I rolled up the cloth and handed it back to Nick. He placed it back in the backpack along with the phone kit and lifted it all carefully into the trunk.
When he was done, I reached over for a goodbye hug. My eyes misted without my permission, an unfamiliar experience for me. I hadn’t had many goodbyes since I’d left the Compound seven years ago. “The spells will be invaluable. Thank you,” I said as I wrapped my arms around him. “I’ll be in touch when I can.”
“There are a few other little surprises inside the bag too,” Nick said as he gripped my back hard. “Please, just do me one favor and don’t get killed, okay? I don’t think I can handle the world without you in it.”
“I promise I’ll do my best.” I pulled back, breaking our contact. “I love you.”
He nodded and stepped out of the way to make way for my next goodbye. “I love you too, Jess. Stay safe.”
“Hello, Jessica.” James came up and planted a chaste kiss on my cheek. “I came to see you off and wish you well on your quest.”
I hadn’t seen him since we’d gotten back from New Orleans. “Thank you, James. But we both know the real reason you came—so you could report back that all looked well and good.” My father and I had said our goodbyes privately before I’d left the office. If he’d shown up here and had a last-minute change of heart and didn’t want me to go, it would’ve been too hard. We’d both agreed it was better for him not to come.
As stated, emotion and wolves didn’t mix.
James laughed, his Irish lilt affecting it ever so slightly. “You’ve got me there, but I do wish you well. I hope you’re adequately protected. From what I can see here, Tyler and Danny have it well covered.” James was one of the tallest wolves in the Pack; he was all brawn and incredibly sexy, with short dark hair and mossy green eyes. He wore his usual black T-shirt and cargo pants. I angled my head toward him for a moment. Our wolves had engaged in a brief interaction a few nights ago, and my wolf barked now acknowledging him, but other than that there was nothing else of note. Life would’ve been so much easier if fate had given me a wolf for a mate. My wolf growled. I know. I get it. We don’t do easy.
“Tell my father I’m in good hands,” I said. “We’re as prepared as we can be.” As I finished the sentence there was a loud swoosh behind me, and then another. I glanced over my shoulder.
The vamps had arrived.
6
Eamon and Naomi, the brother and sister vamp pair, stood statuesque on the small hill behind the parking lot, their enamel features shining brightly in the darkness.
They started forward at the same time, appearing both confident and wary. I wasn’t aware vamps could look wary, but they definitely achieved it with their identical drawn eyebrows, both faces pensive and lined with small frowns. Being required to do their Queen’s bidding like good little vamp soldiers had to chafe, especially being forced to interact with wolves. But they had no choice. It was either follow orders or die a permanent death via some horrible means, most likely involving gnashing, cutting, and a whole lot of blood.
As they came forward, James stiffened beside me. Danny, Tyler, and Nick moved in to form a semicircle around my back. It went against our natures to collaborate with each other. Vamps and wolves were enemies of ages old, going back to prerecorded history. If the Vampire Queen hadn’t wanted something from me so desperately, there wasn’t a chance we would all be standing here tonight.
As they continued forward, my wolf’s unease changed to agitation. They are not the enemy today. We have to do it this way. There’s no other choice. She swatted her tail and kept a steady growl. I guess it didn’t hurt to be on the lookout for trouble. Remember, they are bound by their Queen. They won’t risk her displeasure—unless, of course, we force them to by being rude.
She wasn’t convinced.
I’m not sure I was either.
The siblings were clad in jeans and matching dark knit tops, which beat the French period outfits they’d worn when I’d seen them last. I didn’t know which outfit was more ominous—looking appropriately dressed for the Renaissance or looking deadly normal.
What I knew about vampires could fill one sheet of paper—if I wrote with a big crayon. The old mythologies appeared to be true for the most part, from what I could tell from my brief interactions with them. I knew they could fly—hard to keep that one under wraps—but how they did it was still a mystery. They were rumored to have some mesmerizing abilities over humans. Their hearts didn’t beat. I knew that because I’d just been surrounded by a roomful of them and there’d been nary a beat. They slept during the day and drank blood. They could be killed by beheading, like we could. That’s how my father had always brought them true death. I didn’t know if fire could end them or not. They also had individual “gifts” like we did. These two could apparently track and sense better than other vamps, which is why their Queen had sent them.
Other than that, they were a complete mystery. I wasn’t surprised they guarded their secrets like every Sect. The more we shared about ourselves, the more vulnerable we became.
“Hello.” Naomi came to a stop in front of me, her voice laced in soft French undertones. What came out sounded like ’Ello. “We have arrived.”
“Yes, that was quite an entrance. I’m Jessica.” I didn’t hold out my hand. I was pretty sure vampires didn’t like to be touched, and actually, the thought of touching their cold, creepy skin was a little unappealing. “This is my team.” I gestured to the boys behind me.
“The Goddess we search for resides north,” Eamon declared stoically, coming shoulder to shoulder with his sister. They were remarkably similar. Both had sharply defined cheekbones, large wide eyes, and the same chestnut-colored hair. Eamon wore his shoulder length; Naomi’s flowed freely down her back. Maybe being frozen in death in their twenties had honed their similar porcelain features over time.
“Okay, north it is.” I nodded at the pair. “That sounds easy enough.” North of Minnesota meant Canada. He could’ve said the Congo, so this was decidedly better as far as I was concerned. We anticipated that Selene hadn’t been able to go far from the Ozarks, where we’d seen her last. She was toting an angry werecat, and Rourke would’ve put up quite a fight once he’d broken her spell. Goddesses could fly, but her time in the air would be limited. I was glad she’d headed north and not south.