage their retirement funds and other investments to cover my treatments. All the trips and minor luxuries they’d once talked about us enjoying someday had vanished with my hospital stays.

They’d also used to talk about me someday having a little brother or sister, but that idea had evaporated too once my health problems had drained their accounts.

I’d done everything I could not to be a burden since then. I knew it wasn’t my fault and that my parents would rather have had me still alive than have kept the money. But still…

I stared down at the phone, blinking away the sudden blur of tears, and set my jaw. This was different. Torrent had made it clear he could easily spare the money. It mattered more to him that I survived the next few days than to hold on to his cash.

And if the fact that I might really matter to him a hell of a lot more than I’d believed a couple of hours ago sent an uneasy wobble through my chest, this wasn’t the time to examine that feeling too closely. Before, I’d managed to tell myself that my shadowkind men were only protecting me out of some sort of general sense of honor or justice, since after all they hadn’t really known me.

But that had changed. They’d somehow become dedicated to my survival to the point that they’d defied a very powerful demon they’d once answered to.

How much more would they lose trying to keep me alive?

I closed my eyes for a second and shook off those thoughts. They didn’t want to lose me either, so I’d better get on with making sure they didn’t, right?

I tapped out hasty messages to the freelancers I’d looked up, giving a few details about what I needed and the preferred timeline. A couple of people responded as if thinking it was a joke. One said they’d need a week. Then the fourth messaged me back saying she was a night owl and would appreciate the challenge. Would I call to discuss the details?

I dialed her number, my pulse thumping harder. “Hey,” she said when she answered. “That was fast.”

“Yeah,” I said with a nervous little laugh. “Like I said in my message, this is pretty urgent. Do you really think you can make it happen tonight?”

“I’m hoping so. The structure should be pretty simple, and my roommates can help with the beading. I’ve got to check with a friend who does metal work, but he’s been putting together a bunch of types of beads and other fixtures in different metals. I’m sure he has silver and probably iron too. They might not be the exact shape you were picturing, though, since it sounds like there isn’t time to customize…”

“That’s fine,” I said. “I wasn’t sure what would work best anyway. As long as they’re relatively light-weight and small enough to allow a good amount of movement, that’s what’s most important.”

“Okay. Send me a pic of your sketch so I can get started working out the logistics. Exactly how high is your budget for this? I’ve got to put off another project I had on the go.”

“Whatever you’d usually charge for a rush order with this much customization, triple it,” I said.

I could almost hear her eyebrows rising over the phone. “That’d put us at about fifteen K since I’ll need to give my roommates a slice. You’re really okay with that?”

I held back a laugh, thinking of what Torrent had offered. “No problem at all. More than worth it for the short notice.”

“All right then. It is kind of crazy, but for that kind of money—and hey, I always like stretching my skills. I’ll send you my address so you can come by and I’ll measure you. We can work out the deposit details then, once you see I’m a real person too.”

For the first time in ages, the weight of worry I’d been carrying since the attack in the park lifted. “Great. I’ll see you soon.”

* * *

My seamstress turned out to be a woman who looked only a few years older than me, with wild curls and sparkling eyes that matched her enthusiasm for the unusual work. When I stopped at her apartment for the second time, after she’d texted me that the vest was done, she flung open the door with an exuberance that felt like a bit much for the late hour. I’d managed to get some sleep nestled in the back seat of the car while Torrent drove around and we waited for my new protective clothing to be finished, but I wasn’t exactly at full alertness.

“It came together so well,” she said in an excited whisper, and motioned toward the apartment behind her in explanation for her volume. “My roommates have all crashed. But it wasn’t even as hard as I was worried it’d be. Come in. You’ve got to try it on.”

I stepped inside, set down my messenger bag, and held out my arms so she could ease the vest over my head. She’d made the fabric in the straps flexible so it pulled on easily despite the shallow neckline.

The beads, a mix of dime-shaped silver and slightly thicker iron squares, tinkled faintly against each other. But once the vest was lying flat on me over the thin cotton of my regular tank top, they were spaced enough apart that they barely clinked unless I twisted around abruptly.

“It’ll be even quieter if you wear something over it to weigh them down,” the woman said, cocking her head. “Not that you’d want to layer up in this heat. And I assume you’re hoping to show it off. I did make sure it’s nice and sturdy like you asked—shouldn’t have to worry about threads snagging and breaking. What’s it for, anyway? Some kind of theater production? Special fashion statement?”

“Something like that,” I said, wishing I could sate her curiosity after how well she’d come through for me. “Thank you so much. You got it together incredibly fast.”

She giggled. “With what you’re paying me, I’d have finished it even sooner if my hands could work faster. I hope it’s worth it.”

So did I. Torrent had picked up money somehow or other while I’d slept so that I could pay the rest of what I owed her in cash. I got the envelope out of my bag, stood there awkwardly while she counted it with widened eyes, and then hurried downstairs to find out whether our plan had been a success. I couldn’t tell whether the vest had changed anything.

I slipped out of the apartment building and rushed around back to where the sedan was waiting, knowing at least one of the men would be tracking me through the shadows for extra protection. When I opened the back door, Crag materialized at the opposite side, Torrent and Lance already up front. All three of them gave a little flinch as I dropped into my seat.

I glanced down at the vest. “Crap. I didn’t think about—it’s uncomfortable for you being near me while I’m in this thing, isn’t it?”

“We’re fine,” Crag said gruffly. “We could handle being in the cabin surrounded by the posts; we can handle this.”

“We’re just trusting you not to give us any bear hugs while you’re in that thing,” Lance said around the side of his seat, shooting me a wink.

He’d said it flippantly, but the words struck me hard anyway.

It was true. The trust went both ways in this situation. It wasn’t just me counting on them not to turn on me, either directly or by betraying me to their boss. They’d arranged the means for me to hurt them if I wanted to.

The sense of resistance to accepting their commitment coiled through my gut again, but it didn’t squeeze quite as tightly as before. Maybe it was okay that they were staking so much on me. I’d taken a risk voluntarily, and so had they. We were in this together.

“Is it working?” I asked, focusing on the most important question.

Lance tipped farther between the front seats. Torrent watched as the dragon shifter examined me. Lance’s lips stretched with a smile, and he rubbed his hands together. “I can’t pick up a quiver even when I’m this close. None of the beasties will have a clue.”

Relief rushed through me so abruptly that I found my eyes welling up for the second time since the three men had caught up with me this afternoon. “Good. No, that’s fucking fantastic. Does that mean—is this enough? As long as I can figure out how to keep this thing on me, I’d be able to go home and head back to college in the fall and all that?”

Torrent’s mouth slanted at an apologetic angle. “Not quite. This is a big step, and it buys us time. It should get the other shadowkind off your back, since as far as we can tell, they didn’t know anything about you other than whatever was in that letter you wrote. They’re clearly not as adept at tracking via human methods as Rollick is. They were relying on picking up the energy to hunt you down, but he found out your full name and where you lived before you even started giving off enough of a vibe to draw notice.”

My exhilaration dampened. “I can’t go anywhere I’d usually go then, can I? He’ll be keeping an eye on my house and maybe other places too.”

“That would be the most logical approach once he realizes he can’t locate you any other way.” Torrent hesitated, as if he didn’t like what he had to say next. “He might even chat up your parents or other people from your regular life to try to gather more information. I don’t think he’d hurt any of them, at least not unless he saw a reason to believe you’d find out and he could use it as leverage…”

Any good feeling in me swept away under a wave of nausea. “Oh, no. So then, what? I’m supposed to basically go into witness protection and cut all ties with everyone and everything that mattered to me?” What was the point in even staying alive for another few years if I did that? Everything I’d been working toward would still be thrown in the garbage. My parents would suffer for ages wondering what’d happened to me—worse than if I’d simply died.

“We have to find a way to get him to back off,” Crag rumbled, his expression hardening as he took in the anguish that must have been written on my face.

“A way, a way, to make him go away,” Lance chanted, sliding down in his seat and sticking his feet on the dashboard. “He’s a wily one.”

“We haven’t come up with a definite plan for that yet,” Torrent said. “But we haven’t had a lot of time to either. We can lay low for a few days and think it through.”

But that didn’t guarantee we’d come up with a solid plan. And in those few days, who knew what Rollick might do to Mom and Dad?

As Torrent started the engine, I knit my brow. “Could we ask Sorsha for help? Even if he’s too powerful for the three of you to stop on your own, she and her guys seemed pretty fierce.”

Lance hummed to himself. “The flaming bird.”

Torrent shook his head. “We don’t really know them. I’ve worked for Rollick for decades and I still didn’t know him as well as I thought I did. We can’t trust strangers to solve our problems for us. For all we know, they’ll decide it’s better to destroy Quinn’s heart so no one gets their hands on it than to try to protect her.”

Crag let out a growl at that idea. Okay, yeah, I didn’t really want to take that risk either.

I bit my lip, my thoughts spinning. “Your boss just wants me, right? He wants my heart like this other bunch of shadowkind do too?”

“As far as I can figure from what he’s said,” Torrent said. “Rollick wasn’t specific when he gave our orders. I’m not sure he knew back then whether there’d be any reason to pursue you at all. He wanted us to observe you and to protect you if any other shadowkind came after you so that… so that you’d be saved for him. But he also said that if we didn’t see anything unusual after several months, that we should just leave. When he came to the marina, though, he was obviously more aware.”

My mind latched on to one part of what Torrent had said with a glimmer of inspiration. “He was worried that if I turned out to be something he wanted, someone else might get to me first. And then he couldn’t have me at all.”

“That sums it up pretty well.”

“Then… is there some way we can make him believe that another shadowkind has gotten to me? That I’m not around at all, so he might as well just go back to wherever he came from and stop looking?”

All three of the men were silent for a long moment. Lance clicked his claws together. “Clever. I like it. But also tricky.”

Crag frowned. “I don’t think he’ll give up based on rumors. He’d need to be totally convinced.”

“I agree.” Torrent drew in a slow, thoughtful breath. His silence stretched as the car’s engine rumbled. Then he nodded. “There may be a way we can arrange some ‘evidence.’ We might even be able to pull it off tonight, if luck is on our side.”

I sat straighter, peering at him in the shadowy space lit only by the passing streetlamps. “What are you thinking? Whatever it is, let’s do it.”

He let out a humorless chuckle. “Maybe you should wait until you’ve heard the idea. You might not like it. You’re going to need to get up close and personal with human mortality—and we’ll need you to bleed.”

Crag let out a grunt of protest, and Lance hissed through his teeth, but I lifted my chin even as a chill washed over me.

I’d thumbed my nose at death plenty of times. No big deal. And as for blood—if it was spill a little or spill a lot, I knew which option I preferred.

These three men had sacrificed their security and their jobs and risked their own lives to save mine. How could I say no to anything they asked of me to accomplish the same goal?

“I’ll face whatever you need me to if it means I can get out of this mess,” I said. “What’s a little more blood in the grand scheme of things anyway?”