The Return (The Witch Hunter Saga)

by Nicole R. Taylor

  The truck skidded to a halt, turning ninety degrees from the forward momentum, rocking side to side before finally settling. The smoke churned up by the burning tires choked the air as the engine sputtered and died.

  "Shit," Liz hissed.

  "Are you guys okay?" Gabby's voice wavered, hands still clutching the steering wheel, her knuckles white.

  "Yes. Yes, we're okay. Alex is still out." Liz peered out of the passenger side window where there was a dark lump lying in the middle of the road. Arturius. "Call Sam back, now," she said to Gabby and jumped from the cab, laying Alex down along the seat.

  She wasn't stupid enough to presume the Roman was dead, but from the crunching sound the truck made, she knew that the engine was. She pulled open the hood and checked anyway, trying to remember the things her Dad had shown her about cars when she was little. Cursing, she slammed it closed. They would have to make a run for it.

  That was when she glanced down the road and gasped. Arturius was gone.

  "Gabby?" she called out, the warning in her voice desperate.

  "Yes, dear?" Liz turned sharply and came face to face with the Roman, who was smiling down at her, triumph plastered on his face. She stumbled back, but he had her head in his hands and twisted.

  Turned out, Gabby should have slammed her foot on the gas instead.

  Liz's eyes snapped open and she gasped for air as her heart started beating with a painful thud. Strong hands were on her shoulders, calming her. It took a moment for her eyes to focus, but when they did, she was relieved to see Sam looking down at her.

  "Gabby," she exclaimed, trying to sit up.

  "Easy," Sam said, soothing her. "You've had a nasty shock."

  "Arturius, he…"

  "I know. He's got Gabby."

  "Alex! He was shot, he…" If anything had happened to him she wouldn't know what to do.

  "Alex is okay," he said, stroking her forehead, trying to calm her. "He's awake and perfectly fine, thanks to you."

  "His truck," she grimaced. "It's totaled. He loved that stupid truck."

  Sam laughed, "We had it towed here for the time being. I had to compel the poor tow driver so he didn't rat us out to the cops." She scowled and he chuckled. "Don't worry, Liz. We'll get him a new one. Otherwise, what's the point of being rich if you can't spend it?" She sat bolt upright and hugged him. "Careful."

  "I'm fine," she said, burying her face into his neck. "It's horrible. I don't know how you can stand it."

  "Having your neck snapped? No it's not pleasant and I definitely don't ask for it."

  "How did we get back here?"

  "Gabby called and told us what happened. Zac and I, we came as fast as we could, but it was already too late," he grimaced and held her face in his hands. "When I saw you laying on the road, I almost died."

  Liz clutched to Sam like her life depended on it. "What are we going to do?" she whispered.

  Sam stroked her face. "Zac and Aya are on it. They'll find a way to get her back."

  "What if Arturius finds out?" She remembered when Gabby told them what Arturius was looking for. The secrets to power. What would happen if he got what he was looking for? What would they do then?

  "Gabby said she didn't know, remember? She didn't understand what Aya did to banish Katrin."

  Liz frowned and bit her bottom lip. Maybe Gabby didn't understand, but what if Arturius had someone who did?

  Aya was hiding in the kitchen, as much to listen to what was going on as to get away from it. It always took her a few days to acclimatize to life again after coming back. This time was no different. It seemed like her senses were still running overtime after she'd drunk Zac's blood to finish healing herself. It was the most in tune she'd felt with her Celestine side since she had been turned.

  Turning her thoughts away, she listened for the others. Sam was upstairs with Liz, waiting for her to wake up. Apparently, it was the first time she'd had her neck snapped. Aya snorted. At least she'd done it in spectacular style. That little girl was finally catching on and growing a spine.

  She jumped up onto the counter top and sat swinging her legs, listening to Alex arguing with Zac in the other room. She was impressed by his ability to bounce back from his brush with death - physically and mentally. He was one tough human. Shot in the stomach and healed by his best friend. He wanted to go after Gabby which was understandable, but he wouldn't have to. Zac was telling him as much. Going after the witch was her job. After all, she was a witch hunter.

  Feeling a shift in the air, Aya frowned, looking out the back door that she'd opened to let in the fresh air. Arturius' stink was still through the house and it made her gag. The afternoon sunlight was streaming in, lighting up the little kitchen, bringing the scent of wisteria and bougainvillea with it. When she caught sight of the blonde haired vampire, the one Zac had called Morgan, she scowled. So, that's who he was talking to on his cell earlier. The vampire who knew too much.

  Morgan saw her through the window and hesitated. She was intimidated, the emotion rolling of her in sickly waves, making Aya oddly satisfied. She suspected that Zac had told her things that she shouldn't know, but that was when he thought her permanently dead and the dreams hadn't played out. What she was worried about the most was that she knew that she was alive and that she could tell Arturius. If the vampire was here for the reason she suspected, then that could be a problem.

  Aya peered at her through narrowed eyes as she hovered by the door, unable to come in until Alex invited her and she definitely wasn't in a hurry to call him.

  "You must be Aya," she said in a quiet voice, betraying her apprehension.

  "Yes," she replied bluntly.

  She hesitated, not knowing what to say next, but came out with a spectacularly annoying question. "How did you come back? Zac told me your heart was torn out."

  Aya rolled her eyes. "I don't think that's any of your business."

  "Are you a founder?" She kept going. Did this woman have a death wish?

  Aya snorted, shaking her head. "I wouldn't push it, Morgan."

  "I'm just trying to protect him."

  She laughed at her blatant proclamation and slid to the floor, walking towards the vampire who was still stuck outside. "From what?" she sneered, inches from her face. She wanted to make her say it, that she wanted her out of the picture so she could have Zac for herself. It was written all over her face and all over the emotions that bled from her skin. What a stupid little girl.

  "Aya." She didn't break eye contact with Morgan when she heard Zac behind her, the sound of his blood radiating around him. She shook her head and turned towards him, annoyed at the sudden territorial feeling that had threatened to overwhelm her.

  Alex walked into the kitchen and glanced to Morgan hovering in the doorway.

  "She's with us," Zac said, not taking his eyes of Aya. "You can invite her in."

  "I'm Morgan," she called out towards Alex.

  "Oh," he said, glancing towards Aya, then back to the blonde haired vampire outside. "Come on in."

  As she stepped into the kitchen, Aya sighed loudly, the silent conversation she'd been having with Zac over. How exactly had Morgan helped him? When she'd tracked him after his fight with Sam he hadn't been that bad. None of the humans he'd stalked ended up dead, but from experience she knew that it could get much much worse. And from the emotions she'd sensed from Zac last night, she knew he'd been right at the bottom. That's why he felt so trusting of her. It had to be.

  When he turned his gaze onto Morgan, she stepped around him and walked into the lounge needing to get away before she said something that she'd regret. It was dark here now that the windows had been boarded up with plywood, most of the glass gone from the floor and where it had embedded into the furniture. Sam had generously offered to replace it all.

  Alex had followed her in from the kitchen and was looking at her curiously. "You don't like her?" he asked when she didn't acknowledge him.

  Aya frowned, pulling him into the opposite hallway
by the front door. "I don't trust anyone."

  "I really hope that's not true," he smiled wryly.

  "Oh, Alex," she rubbed her temples. "Of course I trust you and the others. But, I don't entirely trust her. There's something she's hiding, so it's safer to be cautious."

  "Okay," he smiled.

  "She has an air of desperation that I don't like." As soon as she said it, she understood. Morgan didn't just have feelings for Zac. She was in love with him. God, it annoyed her. She knew he didn't feel the same way, but what would Morgan do about it? She shook her head. They had bigger Roman fish to catch. Grabbing Alex's arm she said, "I need to go see Gabby's grandmother."

  "Sophia? Why?"

  "For much the same reason Gabby went to find her," she shrugged.

  "She can help us find her?"

  "Yes, exactly," she grinned. "And we know she's sympathetic to our cause, not just because Gabby is her granddaughter."

  "But can't you do something to scry for her?"

  "No. I can't do anything like that. Not anymore."

  Alex seemed to think about it for a moment. "I'm coming with you. She knows me and it might be better if one of us is at least human."

  Aya grimaced, "I have a feeling it doesn't matter. After all, I'm the only star left shining in the universe, even if I've been dulled."

  "And Zac?"

  "He would be less than welcome in a witches home. He's vampire through and through. It's a miracle Gabby likes him."

  "I saw the way Morgan looked at him, you know. Are you sure you want to leave him alone with her?"

  Aya was surprised at Alex's observation and he was right. It did bother her, but she couldn't put herself before Gabby. "I trust him to do the right thing." Alex didn't look convinced by her statement and she said, "With me, after everything... I know he'll do the right thing by me."

  Alex nodded. "Just let me know when you want to go."

  "Just let me talk to Zac."

  "Sure," he looked through the lounge room to where Zac was leaning against the door jamb, Morgan hovering in the kitchen. He was watching them, waiting.

  Aya watched Alex as he went through to the dining room, giving them some privacy. A moment later she heard him talking to Morgan. When Zac stood in front of her, placing his hands on her waist she said, "I have to go see Gabby's grandmother."

  "Now?"

  "The sooner the better."

  "Are you sure? I mean, it's only been a day," he began, unsure.

  "Don't coddle me, Zac."

  He took a step back at her sharp tone, letting his hands fall away.

  "I've done this before," she whispered, caressing his face. "Don't worry about me."

  He nodded, placing his hand over hers.

  "Keep an eye out for trouble," she said. "If anything goes wrong or you feel uneasy about anything, call me."

  "You don't have a cell."

  "Then call Alex."

  "He's going with you?"

  "Don't be jealous." She resisted the urge to roll her eyes at him.

  "I'm not. It's just... He was shot this morning."

  "And Liz healed him," she sighed, leaning her cheek against his chest. "It'll be fine, Zac. Just... keep an eye on Morgan."

  He took her shoulders and pushed her back, his green eyes searching hers. "Why?"

  "There's something off. I don't know, but I can feel it."

  "Aya, she's a good person. I trust her."

  "I'm not questioning her goodness, Zac. The greatest mistakes come from the best intentions. Please just…"

  "Okay." He cupped her face in his hands and kissed her, his lips lingering against hers. "Okay."

  "Okay," she smiled.

  It was time to go hunting again.

  CHAPTER SIXTEEN

  Morgan walked along the main street of Ashburton, her thoughts troubled. She never thought someone like Zac could ever love her. Plain old Morgan Knowles. She might be an immortal, but that came with a heavy price tag. Everyone around her would wither and die and she would go on, frozen in time. Kind of put a sour note on dating.

  Watching another woman in his arms hurt, especially when that woman had threatened her. How could he love her? What was it that Aya had that she lacked?

  Morgan closed her eyes and sighed. The mysterious woman who had resurrected from certain death. There was more to Aya than met the eye, she was certain about it. They all wanted to keep the fact that she was still alive a secret from this Arturius. She could use this to her advantage somehow. She snorted. Betrayal was the only way she could use that information. That would be akin to murder.

  Pushing through the door to Max's bar she took a seat at a table along the far wall. She knew that Zac wouldn't be here tonight. After Aya had left with the human, Alex, he'd gone back to the manor with his brother and his girlfriend. She would be alone here.

  Looking around the bar, she stiffened as a man walked through the door. A man she knew to be a vampire. From the look of him, it must be Arturius. He had short cropped brown hair and a hard face that had been marred by a long scar that travelled down the right side of his face. Now she understood why everyone was so scared of him. Not because he was a founder or he was two thousand years old, but because he had an overwhelming appearance of power. He would kill his enemies without regret.

  She watched as he sat by himself at a table across the room, his back to her. It would be naive of her to think that he hadn't noticed her gaze. She was in it now, whether she liked it or not. Morgan had two choices. She could align herself with Zac and the others or she could cut herself a deal that could change her life for the better. She could have everything she ever wanted.

  It was a no-brainer. Morgan stood and walked towards the Roman before she could talk herself out of it. Pulling up a chair, she sat across from him, ignoring his raised eyebrow.

  "And who are you?" he snorted, narrowing his eyes.

  "Morgan Knowles."

  "I see." He raked his eyes over her and gave an appreciative nod. "And what do you want from me, Morgan Knowles, friend of the Degaud brothers?"

  "I have some information that you will find very valuable," she said, not letting him intimidate her. How he knew who she was unsettled her, but she expected as much. Zac had told her it was pretty much too late already. They knew she was here five seconds after she arrived.

  "Well," Arturius sneered. "Out with it."

  "On one condition."

  "What?"

  "I want Zac. You leave him unharmed."

  "Oh, I see," he looked her up and down. "You're in love with him."

  Morgan narrowed her eyes at the Roman and kept her mouth shut.

  "Really, what do you women see in that vampire? I have no idea," he waived his hand, dismissing the notion.

  "Do we have a deal?"

  He rolled his eyes. "Yes. Now out with it, love. I'm not wasting my eternity on you."

  "Aya is alive."

  Arturius sat up sharply at her statement and grasped her wrist, squeezing hard enough to bruise her skin. "You better not be lying, vampire, or this will be your end."

  Morgan shifted uncomfortably in her chair, trying to quell the terror that had suddenly surfaced within her. Defiantly, she raised her eyes to meet the dark brown of the Roman, who was staring at her with a look of complete and utter darkness. "I have no reason to lie," she spat, trying to wrench her arm free. "We both have things to lose. I'm offering her in exchange for him."

  Arturius let her wrist go and a wicked grin began to creep into his hard features. "If what you're saying is true, dear, then Aeriaya is much more that we ever imagined her to be. So, the witch grew a heart," he mused. "Took her time with it."

  "I can lead you to her," Morgan interrupted.

  "Where is she now?"

  "She's gone to Mobile with the human, Alex. They will be back."

  "They're trying to locate Gabrielle."

  "Yes."

  Arturius leant back in his chair and looked at her thoughtfully. "Give me your pho
ne," he said sharply and Morgan slid it across the tabletop. He punched his number into her contacts and gave it back. "The moment you know when they'll come back, let me know."

  "Is that all?"

  "Don't underestimate me, dear. I've hunted the witch for two thousand years. I know how to trap her."

  "And Zac?"

  He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes. "He will be free to go on the condition that he doesn't do anything stupid. If he or any of the others get in my way, then I won't hesitate. They will die and that little courtesy also extends to you."

  Morgan stiffened, but nodded her agreement. "Understood." How could she complain? After all, she'd just made a deal with the devil.

  Aya and Alex had left as soon as they had got themselves together. Borrowing Zac's car had been easy, since Alex's truck was totaled. He drove, as she had no idea how to and he knew the way to Sophia's, having taken Gabby there a few weeks prior.

  As they passed through the outskirts of New Orleans, Aya peered out the window at the passing buildings. Of course it was much different than she remembered, it had been over a hundred and fifty years since she'd set foot here, but she wondered if it was as seedy and seeped with unruly magic as it was in the 1800s. It probably was. Power like that had a tendency to stick around for hundreds, if not, thousands of years.

  "Mardi Gras," he said.

  "What's that?" she asked, realizing that he'd been speaking to her.

  "It's a huge street party. Crazy costumes, parades… It's a carnival. Goes on for like two weeks."

  "Oh," Aya said. "A party of excess." It sounded familiar now.

  Alex laughed, "That's one way of putting it. I should take you next time. Or at least get Zac to take you. I'm sure you'd like it."

  "What do they celebrate?"

  "You know what? I don't really know anymore. Being alive? They hold the big parties on Shrove Tuesday."

  "Oh, so it's a religious thing? Catholic?"

  "Not anymore," he smiled.

  She turned back to the window and watched the city limits turn into countryside, her thoughts turning to Zac. He'd asked her to trust him with her heart and she wanted to, she really did, but it was difficult to break two thousand years of conditioning. Truth was, she had a hard time trusting anyone, even herself.