Page 69 of Quintus

Chapter Eleven

Quintus’ mind raced. In thousands of years of his existence, he’d never felt more alive. Connected to another being, his heart pounded in his chest. Gabriella was his, forever more. Her power hummed in his body, her energy like a lightning bolt. Dangerous and beautiful, she matched his lethal nature.

She mewled, and wrapped a leg over his. He inhaled, smiling as he nuzzled his nose into her hair. She smelled of sweet honeysuckle and the dash of her white magick tingled over her skin. Gabriella’s hair spilled over her shoulder, revealing an intricate design on her skin. My mark. Quintus’ heart squeezed as he held her tiny hand in his, drawing circles onto her palm. He never thought he’d allow another woman into his heart, yet as he brushed his lips to her forehead, his soul craved hers.

His thoughts drifted to Mao. There would have been no way he could have completed the bond with Gabriella had she been who she said she was. At best, the woman Absinthe had presented was merely a shell of Mao, her spirit long dead. At worst, the dark magick he detected belonged to that of a demon, once masquerading as his former lover. Regardless, he planned to bring her back to the witch who found her.

The creak of the door opening broke his contemplation, and his eyes went to Hunter. No words needed to be spoken. The Alpha knew they’d mated, had watched but left them in privacy to go dress. Hunter gave him a silent nod and padded across the room to the sofa. He quietly lay back on it, his feet propped in the air.

Quintus speculated they could rest a few hours before flying back to New Orleans. It was only a matter of time before Lilitu found them again. He suspected that not only could the bone kill her, it could bring down the entire coven, so she’d come for them soon. While Gabriella didn’t know how to use the artifact, Quintus was certain they’d find answers in New Orleans.

Fucking Ilsbeth, he inwardly cursed. The New Orleans’ high priestess had been the most feared and powerful witch in the country before her accident. But the last time he’d seen her, she’d lost her mind, disassociating herself from her former name and life.

Quintus prayed like hell Samantha could provide guidance and help them kill Lilitu. Although she was rumored to be powerful, she didn’t have much experience. Spells, both white and dark magick, were passed through the lineage of witches. Because Samantha was bonded to a vampire, sired through him, Quintus trusted her more than he’d ever be capable of with Absinthe.

As he closed his eyes, Quintus relaxed into the embrace of his little wolf. For but a few hours they’d safely rest, then they’d make their way to the Crescent City. They’d bring the bone of the first witch to New Orleans and find the spell. In the meantime, Quintus swore his life to protect his mate.

“Stop messing around, Viktor,” Quintus told his brother over the phone. He stood and walked to the back of the private jet, keeping his voice low.

“I’m not fucking around. I don’t know how the bitch got out. I did as you asked. Put her in one of the holding cells at the club,” Viktor said, exhaustion in his voice.

“Are you sure she’s not there?” His blood pressure rose, a tick in his temple. “Maybe she’s just hiding or something.”

“Sorry, she’s gone.”

“She’s a pixiu. Or at least she was. They’ve got rare powers. It’s possible she could’ve used demon magick to escape. Or maybe one got in to help her.”

“Or stole her back. Who the fuck knows? I’m so over this bullshit.”

“Hey, I’ve got to tell you something. I bonded with Gabby. I’m her mate.” Quintus’ declaration was met by silence. “Did you hear me?”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you. I mean, I thought maybe you might wait for me. I feel like I might cry…always a bridesmaid, never the bride.”

“Fuck off.” Quintus heard laughter from his phone and took a deep breath, tempted to throw it across the plane.

“You’re so touchy. I’m just fucking with ya, bro. Congrats. I just…I don’t know…I guess I wasn’t sure if it would ever really happen. The Goddess…that bitch sure does take her sweet time. I guess the first one doesn’t really count. It’s kind of like you took a mulligan.”

“Listen, Viktor. Because I need you to pay attention. Whoever this woman is…it’s not Mao. It’s as if someone is wearing her like a mask. Even her skin felt different. There’s something about her. The more I think on this, the more I think she might be a demon.”

“Fuck me. You know what this means?”

“It means she could be more powerful than you think. Just stay where you are. Call Thorn and let him go find his mess. He brought her here. Make her his problem.”

“It also means we’ve met two demons in the course of a week. This isn’t exactly good luck.”

“We can’t know for sure what the hell she really is, but I think it’s safe to assume she’s driving on black magick fuel.”

“I was tempted to tell her to get some holy water to clean off the Hell stink. But if she’s a demon, she’s going to need more than a few spritzes. I’m thinking more like an underwater baptism.”

“You’re not going to get a demon anywhere near a church.”

“Maybe a river. Ah, the good old days.”

“The good old days weren’t that good.” Quintus raked his fingers through his hair and turned to walk toward the pilot’s cabin. “I need you to focus. Do as I said. Call Thorn. If you can’t reach him, call Absinthe. Then meet me in New Orleans. We’ll go see Samantha.”

“Damn. Just when I was getting to enjoy babysitting,” he quipped.

“You don’t even own a plant,” Quintus challenged. “You don’t cook.”