by Jamie Davis
It took her several seconds to realize the woman wasn’t alone. A dark-haired woman in her forties accompanied her. The other woman was dressed in a short, provocative black skirt and white button-down blouse, topped with a long black overcoat.
“I don’t believe it,” Naomi said in her seat beside Quinn. “It can’t be!”
“What?” Clark asked, looking around. He stopped scanning the room when he reached the two women by the door. “Wait, is that…”
The dark-haired woman’s eyes had been searching the crowded bar, and when they reached Quinn’s group seated on the opposite side of the room, she smiled, tugged at the younger one’s sleeve, and started their way.
As the pair got closer and walked through better-lit areas of the bar, Quinn realized the younger one’s hair was dark auburn, not brown. Her feeling of attraction shifted to a sense of warning. There was something familiar about her.
Naomi stood and smiled. “Gemma Beckingsly, I can’t believe it. How is it you’re still alive?”
“What?” The woman’s British accent gave her next question a hint of arrogance. “You didn’t believe you were the only one to live through the purges, did you?”
“I suppose not, but after so much time, it’s strange to see you now.”
Clark cleared his throat. “She’s right, Gemma. After things settled down following the purges, I tried reaching out on all the channels and methods I knew of to try to find other survivors. Why didn’t you respond?”
“I kept tabs on what you were up to, but I couldn’t trust that others hadn’t compromised those communication methods. After what happened, we couldn’t trust anyone, could we? Besides, my mission was far too important for that kind of mistake.”
“What brings you here now?” Naomi asked. “You never do anything unless there’s something in it for you.”
“Well, as I said, I’ve been following what you’ve all been doing here, and I decided it was time to come out of hiding. I have to keep you from making a horrible mistake.”
“What kind of mistake?” Clark asked.
“With her,” Gemma replied, pointing at Quinn. “You see, I found the real Huntress, the one from the prophecy. I’ve been training her since right after the purges, making sure she learned all the lore and skills before they were lost to the ages.”
Quinn stared at Gemma and said, “I’m sorry, what? You have your own Huntress?”
“Oh, I’m sorry, my dear. Where are my manners? Naomi, Clark, and uh, the rest of you, meet the real Huntress, Avery Skelton-Smythe.”
The younger woman smiled at them each in turn, including a big grin when she reached Quinn. “Hello, it’s a pleasure to meet you all. Gemma has told me a great deal about everything you’ve been up to, preparing for my return.”
Quinn’s jaw dropped. That voice, the red hair. It all clicked.
“Clark, it’s her. She’s the one from the restaurant earlier. She was the one who threatened Inez.”
Quinn drew her Bowie and stood, knocking her chair over backward. She readied herself for a fight, sure the other girl would pull a knife or maybe draw that samurai sword from out of thin air like she did earlier.
Everyone stared at her, her friends shocked by her response and accusation. Gemma’s and Avery’s confident smiles never changed, though. It was as if they’d expected Quinn’s reaction.
Avery glanced at Gemma. “I told you I sensed someone else when I was talking with the old woman.”
“So you did, my dear. You’d think I’d have learned by now to trust your excellent instincts.” Gemma turned to Quinn. “If that was you, it seems that Clark has managed to teach you a few tricks in the short time since he discovered you. That will be very helpful. Avery needs competent followers to help her fulfill her destiny in the coming months.”
Quinn put her hands on her hips and cocked her head to one side, staring at Avery, sizing her up. “I think there’s been a mistake. I’m the Huntress; that’s my thing. I came up with it.”
Gemma laughed and looked at Clark and Naomi. “You’ve never told her of the prophecy, either of you?”
“I don’t need them to tell me anything. I heard it myself. I got it directly from the hallowed dead clan leaders. They spoke to me.” Quinn shifted her gaze to Avery again. “Has anyone spoken to you?”
The other girl hadn’t moved or shown any emotion since Quinn had stood and drawn her weapon. It infuriated her.
After a few seconds of what looked like confusion in her eyes, Avery smiled, seeming to regain confidence. “When you’ve been raised to be something from birth, you don’t need ghosts propping up your fantasies. My coming was foretold.”
Quinn took a step toward Avery and Taylor jumped up and inserted herself between them, placing her hand on her best friend’s chest. Avery still hadn’t moved.
“Quinn, I think maybe we got off on the wrong foot with our guests here.” Taylor turned to flag down Juni, who stood watching the confrontation from beside the next table. “Can you get two more chairs for us and some snacks. Maybe we can straighten this out over food.”
Taylor turned back to Quinn and pressed her hand more firmly against her friend’s chest until Quinn sat back down. Juni and another waitress arrived with two chairs and set them so Gemma and Avery could sit.
Gemma sat first and then gestured at the chair beside her without looking at Avery. The other Huntress sat down and crossed her legs.
Juni came over with her pad and pen out. “What can I get you two to drink?”
Gemma said, “This is a leprechaun bar, right?” She rolled her eyes when Juni nodded. “The wine is probably horrendous. I’ll just have the best lager you have on tap. Avery here will have bottled mineral water.
That brought a smile to Quinn’s lips. It looked like Gemma didn’t let her protege have much fun. At least Quinn could order for herself, as long as she didn’t order alcohol.
She’d tried it once right after they moved in. Juni had looked her over and shaken her head. “Sorry, hon, you’ve got to have a few more birthdays under your belt before I serve you. How about soda?”
Quinn blushed with embarrassment at the awkward memory. She glanced up and caught Avery staring at her with a wry grin on her face. Had she seen Quinn blush? Cursing under her breath, she looked away. That was just what she needed right now. She’d thought she was done with the popular-girl politics crap when she left high school.
Naomi cleared her throat after an awkward pause as Juni left to get the drinks and snacks. “What brings you here to America? I would have thought someone like you’d be living it up amidst the uber-rich in Europe. That’s what the Gemma I used to know would be doing.”
Quinn caught how Naomi was trying to mean-girl Gemma back. It seemed like she was doing it to help her daughter. It might have been endearing from a normal mother, but in this case, it only annoyed Quinn. She didn’t need rescuing.
She began to say something when Avery leaned forward, staring hard at Naomi. “Gemma, she’s a vampire.” She sniffed and turned, her eyes widening as she looked at Taylor. “That one’s a werewolf.”
Naomi seemed startled, but it passed in a flash. She leaned back in her chair and smiled, letting her canines show.
Gemma’s eyebrows shot up, and she looked around at the others at the table as if trying to see if any of the others were surprised by the revelations. When no one else reacted, she nodded and gave a toothy grin of her own.
“A vampire and a werewolf in addition to this orphan girl in your little rag-tag band, Clarkie? You really are slumming.”
If her barb struck home, Clark didn’t miss a beat. He lifted his beer and smiled as he sipped from it. “We have a ghost sorceress somewhere nearby, too, if you decide to stick around.” He set his mug down. “Which brings us to why you’re here, and what you and your girl here have to do with the disappearances in the south end of the city.”
Gemma shook her head. “The incident earlier tonight is a little side job I’m commissioning.
The werebadgers have the skills I need for something, and I want to hire them. That’s all. I don’t know anything about any disappearances. I only just now got into town. I told you when I walked in, the reason I’m here is your girl there.”
Gemma pointed at Quinn and continued, “Word has started to spread in certain circles about the new Huntress in Baltimore. I’ve worked too hard training and raising Avery in secret, preparing her for her destiny. I’m not going to let your little experiment here expose the prophecy to the wrong people before it’s time for her to fulfill it.”
Naomi asked, “What if you’re wrong, Gemma?”
“Wrong about what? The prophecy?”
“No, I believe in the prophecy. I’ve seen too much to discount it. No, I mean, what if you’ve bet on the wrong horse?”
“You think your little half-trained girl here is the one spoken of in legends and not Avery?” Gemma laughed. “I did my research before I came. She’s been training for less than a year. You think she’s able to compete with my Avery, who’s been working for this all her life?”
Gemma shook her head, dismissing the question. She picked up her beer but stopped before she took a drink. “Wait, you’re serious. You think you’re right. Darling, I know you’ve somehow betrayed your oaths and become one of the undead. I can’t believe you’ve fallen so far that you don’t realize the difference between one raised in the right way with all the advantages and a wayward girl from the streets.”
Naomi frowned and said, “You know, Gemma, when I first met you at boarding school after my parents moved to Europe, you were a prissy, stuck-up pain in the ass. You only tolerated me because of my father’s position as the clan’s ambassador. He and my mother told me I had to be diplomatic with you and the others, but I always wanted to show you what I really thought of you.”
“What do you propose, my dear?” Gemma asked.
“Why don’t we let the girls train together for a bit? That way, we can see who’s the best. I’m sure one of them will outdo the other. Then we’ll know which is the Huntress from all the tales.”
Gemma smiled and nodded. “Done. It’ll be a pleasure to take you down a peg again.”
Quinn didn’t know what to say. They all acted like she wasn’t sitting here. The only bright spot in this whole mess was that Avery’s face displayed as much shock as hers.
Clark seemed as pleased by all this as Naomi was. That was typical. From his perspective, this was another chance to test Quinn. This time she’d go up against someone who had similar training.
Only Taylor seemed worried. When she caught Quinn looking her way, she forced a supportive smile onto her face and nodded. At least Taylor had her back.
Clark said, “It’s settled, then. We can start tomorrow. In the meantime, have you been in town long? We have room here for you if you’d like a place to stay.”
“I’m staying down near the harbor, but perhaps it would be good for Avery to stay close to the clan’s chambers, now that you have taken them back. Could she perhaps bunk with your girl?”
“Hey!” Quinn and Avery said in unison.
Naomi laughed at the dual reaction. Quinn glared at her mother. She hoped Naomi would get the message. There was no way she’d allow this.
Naomi smiled and said, “I think that’s a great idea. They can get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses up close and personal, the way we did back in our school days.”
“Don’t think young Quinn will gain any advantage from anything Avery can do. It would take her years to learn what Avery has.”
“I wouldn’t be so sure. Quinn has her own unique abilities.”
Clark smiled. “It’s settled, then. Avery can stay with Quinn, and we’ll begin the contest in the morning.” He rubbed his hands together. “I can’t wait.”
Gemma nodded and stood. “Come, Avery, we will go and gather your things from the house, and I’ll bring you back here so you can get started with your next test. I’ll expect you to excel as you always do.”
Avery stood. “Yes, ma’am.”
From the steely look in her eyes, the other girl didn’t want to go along with the plan any more than Quinn did. She didn’t argue, though. She followed the older woman out through the bar’s entrance.
Quinn watched the alleged Huntress leave. Despite the tension, she couldn’t help enjoying the smooth grace of her walk and how she carried herself. Once she was sure they were gone, she turned back to Naomi and Clark. “What the heck? Am I some sort of racehorse for you to wager on now?”
Naomi ignored her. “That felt so good. How about you, Clark?”
“Oh, it did indeed. I met her on an exchange summer a few years before the purge. She toyed with all the boys in the clan, acting high and mighty because she was from what she called ‘the real Hunter clans’ back in the old country. I can’t wait for Quinn to show her girl what for.”
“Um, excuse me? I’m right here. You don’t have to talk about me like I’m not. Aren’t you going to ask my opinion about all of this?”
“All you need to do is show that fake Huntress that you’re the real deal,” Clark said. “You can do that, right?”
“Of course I can,” Quinn replied. Deep in her gut, she might even have believed it. Avery seemed so sure of herself, though, except for the part at the very end when she found out she had to stay with Quinn.
“Good,” Naomi said. “Then it’s settled. Go up and make up your couch or something. You have extra sheets and blankets, yes?”
Quinn nodded, and Naomi smiled. “Then get to it. She’ll be back here before you know it, and it’s already late. Clark and I will stay here and work on training tests and scenarios for the two of you.”
The Huntress walked across the bar, weaving through the line dancers near the bandstand. As she pulled the door to the apartment shut behind her, blocking out the noise, she muttered, “What the heck just happened?”
Chapter Eight
Quinn tapped her phone five times before she finally silenced the alarm. After rolling onto her back, she rubbed her eyes and stared at the ceiling, trying to get her bearings.
The toilet flushed, and footsteps padded down the hall toward the living room. It took a few seconds for Quinn to remember who it was, and then she groaned.
It was that girl. She was staying here, in Quinn’s apartment.
Someday she would find a way to repay Clark and Naomi for this. For now, though, she had to get moving. She didn’t want to be late for this little training competition the others had planned.
Slipping into her jeans, Quinn stumbled out into the kitchen to start the coffee maker. She was no good until she was well into cup number two.
“Why aren’t you dressed? We’ll be late.”
Quinn started the coffee maker and pulled open the fridge to get the cream. She looked over her shoulder. Avery stood there, fully dressed, with a red nylon and canvas gym bag hanging from a strap over her shoulder.
With a snort of laughter, Quinn said. “What are they gonna do, start without us?”
“That’s not the point,” Avery said, confusion and a hint of curiosity in her tone. “A Huntress must be reliable and steadfast above all things.”
“Wow, that Gemma chick sure did a number on you. Why didn’t she just become the Huntress? She could’ve saved herself the trouble of raising and training you.”
Avery laughed. “That shows how much you don’t know. Gemma cannot be the Huntress. She was raised to be a mage in the clan. Only certain individuals are suitable for the Hunter path.”
“Ah, that makes sense,” Quinn replied. “You know what they say.”
“No, what?”
“Those who can’t do, teach.” Quinn pulled her now-full mug out from under the single-serve spigot and dumped three spoonfuls of sugar in, followed by enough cream to turn the black liquid the color of light caramel.
“I assure you, Gemma has been an excellent teacher. She raised me so I could learn all the clan lore, even with all tha
t was lost in the purges.”
Quinn sipped from her mug and said, “Yeah, like what?”
Avery thought for a few seconds and then smiled. “She taught me to master all the basics of the five elements.”
Quinn tried to hide her confusion as she attempted to tick off the five in her head. Clark had never talked about them. A vague memory of Miranda and Taylor talking about something to do with magic and elements tickled her mind. She figured earth, wind, fire? Oh, and water, too. And…what else?
“You don’t know them, do you?” Avery asked and grinned. “Gemma was right. You know nothing. You’re a pretender. Watch and learn.”
Avery snapped her fingers, opening her hand palm up. A one-inch tongue of flame appeared above her hand, hovering in the air. She smiled as she stared at Quinn, then closed her hand and snuffed out the flame.
Quinn turned away and set her half-empty coffee mug in the sink. She realized she’d clenched her other fist and forced herself to relax. Why was she trying to compete with this girl? She knew who she was.
Turning back, she said, “Nice party trick. Not sure what good it’ll do you in a real fight.”
“If you stop stalling and get ready for our training contest today, perhaps I’ll show you up close and personal.”
Quinn wasn’t sure if that was a threat, but she knew Avery was right about one thing—she was stalling. Gritting her teeth, Quinn walked past her unwanted houseguest and returned to her bedroom to finish getting dressed. No second cup of coffee today.
Five minutes later, the two women walked downstairs and into O’Malley’s to find Clark, Gemma, and Naomi standing there. None of them looked pleased.
“You’re late,” Clark said.
Gemma nodded. “I hope you’re not picking up bad habits from this one, Avery. I’ve worked very hard to instill the necessary discipline into you.”
“It won’t happen again. I will come down without her tomorrow.”