Huntress Clan Saga Complete Series Boxed Set: Books 1-6

by Jamie Davis

  Quinn raised her voice. “Help is close, girls. Don’t lose hope.”

  “Shut up.”

  The fist that slammed into the side of her face left her seeing stars. She smashed into the wall, teetering dangerously close to the stairs.

  The woman planted a foot in the small of Quinn’s back and propelled her into the bedroom across the hall.

  Quinn stayed on her feet for a few steps, then crashed to the hardwood floor. She rolled onto her back and grinned up at the woman standing over her with her hands on her hips. “It will be fun killing another of your kind. I know my friend Avery has finished off a few, but I’m the expert. Do you know how many I sent back to the netherworld the night I took back the Hunter chambers?”

  “Gloat if you want. We will have the last laugh. I’d relax and enjoy your last days on this plane, Huntress.” The woman knelt and tied Quinn’s feet and legs, checked Quinn’s hands to make sure the ropes were still tight, and then stood.

  Quinn kept the grin on her face as the woman left her lying there. After the door’s lock clicked and the footsteps receded down the hallway, her smile faded. It was important to bluster in situations like this. She couldn’t let them see her give up.

  Rolling over, Quinn grimaced. The hard landing on the floor felt like it might have dislocated her shoulder, and the pain was extreme. No time to worry about that. She had to get free and figure a way to warn Clark so he didn’t rush into a trap too.

  She closed her eyes and tried to call Sylvie. To her surprise, the dragon answered her with a hazy image of herself lying bound on the floor.

  Quinn turned to stare out the window. She snapped her eyes shut as a brilliant flash of white-hot fire melted a one-foot circle in the center of the glass. The wood around the sash charred a bit from the intense heat, but luckily, it didn’t catch fire. Quinn made a mental note to talk to Sylvie about fire safety.

  The melted glass pooled on the windowsill, and she heard a triumphant “Eeeep” as Sylvie flew straight at the window. At the last instant, she folded her wings and shot through the circular hole like an arrow. Her wings unfurled as soon as she cleared the gap. The dragon landed in the center of the room, right in front of Quinn.

  “That was impressive, squirt.”

  “Eeeep!”

  “Shhhh, they’ll hear you. No one knows you’re here.” Quinn rolled over so her back was toward Sylvie. “Can you cut through these bonds without using fire?”

  Sylvie walked over to where Quinn sat. The Huntress craned her neck to try to see what the dragon was doing. Something tugged at the rope tying her elbows together. Then Sylvie moved down to the ropes around her wrists.

  “What’s wrong? Can’t you chew through them or something?”

  “Eeeep?”

  “Use your teeth.”

  An image of teeth sinking into her bloody arm flashed in her mind.

  “No, you will not bite me. Just be careful and take your time. I trust you.”

  The tugging on the bindings on her elbows began again. Sylvie’s fiery breath tickled the little hairs on her upper arms as the pulling continued. Quinn held still, especially when a few pinches from the youngling’s razor-sharp teeth probably meant the dragon had scratched her.

  Suddenly the ropes parted, and she could let her shoulders relax from the awkward angle her bound elbows had forced on her.

  The tugging started anew on her hands, and Quinn waited patiently for that to end. A minute later, her wrists popped free as Sylvie chewed her way through the last bit of rope. Quinn swung her arms around to the front. She rubbed at her wrists and elbows where the tight binding had cut off the circulation. Thankfully, her shoulder seemed to have escaped dislocation.

  While Quinn did that, Sylvie moved on to chew through the rope binding her legs. Soon she'd chewed through all the ropes.

  Quinn got up and shut off the bare overhead lightbulb at the switch by the door, then went to stare out the window. Gemma walked to a car parked on the lane by the front door and climbed into the passenger side. The man who’d held the crossbow on Quinn got in to drive. The car started and drove down the lane.

  “Eeeep?” Sylvie asked as she landed on her usual perch on Quinn’s shoulder and watched Gemma drive away.

  “No, we’re not escaping. We wait until Clark comes to rescue me. Then we’ll hit them from behind like vengeance from heaven.”

  Quinn grinned in the darkness and sat down by the door to wait in the dark for the right moment to spring her trap.

  Chapter Eighteen

  “Avery, can you hear me?”

  Avery opened her eyes, instantly blinded by the flashlight’s beam. She brought her hands up to shield her face from the brightness. The voice was familiar, even if she couldn’t make out the shadowy face. Her mind raced as she tried to place the voice.

  “C-clark, is that you?”

  “Yeah, I just got here.” He moved the flashlight so it didn’t shine right at her. “Sorry about the light. It’s dark in here, and you were so still, I was afraid of the worst. How are you feeling?”

  “Better. Quinn healed me a little. The sleep helped, too.” Avery sat up, looking past Clark. “Where is she?”

  “We think they captured her. Her comm went dead a few hours ago. What did she tell you when she left you here?”

  “The last thing I remember was her talking to you and Taylor on the radio. I think I passed out.”

  “You look better than I expected, given how Quinn described you.”

  Avery stood, reaching out to steady herself against the wall with one hand. “We have to find her, and the girls, too. They’re important, but I haven’t figured out why.”

  “There’s no ‘we’ here, Avery. I can help Quinn, but even with the healing, you’re in no shape to go into a fight right now.”

  “You’d be surprised what I can do, even injured. Besides, we don’t have time to sit here and argue. We can talk on the road.”

  Clark chuckled. “You two are a perfect match. That sounded just like something Quinn would say.”

  “Good, then you’re used to it.” Avery started for the door, stopping to pick up her sword from the floor. “Let’s see if we can find her. You’re in touch with Taylor?”

  “Yes.” He followed her outside and got in the car while she climbed in the passenger side. “Let’s get on the road. She’s got a lock on Sylvie’s location. The dragon has to be somewhere near Quinn.”

  Clark started down the twisting lane. He keyed the comm so it played over the car’s speakers. “Taylor, I’ve got Avery. We’re headed south toward Quinn’s last location. Any updates?”

  “How’s Avery?”

  “I’m well enough, thanks to Quinn.”

  “I’m glad. It’s good to hear your voice. I’m trying to locate Quinn, but her comm is still dead. Sylvie’s basic location is the same as before. She’s in the center of that cluster of buildings.”

  Avery thought about Brea and the others. “Any way you can monitor the activity live at that location? I’d love to know if the girls are there with Quinn.”

  “I can’t access a live satellite feed if that’s what you mean. I’ve got enough going on without trying to hack government video access right now.”

  “I had to ask,” Avery replied.

  “Better to just in case.”

  Taylor nodded. “Any more ideas about what makes these six so special?”

  “They are all connected to each other somehow. All their minds and senses are linked.”

  Taylor said, “That sounds kind of creepy.”

  “I know it sounds like it would be, but they’re like normal kids from what I can tell. I don’t have all that much experience. Gemma and other adults raised me alone, remember.”

  Clark glanced at his phone’s map directions. “I think we’re close. I’ll reach out when we get there and look around a little. I have to figure out a way to breach whatever defenses they have. Quinn must have triggered them to get herself caught, so we have to be e
xtra careful.”

  “I’ll monitor the location beacons and let you know if anything changes. Be careful down there.” Taylor cut the connection.

  Clark handed Avery his phone, opened to a maps app. “You can be my navigator. It looks like we’ll be on back roads most of the way there, so give me plenty of notice if there’s a turnoff coming up.”

  “I can do that.” Avery took the phone and studied it as they drove. It wasn’t difficult working with Clark. He had always been professional when she’d had her limited interactions with him the last time she was here.

  After several turns onto twisting back roads, they reached the lane that led to the cluster of buildings on the satellite map. Bright lights glowed over the trees.

  Avery looked from the phone to the trees. “It looks to be about a half kilometer down this lane. Given how lit up it is, should we drive all the way in?”

  Clark shut off his headlights. “No. We’ll go until we run out of cover. Then I’ll go the rest of the way on foot.”

  “I’m coming with you, Clark. If you leave me in the car, I’ll just follow. Having two pairs of eyes are better than one, and you know it.”

  Letting out an exasperated sigh, Clark said, “Fine, but let me lead. You’re still injured, no matter what you want me to think.”

  “Fair enough. I’ll stay back to start.”

  Clark held her gaze, but Avery didn’t back down. He sighed, turned down the lane, and drove until they could see the bright lights and buildings through the trees. The two of them got out and proceeded on foot the rest of the way until they crouched behind a broad tree trunk at the edge of the forested area.

  Clark pointed at the house. “See, there in the front room. There’s movement. I’ve seen two people pass the window. When they came and took the girls, how many were there?”

  “Four or five. I think three took the girls and left while I fought the other two. One was the body you saw back at the shack. Quinn chased off the second one when she showed up.”

  “So we can count on at least three. Were all of them demon-kinder?”

  “The one I fought was, so I assume the others are. I can’t be sure, though.”

  “This’ll be a tough fight if they’re all Hunter-trained like you are. They’ll be just as fast as you and me, and stronger. I wish Quinn wasn’t missing right now. We could use her boosted strength and speed.”

  Avery shook her head. “No sense worrying about that right now. Maybe if we get to her first, we can free her, and she can join the fight.”

  “If she’s here.”

  “The little dragon of hers is still in there, right?”

  Clark reached into his pocket and pulled out his earpiece. “Forgot to put this in.” He inserted it and tapped it once. “Taylor, can you hear me?”

  Avery waited while Clark nodded in response to Taylor’s answer.

  “Avery and I are at the house. Is Sylvie still inside?”

  Another pause.

  “Good,” Clark said. He nodded at Avery. “We’re coming up with a plan now. We’ll let you know how it goes.”

  He reached up and cut the connection. “The dragon’s still inside as far as Taylor can tell. I don’t like how lit up that place is, though. There’s no way to approach without them seeing us.”

  “There would be for one of us if the other distracted them.”

  “What did you have in mind?”

  “You swing around through the woods to the opposite side. There must be a rear door. When you’ve had long enough to get in position, I’ll step out and announce my presence to get all of them looking this way.”

  “That might work, but, Avery, it’s risky. We could end up with them taking or killing you before I can hit them from behind. I could sneak in and find Quinn. Then all we’d have to do is hit them while they’re dealing with you. Are you sure you keep them busy long enough for me to do all that?”

  “I can do my part. You focus on what you have to do. Will fifteen minutes be long enough for you to get in position?”

  “It should be.”

  “Good, then get going. I’ll start the countdown now. You’ll hear me when I announce myself. Be ready to go.”

  Clark nodded. “Be careful.” He started through the trees to the left.

  Avery stared at her phone, watching the clock while he got into position. It seemed like a long time, but eventually, the clock ticked over to show fifteen minutes had passed. She stood, checked the windows and grounds one last time, and, taking a deep breath, walked onto the lighted lawn in front of the house. She moved across the grass until she was halfway there and stopped.

  “You in the house,” she shouted. She waited until she saw a face peering out the window at her. “I’m here to take back the girls. Come out and face me if you dare.”

  Several figures moved past the window toward the front door. Avery leaned forward on the balls of her feet, ready for anything. She pushed down the residual aches and pain from the earlier fight. She would hold them off as long as she could. All that mattered was getting the girls and Quinn out safely.

  Chapter Nineteen

  Quinn’s head popped up from where she’d been dozing by the door as the first shouts reached her.

  “You in the house, I’m here to take back the girls. Come out and face me if you dare.”

  “Sylvie, that’s Avery.” She moved to the window, testing the floorboards to avoid any unnecessary creaks that might alert the women downstairs. Quinn didn’t want them to know she was up and moving.

  Sure enough, Avery stood in the yard outside the front door, shouting at the house’s occupants.

  “She’s still injured. They’ll kill her for sure this time. Sylvie, go help her.”

  “Eeeep?”

  “Don’t worry about me. I’ll break out of here and come at them from behind. Just keep them busy and off her. Got it?”

  “Eeeep.”

  Quinn lifted the dragon so she could climb through the circular hole in the window. She dropped to the roof outside and lifted into the inky sky.

  Avery called out again. “Don’t just stand there in the doorway. Come out here and face me if you dare. I’ve already killed one of you.” She lifted her hand, and her sword appeared in it. She beckoned toward the house with her free hand.

  Two women armed with swords ran out into the yard. One was the lanky girl. The other was the shorter redhead.

  Quinn cursed. The time for quiet was over. She dialed up her strength in the HUD, drawing down her stamina bar, and ran at the flimsy interior door.

  She hit it with her shoulder, bursting through into the upstairs hallway. The frame splintered and the door’s hinges pulled free so the slab hung at an angle.

  Quinn paused for an instant, staring at the door where the girls were being held, then shook her head. They were safe enough for now. Priority number one was to deal with the remaining demon-kinder downstairs.

  Moving to the top of the stairs, Quinn leaped over the railing, landing in the entry hall. The final demon-kinder stood in the doorway, watching the fight outside. She spun as Quinn landed.

  The woman sneered and raised her curved sword. “You escaped. Good. I never liked the mage’s plan to bring you along. Now I can kill you without crossing her.”

  “You can try.”

  The woman smiled. “Your puny knife is with Gemma, girl. How do you expect to beat me without a weapon?”

  It was a good question, but Quinn didn’t let on. Instead, she pointed past the woman at the fight outside.

  “Maybe I’ll just let my dragon kill you.”

  The woman opened her mouth to reply, then heard the screaming in the yard behind her. She twisted to stare slack-jawed at one of her companions stumbling around in the yard.

  Flames engulfed the woman’s head. Her hands beat at the fire, trying to put it out.

  Sylvie flew in for another pass, shooting another jet of blue-white flame at the burning woman.

  Quinn didn’t wait to see what
happened next. Dialing her speed to maximum and spending the rest of her stamina on strength, she charged at the demon-kinder’s back.

  The unnatural swiftness of the attack caught the woman by surprise. Quinn tackled her as she turned back to the Huntress.

  Wrapping her arms around the woman’s torso, Quinn dragged her down. They tumbled out the door and down the steps onto the front walk.

  The sword clattered across the concrete path. The demon-kinder grabbed Quinn’s wrists to break free.

  Her demon-enhanced fingers dug in and wrenched Quinn’s hands apart. She rolled free and bounced to her feet.

  Quinn rose to face her. “Let’s finish this.”

  The pair circled each other. In the center of the yard, Avery crossed swords with the other demon-kinder in a flurry of steel on steel. She was holding her own for now. A burning heap on the ground was all that remained of the third demon-kinder.

  Quinn knew Clark must be around somewhere, but she couldn’t take the time to find him. He and Avery must’ve had a plan to get the girls out.

  The demon-kinder, possessing all the training of the Hunter woman she controlled, charged at Quinn. She led with a rapid series of punches and then tried for a kick at Quinn’s head.

  The entire sequence came at Quinn so fast, the woman’s hands and feet were blurs. She blocked only two of the three punches and barely ducked away from the kick.

  This other woman had some of that hunter super speed Naomi possessed. Even with Quinn’s speed boosts, it would be a close fight.

  Sylvie buzzed by the woman’s head, distracting her for a second. Quinn launched a roundhouse kick, catching her distracted opponent on the shoulder. The blow knocked her several feet away to roll across the grass.

  “Thank you, Sylvie. Go help Avery. I’ve got this.”

  “Eeeep.”

  As the dragon flew away, Quinn raced to get to her opponent before the woman got back up.