Authors: Lisa Sanchez
I looked over my shoulder toward the Plough, inwardly cursing myself for leaving the apartment, and took a seat next to Jessica on the curb. If I’d just stayed home, we wouldn’t have had the run in with Rico and his band of idiots and I’d still have my car.
“I like him for you.” I heard Jessica over my shoulder, trying to stifle a yawn. Alcohol even in small amounts always put her to sleep, so the fact she could speak at all, as knackered as she was, was incredible.
My jaw nearly hit the floor when I registered her drunken admission.
“Wait, did I hear you correctly? Did you just say you approve of Quinn?”
A small moan escaped her lips and she eyed me with contempt, no doubt for making her elaborate when she felt like shit. “He’s feisty, and he seems to be every bit as pigheaded and commanding as you are. He’s a good match for you. Plus, the way he took down that creep in the bar was beyond amazing. I know you’ll be safe with him looking after you.”
“Pigheaded?”
How am I pigheaded and commanding? I don’t think so.
Jessica let out a gnarly sounding burp before giving me an aggravated sigh. “Yes, pigheaded. When you set your mind to something, that’s it, there’s no changing it. You are incredibly strong-willed and focused about everything from your schoolwork, your job, and your life goals,” she raised an eyebrow, “your running.”
“Humph.” I didn’t necessarily agree with her. I wouldn’t refer to myself as pigheaded as much as I would panicked. True, I was serious about my schooling and life goals, because they were all I had. With no family to lean on, I only had myself, and I was determined to be the very best I could be. If that meant staying focused twenty-four-seven, then so be it. I didn’t plan on living in Hanaford Park the rest of my life. I was meant for bigger and better things.
As I sat lost in my thoughts, I heard Jessica gasp. “Holy Moses,” she muttered under her breath as a jet-black Mercedes S65 AMG pulled to a stop in front of where we sat. Sleek and shiny, the car was sex on wheels and the epitome of class and style.
I looked over to Jess, eyes wide, mouthing the word “wow.”
What happened next was something straight out of the movies. The passenger side window rolled down nice and slow, treating us to a delicious view of Quinn sitting in the driver’s seat, wearing a flirtatious, albeit somewhat pretentious, smile.
Damn, conceited faerie!
He knew his car was hot. He knew he was hot, and he was being smug about it.
Men!
“Get in.” His deep voice carried over the loud music blaring from his, no doubt very expensive, stereo system with ease.
I stood up, brushed myself off, and helped load a very pale-looking Jessica into the back seat, before sliding into the front passenger seat alongside Quinn.
He looked over his shoulder at Jess before hitting the gas. “If you need to be sick, give a holler so I can pull over.”
Jess merely groaned and slumped over, resting her head against the window and lifted her hand, motioning for us to go.
The drive back to our apartment was brief. Not only because it wasn’t a great distance away, but because Quinn drove at maniacal speeds, causing me to air break every two seconds and grip the handle on the door so tightly I temporarily lost feeling in my hand.
“You know, there’s a speed limit posted you’re supposed to follow.” My heart took up residence in my throat, and I wondered how Jessica was faring in the back seat with the quick turns and sudden starts and stops. I was too afraid to look, though, fearing she may have hurled again, this time on Quinn’s perfectly upholstered seats.
Quinn dismissed my declaration with a grumble. “This car is German engineering at its finest. It’s meant to be driven fast. I like fast.” He flashed me a devilish grin, sending butterflies fluttering about my stomach and blood pooling to the more intimate areas of my anatomy. I returned his smile, as it was impossible not to. I was quite thoroughly mesmerized by him, and it felt wonderful.
My stomach lurched as we pulled into the parking lot of my building. The thought of sleeping in my room, knowing some strange lunatic had been in it, sickened me. I chewed on the inside of my lip, trying to decide if I should fess up, tell Quinn what happened. Would he be mad I’d kept it from him? Probably. I chickened out and didn’t say a word.
We eased into a parking spot just as Jessica moaned and lurched for the door. She heaved herself from the vehicle and tossed her cookies once more alongside a yellow Cutlass Supreme.
I glanced back at Quinn, who laughed silently in his seat. “Good luck getting sleep tonight,” he said in a mocking tone.
With my eyes narrowed, I stuck my tongue out at him in defiance. “Very funny.” I slid out of the comfortable leather seat and closed the door behind me.
I heard him calling after me as I walked toward the dorm. “Be mindful of yourself,
mo chrói
. Don’t be going off on your own.”
Overcome with attitude, I stood upright and stiff, saluting him with a shout. “Sir, yes sir!”
“Stubborn, pigheaded, obstinate little girl. You’ll be the death of me. I swear it!” He gripped the steering wheel tightly and took off, tires screeching as he exited the parking lot.
I D
IDN’T
S
LEEP
W
ELL
that night. In fact, I was up till the wee hours of the morning with Jessica. On top of being drunk, she was sick with the flu, having spiked a fever later in the evening. After helping her fall asleep and thoroughly sanitizing everything within reach, I lay awake in my own bed, tossing and turning, replaying the events of the day over in my mind.
The idea my stalker might be some dark creature or demon unnerved me. Whoever or whatever it was, what did it want with me? How had I become immersed in a world full of magical creatures, which, prior to meeting Quinn, I was blissfully unaware of? Did he bring this shit storm of unworldly crap on me, or was I being stalked before he came into my life, unbeknownst to me? I didn’t have any answers, and that frustrated me more than anything.
I rolled over with a huff, glaring at the clock with contempt. Four forty-five a.m. I sat up, my body shaking and full of anxiety. What I needed was to go for a run. Exercise was great for getting rid of stress, and I knew there was no chance in hell I was getting more sleep.
I hesitated for a moment, knowing Quinn would no doubt disapprove of me jogging alone at this early hour. But I was desperate for some relief from the restlessness that ate away at my insides, and like an idiot, I assured myself that if I took my phone with me, I’d be fine. Stalkers had to sleep too. Right? Whoever was following me couldn’t possibly tail me twenty-four-seven. Could they? I’d just call Quinn if anything out of the ordinary happened. I refused to live in constant fear. Plenty of other people went for morning jogs without centuries old faeries looking after them and they fared just fine. I was certain I could as well.
I changed into sweats and running shoes as quietly as I could, not wanting to wake poor Jessica from her much needed slumber, and clueless as to whether or not my early morning noise had any effect on Martha. Grabbing my ear buds and my fancy new phone, I quietly exited the apartment and made my way out onto the street, filling my lungs with the brisk morning air.
Jess hadn’t lied when she said Quinn loaded the iPhone with a ton of music. I took a moment while stretching to scroll through the massive list of artists, impressed with his well-rounded taste in music. He’d uploaded a little bit of everything from classical to indie, to a little bit of rap and a large heaping of alternative, which was currently my favorite genre.
Choosing a fairly new alternative band, I hit the play button, slid the phone into the kangaroo pocket of my sweatshirt and took off into a slow jog.
It was still dark out, given the early hour, the only light coming from the scattered streetlamps. As per usual, I opted to jog around the perimeter of the campus, not wanting to stray too far from home.
Nervous and on edge, I scanned the area repeatedly while I ran, scoping out the perimeter, but for who or what, I wasn’t sure. If evil were to approach me, would I know it? How can you tell if someone is a shapeshifter? I stifled a laugh, appalled at how ludicrous my thoughts sounded to me.
The faint echoes of my laughter rang through the air when a dark blur whooshed past me from behind and came to a halt about twenty feet away.
My heart jumped into my throat and I choked on the air I desperately tried to breathe in.
Cloaked in black, the creature’s obsidian eyes seared my flesh as it stalked forward slowly. The same horrific demon from my nightmare just days before, the evil monstrosity raised its long bony arm, gesturing for me to come forward with its gaunt fingers.
“Ryann.” Its spine-chilling voice had every cell in my body terrified and ready to flee.
How silly of me to think I wouldn’t recognize evil when I saw it. It stood right in front of me and I was certain I was going to die.
It opened its mouth, a putrid, baleful sound ripping through my flesh. “So beautiful. So innocent. Unblemished. Untainted by today’s society. Mine.”
“No!” I tried to scream, but all that crossed my lips was a high-pitched squeak. “Leave me alone,” I pleaded breathlessly while backing away. Reaching into my pocket, I grabbed hold of my phone, fumbling with it as my hands shook terribly, trying to make a call.
The creature let out a ghastly chuckle and moved forward again as though it were floating through the air. “Put your silly gadget away, my sweet. There is none that can help you.” Just an arm’s length away from me, the demon reached out, running its ice-cold finger down my cheek. Its mouth opened revealing a jagged set of teeth no human could possibly possess with its sinister smile. The smell of eternal suffering and death clouded the air, choking me.
So terrified I was sure I’d lost control of all bodily functions, I stood frozen in place, tears streaming down my face. I closed my eyes, not wanting the face of evil to be the last thing I’d ever see. Conjuring up a mental picture of Quinn, I breathed out what I believed would be my last words—an apology. I’d been so wrong to dismiss his warnings, a damn fool. So stupid to venture out on my own when I knew someone was after me. Stubborn and deluded, I’d ignored his cautioning and now suffered the horrific consequence. “Quinn,” I sobbed. “Forgive me.”
A thunderous roar filled the crisp morning air, and suddenly, I no longer sensed the demon standing in front of me. A familiar tingle ghosted across my skin and up the length of my spine.
Quinn.
My eyes shot open to see him standing inches from me, crouched and defensive, staring at the demon he’d thrown some fifty feet away.
“Faerie!” It hissed with a malevolent tone. “This is no concern of yours. Leave!”
Quinn didn’t flinch. He stood his ground, unyielding, fierce and ready to do battle. “You made it my concern when you attacked the girl.”
Like a serpentine abomination, the ominous creature slithered forward, its soulless eyes fixed on Quinn, trying to gauge his next move. “What is she to you? I know who you are, Gancanagh. You can have any woman you want. Leave this one to me.”
Quinn’s beautiful voice took on a harsh, menacing tone, his Irish accent thick with rage. “She is mine.” Gone was the man I knew. This new Quinn was deadly, lethal and more than capable of tearing my stalker apart, piece by bloody piece.
Overcome with a mix of fear and shock, I backed away from the ensuing fight, taking shelter behind a nearby tree. With horror-filled eyes, I watched Quinn and the demon stalk back and forth in a deadly, macabre dance, each one crouched, spine coiled, ready to pounce like the deadly predators they were.
In a movement so quick I almost didn’t catch it, the demon flew at Quinn with a blood-curdling scream. The force of the demon’s blow sent both sailing into the back of a nearby utility building with a deafening crash.
One second Quinn was on the ground, the next he vanished into thin air. My eyes darted back and forth in search of him, and I jumped when he reappeared again, lifting the hideous creature high above his head and then slamming him onto the ground.
A high-pitched keening filled the air along with the unearthly sound of bones crunching, snapping, and shifting. The demon shook violently on the darkened pavement before exploding into a brilliant flash of light, rendering me momentarily sightless. My hands shot up to cover my eyes, shielding myself from the blinding light.
The keening broke off, replaced by a vicious snarling. Hugging the trunk of the massive oak as if it were some sort of lifeline, I peered from behind the tree once more, my eyes still singed from the flash, to see what looked like a giant black dog baring its razor sharp teeth. It was the same fiendish canine that came at me in the alleyway just the other night.
The savage cur moved in a wide arc around Quinn, snapping and growling. My heart nearly stopped when it bent low to the ground, readying itself to spring forward and attack. Every inch of me wanted to scream, to cry out for Quinn to run, to get the hell out of there. But I dared not make a sound. A distraction from me could prove deadly, and I’d never be able to live with myself if I caused Quinn harm. So I stood in silent fear, my lips pressed together tightly, my fingernails digging into the scratchy bark of the large oak, praying to God the fight would end soon and Quinn would come out unscathed.
Quinn popped in and out of the mêlée at light speed, cloaking himself with invisibility one minute, showing himself the next.
The demon, unable to keep up with Quinn’s dizzying speed, spun in a wild circle, baring its razor-sharp fangs as it growled and snapped.
With a blur of movement, Quinn magically appeared alongside the menacing beast, and with a look of single-minded ferocity, he kicked the creature as hard as his powerful leg would allow, sending it flying toward the utility building once again with a loud yelp.
“Hey! You there!” An irate voice shouted from the distance.
Warning bells rang loud and clear the moment I heard the stranger’s voice. Whoever it was needed to turn around and run in the opposite direction. Didn’t they know there was a supernatural smackdown taking place?
Shaken and visibly injured, the beast took advantage of the momentary distraction. It let out a low, depraved chuckle, peeled itself off the ground, and retreated into the darkness just moments before the hapless newcomer stepped into view.
The owner of the strange voice, a round, balding man in his late forties, stepped into a patch of light cast by a nearby lamp, visibly upset with Quinn. He threw up his hand and barked, “Hey, buddy. We don’t take kindly to the beating of animals around here. I’ve a mind to call the authorities.”
Unable to control his rage, Quinn blew up. “Stupid, fucking arsehole! ‘Twas not a dog at all, but a devil in disguise! He’s escaped and it’s your doing. Leave now before I mop the floor with your fat, balding arse!” I watched his anger float off him in waves, still on a high from the throw down with my attacker.
The offended stranger yanked out his cell phone, clearly unhappy about being referred to as a “fat, balding arsehole” and began punching numbers into its keypad.
If I didn’t do something, things would go from bad to worse. “Wait!” I stepped out from behind the tree, my voice breathy and feeble. “Please…don’t call the police. This man…” I pointed toward Quinn with teary eyes and walked forward. “This man saved me from that…that…dog.” It most certainly was not a dog. Demon, devil, underworld freak, yes; it was all those things rolled into one, an unearthly monstrosity bound and determined to claim me for its own. Quinn had saved me from the devil himself and words could not begin to express the gratitude I felt for him.
The pear-shaped stranger eyed Quinn and I dubiously, lips pursed as he wrestled with his decision to call the cops or not. Evidently satisfied I’d spoken the truth, the man grumbled a quick “fine” before walking away, shaking his head and mumbling something I couldn’t make out.
Once the stranger was out of sight, I completely fell apart. Having witnessed a mythological shakedown, I was surprised I’d remained standing as long as I did. I fell to a heap on the pavement, silent tears trickling down my cheeks. Curled into a ball, I rested my head on my knees, my hands fisting huge chunks of hair as I repeated, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry,” over and over again. Mental breakdowns were becoming a regular occurrence for me.
I sensed Quinn move so that he stood over me, but I didn’t look up. I couldn’t face him. Not after what just took place. Before I knew what was happening, he lifted me off the ground, cradling me in his muscular arms, and whisked me away from the scene of the attack. My eyes shot open and I stared at him in shock. He was touching me, though taking care to hold me only where there was clothing in between his skin and mine. I opened my mouth to speak, but stopped short as he spoke.
“Shh,
mo chrói
. You don’t ever have to be sorry with me. Hush now and close your eyes.”
I gazed at him in wonder, not knowing what to say. Why would I need to keep my eyes closed?
“Trust me, lass. Keep them closed.”
I did trust him—completely. As soon as I shut my peepers, the most exhilarating sensation whirled over me. Wind whipped across my face, sending my short hair flying every which way. It felt as though we were flying, though I knew that was not the case.
Doing his best to shield me from the coldness of the early morning air without coming into contact with any exposed skin, Quinn ran and ran, and when I thought he might come to a stop, he ran some more. The rapid pounding of his feet against the pavement was like a steady drumbeat, and my heart kept time right along with them. He didn’t sound winded, and his pace never slowed. Quinn was a freaking machine.
Just when I was sure he planned on footing it all the way to China, we came to a stop.
I felt the delicious weight of Quinn’s stare on my face as his warm breath wafted across my skin. “Open your eyes,
a ghrá
,” he said as he set my feet onto the ground. His voice was gentle and surprisingly steady for having run as far and as fast as he had.
He’s Superman!
When I opened my eyes, I found myself standing in front of what was possibly the largest house I’d ever seen. Tucked into the base of a large hill, surrounded by several massive oak trees and a boatload of greenery, the house was easily the most beautiful I’d ever had the chance to behold. Taking in my surroundings, I quickly deduced we were about fifteen to twenty minutes from the university, in the less populated, more rural area of town. The fact that he ran us to this location so quickly blew my mind, and I stood motionless for a moment in complete awe of him.
“Is this your house?” I pointed toward the enormous structure awkwardly as I glanced over to look at Quinn.
He gave a single nod. “Aye.”
I swallowed hard. “And you ran the entire way here, holding me?”
“Aye.” He frowned, annoyed with my incessant questioning.
“How did you do it without people seeing?” I knew he could render himself invisible. But me as well? Visions of me floating through the air at breakneck speeds came running through my mind and I let out a small giggle. How I was able to laugh after what just happened was beyond me. It must have been some sort of survival instinct kicking in. Whatever the case, the laughter felt good.