Chapter 17
By the time they reached the edge of the forest, a small army had assembled.
“She might not have been a vampire for long, but she is one of ours,” Jaks explained.
After years of being a lonely single parent, his mother deserved a close-knit community even if they were blood-drinkers.
“How do you want to do this?” he asked Jaks.
“Full force. Nikko will already know we’re here. You can’t hide this much vampire energy.”
“So, no reason to be subtle?” he checked.
“None at all.” Jaks’s smirk only encouraged him.
His lover knew Quentin was eager and willing to crush Nikko to get his mother back. “Do you think he will hurt her if we get too close?”
“I think if he were going to do that, he would’ve already sent her back to you in pieces.” Jaks cupped the back of Quentin’s neck and kissed him.
His thoughts scattered like leaves beneath Jaks’s talented mouth. When he was finally freed, Quentin swayed on his feet. “You’re being distracting,” he accused.
“Are you still nervous?”
“No.”
“Then it worked.”
“If you two lovebirds are done, we have a mother to save.” Grevin folded his arms over his chest and pinned them with a disapproving stare.
“Ready?”
Grevin grinned. “I've never been readier. Shall I start?”
“Why not?” Jaks waved his hand in a go-ahead gesture. “Be my guest.”
Grevin’s bare toes wiggled in the earth.
Necromantic magic swirled in the air, standing all the hairs on Quentin’s arms on end.
The ground rolled, and bones flew up from the earth, spewing leaves and dirt in their paths.
Under Grevin’s direction, bones formed creatures that then grew sinew and flesh.
It was like watching a horror movie in reverse as rabbits, raccoons, and coyotes raced through the forest in the direction of Nikko’s house.
A bear’s roar jerked Quentin out of his fascination.
“He raised bears.” Quentin’s shaky whisper must have reached Grevin because he turned to him with a maniacal grin.
“I didn’t even know we had bears here.”
“Now we do.” What else could he say? He’d always known Grevin was a potent necromancer, but this was on another level.
He caught more than one vampire giving Grevin a considering or admiring glance. He wouldn’t have a problem getting a date after this. Whether it was with someone he wanted to date was another matter.
Quentin winced when a few humans reformed beneath Grevin’s power. Maybe after this, they could solve some missing-person cases. With a wave of his hand, he clothed them to protect their modesty. He hoped Jaks didn’t mind losing a few outfits.
“Is that my suit?” Jaks whispered.
“Maybe.” He would admit to nothing.
“That was my favorite.”
Quentin grinned at the sulky tone. “You can get a new favorite. Think of it as emotional growth.” He scooted out of reach before Jaks could get any ideas.
“Ready for your part, Beloved?” Jaks’s voice snapped Quentin out of his daydreaming.
“No, but let’s do it anyway.” Gaining confidence from the wave of necromantic constructs before them, Quentin entered the forest. He patted his small backpack. “Did you remind everyone not to cross in front of me?”
“Yes, they know not to get on the wrong side of your magic.”
“If only everyone were that smart.”
Before he could get too far away, Jaks pulled Quentin close and kissed him with enough heat that his toes curled in his boots. When he was finally released, he glared at the vampires, catcalling them.
“Enough!” Jaks shouted. “Keep your focus on the woods and watch each other's backs. This forest is enchanted and can play with your mind. Be cautious over who or what you attack. We don’t want to be picking each other off, and we don’t know how many opponents we might encounter.
Quentin turned his attention from his lover to his surroundings. He had to keep his mind in the game. If he were injured, it would distract Jaks from his surroundings and could result in both of them getting killed.
A stick snapping beneath his boot startled him and sent a crackle of magic into the air. His cheeks burned in embarrassment.
“Easy, love.”
He held back his immediate retort that would’ve started a fight neither of them wanted at this moment. He had to focus on the job. Rescuing his mother and taking down this clever vampire who knew how to play victim to the council.
For a second, he wished he’d called his father and his uncles.
They might no longer be bone wolves, but they were powerful fae who could make sure they got out of there alive.
Maybe not entirely well, but alive. However, his father had his own problems right now, and Quentin had never depended on a father before, so why would he start now?
He opened his messenger bag and took out one of his trap balls.
He made sure he had the right orb. He didn’t want to start burning things yet.
A pulse of magic through his shoes let him track the path ahead.
Nature whispered back with quieter tones than his usual replies.
Something about this stretch of forest unsettled him.
It was already deeper than the map had shown, as if magic had stretched the territory inside its natural boundaries.
More likely, it was his nerves and the pressure of tainted magic infusing the air that made the trek feel like they’d already traveled miles in the five minutes they’d walked.
A soft swoosh of displaced air was Quentin’s only warning before the vampire in front of him vanished.
“Watch out!” someone shouted.
He didn’t recognize the voice, but heeded the excellent advice. Instinct had him ducking. Seconds later, claws swooped over the spot where he’d been standing.
“What are they?” Quentin whispered, not expecting an answer.
“Harpies!” Jaks’s voice carried through the forest. “Watch the sky for harpies,” he shouted.
Quentin tried to think of everything he knew about harpies, and not much came up.
Weren’t they a more northern creature? How did someone import harpies without the authorities knowing?
Hafrey had told him once that harpies were a Mediterranean creature.
Their claws were sharp enough to eviscerate a cow, not to mention a human or vampire.
It took several minutes before the vampires won over the flying creatures. Once they were aware of what they were fighting, it was only a matter of waiting until they swooped down before a vampire could jump up and rip out their throats.
Harpies don’t die quietly.
Their screams would follow Quentin into his nightmares for years to come.
“Be vigilant,” Jaks shouted. “We don’t want any more losses.”
More losses. They had lost someone. Already this adventure had cost one of their lives, or more.
“You okay, darling?”
Quentin swallowed. “Yeah,” he lied.
His magic flared, rippling across the forest floor. The report back startled him out of his fear. “There are werewolves up ahead.”
Jaks gave a soft hum of understanding. “Keep behind me.”
He wanted to argue, to fight, to prove that he could handle himself, but could he? His record wasn’t that impressive. Without further internal debate, he moved behind Jaks.
A howl broke the unnatural quiet. It was echoed by dozens more.
He missed the unnatural quiet.
“Hold steady!” Jaks shouted to his people.
Before he could fall into an anxiety attack, the sound of dozens of paws hitting the ground echoed amongst the trees like a furry invasion force. Why would they support a psychotic vampire? Maybe they wouldn’t do it without a bit of persuasion?
A line of wolves blocked their path as they moved further into the forest.
Jaks moved more fully in front of Quentin, keeping him from the werewolves’ sight.
Vampires streamed into the woods, swarming like a plague of locusts.
Relief that they were on his side rushed through him until he realized they were hunting a vampire, too.
What kind of vampire could partner with werewolves?
Natural enemies working together? It only took one sight of a werewolf’s expression to understand.
The slack face, the dull eyes. It spoke of mind control.
Unwilling allies to an evil trying to take over the town, and possibly more.
They didn’t really know Nikko’s goals. All they knew was that he wanted Quentin’s house for one reason or another. Nothing that could be positive.
“Quentin, watch out!”
The warning almost came too late.
Quentin instinctively threw a capture orb at the beast. It disappeared in a flash of light. His heart pounded so loudly that he was certain all the supernatural creatures in the forest heard it thunder. They kept coming like a tide of slashing claws and sharp teeth.
He wasn’t proud that he panicked, but his magic saved him once again. Instinct had him flinging his right hand forward. Power, warped to his bidding, flared across the forest like an electric net.
Focus.
He had to focus. The creatures Grevin had summoned attacked the werewolves, distracting them enough for Quentin to gain the upper hand. Even as they fell beneath teeth and claws, they served their purpose of being the front line of attackers.
He flung orbs at every beast, emptying his bag, calling forth the image of the cages in the Bounty Hunter’s basement. Several pulses of magic later, and the forest was empty of every moon-blessed being.
Dizzy, Quentin swayed on his feet until strong arms wrapped around him and the soothing voice of his lover told him he’d done well.
“Good job, my love. Stay with me so I can reward you for your efforts later.” The silky, smoky voice, along with the press of Jaks’s firm body against him, had Quentin sucking in a long, deep breath. It took several deep inhales and exhales before he found his equilibrium.
“If you are done snuggling, we still have your mother to rescue,” a deep voice interrupted Quentin’s obsession with Jaks’s melting gaze.