The Cathedral of Cliffdale Read online

  She felt his warm thumb on her lip, tracing the cupid bow of her mouth. Opening her eyes, she found him gazing at her with love and longing. And in the instant that she registered the agonising adoration in his gaze, it occurred to her that she was, after all, Avery’s twin.

  Painfully, Quinn yanked her hands from his grasp, the sudden movement taking him by surprise. He stepped away from her automatically, uncertain of her abrupt change of heart.

  “Quinn?” his voice was still thick with passion, but through it she could hear the genuine concern.

  “I’m sorry,” she shook her head, moving past him and switching on the lamp on the hall table. In the soft golden glow of light, he looked hurt and bewildered. Glancing down at her bare flesh, embarrassed, she quickly retrieved her shirt from the floor and pulled it over her head. “I’m sorry,” she repeated, making eye contact with him. Things had spiralled out of control so quickly she wasn’t even sure how she had let it get this far. Her head swam; Tristan, Avery, lust and guilt all merging into one painful, throbbing headache. “It’s just that...” and suddenly, she found that she didn’t want to tell him. It was humiliating and hurtful enough that he had left her once for her own sister, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit that her biggest fear was that he might be doing this because it was the closest he could get to Avery, and not because he felt anything for Quinn herself. Looking into his compassionate blue eyes, Quinn cringed, mortified. “I’m sorry,” she whispered again, before fleeing the room.

  Chapter 36

  The next few days passed without incident. Tristan’s easy-going nature could not be curbed for long, and he was soon back to his old self, their awkward moment seemingly forgotten, although Quinn caught him watching her often when he thought she wasn’t looking. The full moon came more quickly than seemed possible and the three set out for the woods beside the town’s abandoned train station. Quinn hadn’t seen Drake since her return, which bothered her, though she would never admit it. She assumed that he was keeping his distance because of Rafe and Trsitan’s presence, but she wished he had made contact. She would have liked his assurance that Genevieve wouldn’t present a problem now that Rafe was out in the open. He knew that the full moon would require them to take Rafe outside. She guessed she would just have to trust him.

  “Fun?” Quinn huffed, breathlessly, as she once again pushed the heavy wolf back towards the fire. They had been standing vigil over Rafe for hours and every muscle in her body protested painfully. “You did say a camp-out would be fun, right?”

  “You’re not having fun?” Tristan hissed back, his muscles straining as he added his strength. Rafe was trying to remain in control, but every now and again he would pick up a scent, his hackles would rise and he would start to move away from their small campsite.

  “Here,” Tristan opened the trunk of his SUV, which was bigger than Quinn's hatchback. “Let’s get him inside, he’s going to make a run for it soon.”

  Quinn had to agree. Rafe was not coping well and it wouldn’t be long before he couldn’t fight his instinct anymore. He had not hunted for two months and the abundance of wildlife around them must be driving him crazy.

  Heaving and panting they finally got Rafe into the trunk and slammed it closed. Immediately he let out a howl of anguish, so loud that Quinn could feel the reverberations through the glass of the windshield she was leaning back against.

  “I need to find him something to eat,” Tristan said, grabbing Quinn’s crossbow off the back seat.

  “I can do it,” Quinn offered.

  “I’m a better shot,” he reminded her, amused. He had always been better with a bow than she was, his skill rivalling that of even the Fae.

  Tristan had only been gone a few minutes when it happened. A deer picked its way into the clearing, no doubt drawn by the flickering camp-fire. It happened so quickly that Quinn had barely turned, horrified, in the direction of the SUV, when Rafe burst through the glass, knocking her to the ground and bolting after the now-fleeing deer.

  Quinn groaned as she pulled herself to her feet. She winced at the burning pain in her side and glanced down to see four deep lacerations where Rafe’s claws had grazed her as he passed, tearing through the fabric of her coat.

  “Shit,” Quinn winced again as she pressed her hand down on the seeping wounds.

  Drake fought the urge to go to her. He could smell her blood even from here, in the shadows, but he focused on what was more important. Quinn would want him to save the ward – the foolish wolf - who had streaked passed him just seconds before. To his relief and dismay, he heard the male Guardian approaching quickly - crashing through the trees. Tristan would make sure Quinn was okay. Silently, Drake turned and raced after Rafe.

  “Quinn!” Tristan dropped the crossbow as he skidded to a halt beside her. Assessing her injury, he insisted she sit. Quinn allowed him only five minutes to fret over her and then she pushed him away. “Tristan,” she instructed. “Rafe is out there... go.”

  “I’ll find him,” he promised, while Quinn’s heart raced frantically at the thought of Rafe alone in man’s realm. Just as Tristan was reaching for the bow, they heard a low growl behind them.

  “Thank God,” Quinn could have wept in relief as the familiar grey and white wolf came into view, pulling the deer carcass along the ground behind him.

  Content, Rafe settled down with his prey, his yellow eyes casting wary looks at them.

  “I’m fine,” Quinn repeated, as Tristan fussed over her. It was barely more than a scratch. Satisfied, Tristan let her be.

  “The worst is over,” Quinn mused a few hours later. Rafe had eaten his full and was now lying on his side, slitty-eyed, as he lingered between sleep and wakefulness. “Only a few more hours and the sun will be up.”

  “Then what?” Tristan asked.

  “Then I keep looking for that crystal.”

  Tristan mulled over her words.

  “Do you think we’ll ever get Jack and Ava back?”

  “I don’t know,” Quinn admitted, her heart constricting painfully at the thought of her niece and nephew. She missed them so badly it hurt. “But I won’t stop trying to find them,” she promised, her jaw set stubbornly, “no matter how many obstacles the Guardians throw in my way.”

  “Is that what Rafe and I are? Obstacles?” As if in agreement, Rafe let out a wolfish snarl.

  “That’s not what I meant.”

  “I know. I never thanked you, Quinn... for taking care of them... for putting them first. For loving them.”

  “What’s not to love?” Quinn smiled sadly, the last image she had of the children blossoming in her mind. Jack curled around Ava and Ava clutching her pink bedtime bear.

  “They captured my heart,” she whispered.

  And just like that, in a moment of pure clarity, Quinn knew, finally and without a doubt, where Avery’s crystal was hidden.

  “Oh my God!” In her excitement she leapt up off the soft ground.

  “What is it?” Tristan was on his feet too, on high alert for any danger.

  “I know where it is,” she said, her eyes meeting his. Laughing, she threw her arms around him, barely feeling the tweak in her side. “I know where Avery’s crystal is!” she squealed, squeezing him tightly and bouncing in his arms. She could not contain her excitement and hardly noticed as his strong, tanned arms closed around her.

  Drake watched from the shadows as the scene unfolded before him. They had not seemed to notice that the deer the wolf had dragged into the clearing had a broken hind leg. Drake had caught and wounded the deer to ensure the werewolf would catch it and head back to them – he didn’t want Quinn wandering around in the woods, injured as she was.

  Mindful to stay just beyond where they would sense him, his acute hearing missed nothing. It appeared that Quinn had discovered the location of her sister’s crystal. That was a very interesting development, but what bothered Drake more was the fanatical look in the male Guardian’s eyes as he held her close to him. Tristan, sh
e had called him. Drake had been watching people for a very long time, and the tender way Tristan held Quinn in his arms, as if she were a piece of very rare, delicate china that might break any second, irked him.

  Unable to watch any longer, he turned his attention to where the wolf had settled in for the night, oblivious of the joyous revelation occurring a few feet away. The wild, musky smell of his blood assaulted Drake’s senses, making him heady. To withstand the call of the blood of one of the ten was no easy feat, but Drake had made Quinn a promise.

  He was infinitely grateful that Genevieve was out of town. She had gone in search of Sebastian who she believed had left without saying goodbye. Convinced that only a major breakthrough involving the Quest would incite her brother to do such a thing, Genevieve had gone to see the elders. Drake had not been pleased, not least because she would realise her brother had, in fact, vanished, but also because it only further highlighted Genevieve’s fierce loyalty to the Quest. The row had escalated violently, ending in blood and sex, which seemed to be the only two things they had in common anymore.

  Genevieve would be away for a few weeks and Drake could only hope that by the time she returned, the wolf would be gone, because Genevieve would rip him limb from limb if she caught wind of him.

  A movement in the firelight caught his eye, and he watched, with a sickening masochism, as the handsome Guardian lowered his head, covering Quinn’s mouth with his own. Turning abruptly on his heel, Drake moved like a ghost through the trees, away from temptation, wondering how the sworn protector of his mortal enemies had gotten so under his skin.

  Chapter 37

  Quinn was so caught up in the moment that, when her eyes met Tristan’s and he dropped his head, his warm mouth touching hers, she forgot to be outraged, forgot all the reservations she had had the other night. Tristan’s lips were familiar and welcoming, his breath as sweet as she remembered. Her euphoria at figuring out where Avery’s crystal was hidden was overshadowed by a searing heat that seemed to burgeon outward from her very core, and when his tongue slipped between her teeth she gasped against his mouth, her stomach contracting.

  In the instant that she regained control of her senses, Tristan released her, pushing her away as if she were hot enough to burn him.

  “I’m sorry,” he gasped, his eyes wild. Quinn placed her fingers over her mouth, the taste of him still lingering there, words of indignant outrage dying on her lips. Tristan turned his back on her, running his fingers through his already tousled hair, and then dropping his hands limply to his sides. “I’m sorry,” he repeated, his voice thick with emotion.

  “It’s okay,” Quinn stepped forward, placing a hand on his shoulder. “It's fine, Tristan, really.” Sensing his need to be alone, she moved past him towards the SUV.

  “Where is it?” he asked suddenly, as though it was only occurring to him now. Quinn had also forgotten the crystal in the heat of the moment.

  “It’s safe,” she replied, turning to face him. His eyes searched her face for answers, or forgiveness, she couldn’t tell.

  “You’re not going to tell me, are you?” Tristan continued.

  “I’ll need to speak to Daniel directly to negotiate my terms. But first, I want to ask you something. It’s important.”

  “Anything.”

  “Camille will stay in Summerfeld now, won’t she?”

  “Yes,” he nodded, confusion etched on his brow. “She would never leave Monique. Why?”

  “How would you feel about Camille as a custodian for Jack and Ava?” The question was obviously not what he had expected, but it took only the briefest of moments for him to consider it and then a broad grin split his face.

  “She’s their aunt, too,” he remarked wryly, grasping the significance. If Camille were to raise Jack and Ava they would stay within the City’s boundaries, and would be accessible to them any time they wanted. They would grow up safe and happy, and, better still, raised by their own blood – their father’s sister. Quinn smiled back at him, but as she turned away he broke the happy silence.

  “Quinn?”

  “Mmm?” Quinn glanced back over her shoulder.

  “Does this mean you’re coming back?” He couldn’t contain the elation in his voice. Quinn’s own smile was firmly in place.

  “I’m coming back,” she confirmed, opening the back door of the SUV and climbing in to get some rest.

  It had occurred to her shortly after meeting Camille and Monique that Camille would be the perfect guardian for the twins, but it was only when Rafe had arrived on her doorstep that Quinn had realised that her Guardian instincts could no longer be suppressed. She had fought her calling for a long time in order to take care of the children, even convinced herself that the Guardianship was a curse - a bond that she was determined to break, but being back in Summerfeld and seeing Rafe out here in the realm of man, defenceless and in desperate need of her protection, had reminded her that what she fought for was worth it. She could defy the Guardianship all she liked, but the fact remained that she was bonded to Summerfeld’s wards by a bond stronger even than blood and she wanted to protect them. She needed to protect them.

  The second the sun crested the horizon and Rafe resumed his human form, they drove back to the house. Tristan helped Rafe inside, giving Quinn her privacy. Pulling her secret phone from her pocket – the one only she and Avery knew about - Quinn walked slowly around the side of the house and called Daniel. Now that the Guardians knew where she was, she might as well use it. Besides, no-one else would be calling the number now that Avery was gone. She could not contact Isaiah – the charm that protected the City being discovered by humans also made it immune to their means of contact. Besides, it was Daniel she had to convince – Daniel, who had never liked her. Quinn had studied Guardian history and she was well aware that the amber crystal that had been bestowed upon her had once belonged to Emily – Daniel’s great love. As warped as it was, she could understand why Daniel found it hard to accept someone who would not be around in the first place if Emily had lived. Quinn had worked her ass off to prove herself, earning the respect of every other Guardian. Only Daniel had never acknowledged her efforts.

  She sat on the peeling bench in the back garden, mindful of Alice’s meticulous presence in the house. The char might be in her fifties but she could hear a pin drop and Quinn couldn’t afford to be overheard. Alice had taken the arrival of Tristan and Rafe, who Quinn had simply introduced as her cousin and a friend, in her stride, although her lips had puckered disapprovingly at the fresh mud-stains on the carpet in the hall.

  The line clicked open after three short rings but Daniel did not say a word.

  “It’s me,” she stated plainly, knowing that he would not speak until he was certain of who was on the other end. He would not recognise this number.

  “What is it, Quinn?” he sounded harried.

  “I found it.” Quinn heard his astonished intake of breath at her words and she quickly continued, “I’m coming back.”

  “No, not yet. I'm travelling, I can’t get back to the City before the week is out.” Guardian phones were virtually untraceable, but even so, they did not give away any detail that might be interpreted by anyone listening in. Daniel, though, took lack of detail to a whole new level. Quinn assumed it was because, being the oldest Guardian, he had never quite felt comfortable with technology. “I assume it will be safe until then?”

  “Yes, but...”

  “No buts.”

  “Surely this is more important than...”

  “Actually, it is, but I must finish what I came here to do. I will see you at the end of the week.” And with that, he cut the call.

  “He must have found a coven,” Tristan soothed, as Quinn paced the kitchen. “It’s the only thing that would keep him away.” The Hunters spent most of their time seeking and destroying vampires, but it was very rare that they discovered an entire coven. Made up of families or unrelated vampires living together, a large coven could have anything up to thirty
vampires in its residence. Covens drew more attention than smaller groups or isolated vampires, both from humans and the Guardians who hunted them, and, as a result, they moved around a lot. If the Hunters had come across a group that size, Daniel would not leave until the coven was destroyed.

  “It’s just so frustrating,” Quinn groaned, finally taking a seat in the living room. The children were finally within her grasp and now she had nothing to do but wait. “I can’t sit around and do nothing!”

  “I could think of some ways to pass the time,” Tristan murmured provocatively, his hand stroking her cheek. Quinn slapped his arm away without thinking. The hurt expression on his face only fuelled her irritation.

  “I’m doing this for Jack and Ava. I can’t just forget about them,” she reproached, and was relieved to hear that she sounded calm and matter-of-fact rather than accusatory. She no longer blamed Tristan – in fact, she wondered if she ever really had, or if it had simply been easier to hate him than to deal with Avery’s death. Tristan had done what every other male Guardian had done since the beginning. It was simply the Guardian way.

  “Implying that I have?” he retaliated, his voice low and furious. She didn’t answer. He was so far from the truth that she couldn’t find the words to contradict him, but Tristan took her silence as confirmation and his temper boiled over.