AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Leo got us there in just under two and half hours. I couldn’t see much along the way beyond the headlights, but I could feel lots of rolling hills and curves. Leo slowed the vehicle when we spotted a dark sedan up ahead. A woman dressed in the same drab robe stepped out as we pulled off to the side.
Leo put the car in park and stepped out. “Talia, I presume?”
“Yes.” She looked inside our vehicle. “I need to see the Fae. I understand there are two now.”
Leo nodded to me. I exited the vehicle with Vance right behind me.
Talia gestured for us to come closer. “I need physical contact to read you.”
I stepped closer and offered my hand. Vance did the same. She took both of our hands at once and clasped them between hers. She paused for a moment in concentration and released her hold.
“Very well, you may pass. Return to your vehicle. It will only take a moment to lift the wards.”
We did as instructed and watched her through the headlights. She made a fist and released it, spreading a trail of fairy dust across the entire width of the road. It was so strange seeing someone else use Fae magic, especially someone who wasn’t technically Fae. She held her arms out wide and began chanting.
“What’s she saying?” I wasn’t very fluent in Latin, but as a warlock, Vance was.
“I can’t tell,” Vance whispered. “That’s not Classical Latin. It’s something much more ancient.”
I sensed the disturbance in the air before I saw it. At first, I thought my vision was blurring but then I realized the landscape was. A loud crack boomed through the night and suddenly, we had miles of road in front of us, instead of the rocky shoreline we saw before.
Talia came up to my open window. “Follow me. Make haste, because the wards will only be lifted for another ninety seconds.”
With that, she got into her car and began driving. Leo shifted the car into gear and followed closely behind.
We cruised through more winding roads until we reached a small lake. The moon was reflecting off the surface, allowing me to see a large castle-like building in the distance. As we rounded the bend, we drove down a narrow road for another quarter-mile before pulling to a stop in front of wooden double doors.
I climbed out of the car, taking in the enormity of Quinmore Abbey. At first glimpse, the impressive palace was like a near-translucent alabaster and charcoal sculpture, almost too stunning to be real. It was built using a mixture of different architectural styles that appeared to be predominantly Gothic. There were several imposing towers, each covered in windows and topped with decorative battlements. On either side of the main house, set back into the hills, were rectangular outbuildings that resembled old college dormitories. Perched snugly alongside a glassy lake in the folds of a tree-covered mountainside, the entire thing was utterly romantic and reminded me of times long gone.
“Wow.” I was in awe.
Vance joined me. “This is incredible.”
Talia opened the front door. “This way.” Her tone was all business, all the time.
The three of us followed her into a large foyer. Dark chestnut paneling lined the walls from floor to ceiling. Above, a rose-colored chandelier hung from a pale blue coffered ceiling.
Talia stopped in the doorway of a large sitting room off to the right. “Wait here in the parlor. The High Priestess will be in shortly.”
Vance, Leo, and I each took a seat in delicate mauve chairs. I tried making small talk as we waited, but Leo silenced me with a look that warned, don’t say a word, someone could be listening.
A few moments later, Leo’s body went rigid as he gripped the arms of the chair.
“What’s wrong?” I asked.
He clenched his fists. “I feel…woozy, I think.” His already pale complexion became more pronounced and a sheen of sweat formed along his forehead. “I haven’t been ill since I was human. I’m not quite sure what’s happening.”
I knelt in front of him as he swayed forward. “Are you okay?”
I could see Vance’s nervous expression in my peripheral. Karli, maybe we should get out of here. I don’t like this.
Ooh, I’d almost forgotten that Vance could speak to me telepathically! That could certainly come in handy.
I placed my hand on his forearm. “Leo? Do you want to leave?”
He stood up and fell. Vance jumped forward to brace him so he didn’t topple over me. “Whoa there, Vampire. Easy now.”
Leo clutched his chest. “My heart…is pounding.” Sweat began dripping from his brow. “Maybe…maybe I need some fresh air.”
