No Such Thing as Dragons : Complete Series Box Set (Books 1 - 5)
Page 36
“You don't believe me, do you?” he asked. “You think I'm a nut. Some religious crazy, perhaps?”
Again, I shrugged. I didn't want to be an ass to Quint. He was a good man and didn't deserve it – even if I didn't believe in the ridiculous spiritual stories he was spouting. He was entitled to his beliefs – and I was entitled to the lack of mine.
“But you did see a light leaving her body?” Quint pressed.
“Maybe,” I said carefully. “But honestly, I don't really know exactly what it was I saw.”
“No, I can tell,” he said, steeping his fingers in front of him. “When I showed you that image and asked you if that's what you saw when Onda passed, you freaked out a bit – your face gave it away. I saw the recognition of that exact scene in your eyes, Glyn. Besides, I've seen Dragonborn die before as well – and it always happens. There's always a bright light that heads toward the sky upon our death.”
“Okay, fine. I saw something, but it didn't go up into the sky,” I said.
“It didn't?” Quint asked. “Then where did it go?”
Closing my eyes, I tried to think back to that night. I honestly wasn't sure I could remember where the light had gone. I wasn't really paying attention – I'd been a little distracted watching Onda die. But as best I recalled, it simply seemed to disappear.
I strained my mind, focusing back on that night, trying to put all of the pieces together. And it was then that the fog lifted and the picture became clear. It was then that I remembered. Vanessa had been knocked backwards by something, by some unseen force. I hadn't seen what it was that had blown her backward, but she was out cold before she even hit the ground.
I remembered watching the light that had been hovering over Onda – it had shot straight toward Vanessa and then disappeared. But I'd been so torn up and needing to get Onda's body out of there before the cops and paramedics showed up that I hadn't given it a second though. Not until that moment.
I looked up at Quint, feeling my eyes growing wide. It couldn't be possible. What he was thinking – what he had me thinking – it was impossible.
Quint seemed to read my mind though. “The light – it went toward Vanessa once Onda passed from this world, didn't it?”
I shook my head, still trying to deny it. “How did you –”
Quint looked very pleased with himself, grinning like an idiot, and he said, “Because I have a theory, Glyn. A theory I think may just help ease your own soul, if you pardon the expression,” he said. “Would you mind if I shared it with you?”
I shrugged. “Sure,” I said. “Go ahead.”
“Onda wasn't ready to leave the world yet. She wasn't ready to join the universe,” he said. “She wasn't ready to leave you, Glyn. She didn't ascend to the stars like she was supposed to. Instead of taking her place in the heavens, she put herself – her essence – into Vanessa. You're right about feeling her presence when you're with Vanessa, because in a way, you are. And those are in fact, her eyes looking back at you. She wasn't ready to leave you, Glyn, so her essence resides in Vanessa's body now.”
“So, you're saying that Onda is what – possessing Vanessa now?” I asked, raising an eyebrow at him. “That Vanessa is in the process of becoming Onda?”
He shook his head. “No, it's not like that,” he replied. “Onda's essence is inside of Vanessa. But that doesn't mean she's possessing her or will drive Vanessa's soul out. Vanessa will remain who she's always been. But, there are certain things about her that will change about her personality – she will begin to take on some of Onda's personality traits if she's open to them. And that's the key – Vanessa will only take on Onda's traits if she's willing.”
“So – this is all a theory, right?” I asked, still incredibly skeptical.
“A theory that I'm pretty sure is right,” he said. “Which makes me wonder...”
His voice trailed off and he looked away, into the distance. He was contemplating something, had some idea swirling around in that big brain of his – Quint always did.
“What?” I finally asked.
Quint got up and went back to his bookshelf, grabbing a few more books without answering me.
“What is it?” I asked him again.
“Well, I'm wondering if perhaps the one who killed Onda might be able to manipulate a Dragonborn's essence. A spell or something,” he said. “Maybe he can control it. Maybe he's somehow able to keep the essence of the Rangers he's killed from going where they're supposed to go after their death.”
“And why would he do something like that?”
Quint looked up at me with concern in his eyes. “Because it brings him power,” he said. “If this guy is really Shadow Clan, amassing that much power could be disastrous for us all. Why didn't I think of that before? Each Dragonborn he kills – every bit of essence he absorbs – could be turning him into an unstoppable force.”
If what Quint said was true, it meant he was growing stronger with each kill. Which meant, we had to stop him before he killed anyone else and absorbed their essence. Or, he could just be insane and enjoyed killing other Dragonborn.
Either way, it meant I had to kill him soon. But it seemed even more pressing now.
Chapter Fifteen
Vanessa
I lay in bed, staring up at the ceiling – my ceiling – but it felt so foreign to me now. Everything felt so foreign to me now. After sleeping the day away, I'd woken up late in the afternoon and turned my head, looking out the window. It would be dark soon. A couple of hours at most.
In the past, I never would have let myself sleep so late. Never in a million years. The very idea of it would have filled me with shame. But as I laid there now, in my bed, seeing the sunlight dim through my windows, I felt at peace. A strange sense of tranquility enveloped me, and rather than fight it, I soaked it in and enjoyed it.
Eventually though, I'd need to get up and get ready. There were things to do. The first order of business, of course, was to track Glyn down to see if he'd found any answers for me. And while I was with him, I figured it couldn't hurt to ask him about getting equipped with some weapons.
I was serious about wanting to fight the creatures of the night. I wanted to protect people, keep them from being hurt. To do that though, I was going to need weapons.
I made a mental note to ask him why he used swords when it seemed that guns would be a lot more efficient. Honestly, I'd never even held a gun before in my life. I had no idea how to use one and even thinking about it made my skin crawl. But there was something so natural and so right about holding a blade.
Which settled it for me in my own mind. If I was going to start hunting these monsters, I'd do it like the Rangers did it – with blades.
I threw on some clothes, opting for something practical and comfortable – yoga pants and a dark hoodie – and left my apartment. With all of the craziness going on, I'd barely been home the last few days. Typically, I was a homebody. I liked staying home, watching Netflix, and hanging out by myself. But the idea of staying home – in a place that didn't feel right to me – wasn't my idea of a good time anymore. I was restless. I needed answers to the questions that had seized my mind. I needed to find out what was happening to me.
And I couldn't stop thinking about Glyn.
I needed to go to him, again. Needed to see him. Talk to him. I just had the overwhelming and powerful desire to be near him. There was just something about him that soothed something deep inside of me. Made me feel – complete.
Knowing where I was going this time, I drove over to his apartment, and as I parked at the curb across the street, I could tell he was home. I had no idea how I knew he was there, I just knew it. I stopped even wondering why at that point, simply because the link between us had become even stronger once we'd made love.
As I walked across the street, I could feel his presence without even trying – and I found myself wondering if he could feel mine.
I stood at the gate, trying to remember the code he'd used to enter. I stared
at the keypad and started to press a number that popped into my head when the gate buzzer sounded and the lock clicked open. I looked over my shoulder to see a well-dressed man leaving, and he was checking me out.
“I haven't seen you around here before,” the man said as he reached out his hand, “I'm Craig.”
“Vanessa,” I said. “And yeah, I just moved in.”
“Ahh you're the new tenant up in 3A, huh?”
“That's me,” I said with a perky, but entirely fake smile.
“Well then, I hope to see you around,” he said with a grin.
He also held the gate open for me, which was exactly what I needed in that moment.
“Thank you. And you too,” I said. “Hope to see you around.”
Not really. But it allowed me to get inside, and now all I had to do was knock on Glyn's door. As I walked up the stairs and then down his hallway, my pulse quickened and I grew nervous. I bit my bottom lip and fidgeted with my hands as I walked, hoping he wouldn't refuse me. I feared he might just because the way we'd left things were awkward. But he did say he'd seek out answers for me and I was really hoping that he'd have some.
I knocked on the door I'd come out of the night before and waited, the knots in my stomach twisting painfully. The inside of Glyn's apartment was very nice with large picture windows overlooking the garden in the center court. There were also tall, narrow windows on either side of the door which meant, he could pull back the blinds and see me before he opened the door, if he wanted to.
Which meant he could also avoid me, if he wanted to.
But to my surprise, he opened the door. He stood there with his long, beautiful blue mane wearing nothing but a towel. He looked at me like he was surprised to see me standing in his doorway – but at the same time, his expression said he wasn't. And if I looked even closer, his expression told me that he wasn't unhappy to see me.
“Sorry, just got out of the shower,” he said.
“Nothing to be sorry about,” I said, ogling his trim, toned body as I spoke.
It was the first time I'd really had the occasion to really see him, and damn, he was an attractive man. He was a bit different than the guys I was usually attracted to, what with his strangely dark blue colored hair and all, but he was beautiful and just looking at him ignited a fire down low in the center of me.
I had no idea what had gotten into me, but something in me wanted him. Right then and there. My desire was overpowering, the fire inside of me was burning bright, and I had to fight the urge to come onto him again. If I were being honest, the sex with Glyn the night before was the best I'd ever had. It was amazing and truth be told, I probably would have killed for the chance to sleep with him again.
“Come in,” he said with a sigh, clearly not amused with my admiring and flirtatious glances. “We have things to talk about.”
That was a very good sign – at least he wasn't going to slam the door in my face. I entered, and this time I actually looked around at his apartment. I'd been a little too busy ripping his clothes off the night before to really check his place out. But it was nice. Very nice. Modern and fresh with higher-end fixtures. I felt comfortable there. At home. Certainly, far more at home than I was currently feeling in my own apartment.
“I'm just going to put some clothes on,” he said.
I wanted to tell him not to bother, but figured that would probably be a little too forward. And given his gruff demeanor, I didn't think my advances were entirely welcome.
Instead, I said, “I'll be waiting,” with a smile and sat down on his black leather sofa.
Sitting on the table next to the sofa was a picture frame, and inside of it was a photo of Onda. She stared into the camera with an obviously fake smile. It was almost like she was annoyed that her picture was being taken. But as soon as I saw those eyes, I stopped breathing.
Picking up the photo, I held it close and examined it. The knots in my stomach twisted again and the picture frame trembled in my suddenly unsteady hand. It was almost like staring into a mirror – at least where the eyes were concerned. And given the fact that her hair was white as newly fallen snow, the white streak that had appeared on my own head, made more sense to me.
It was like the final piece of the puzzle had fallen into place and I knew, beyond the shadow of a doubt, that somehow, some way, I'd taken a piece of Onda into me the night she'd died. It seemed impossible – like something out of a science-fiction movie. But then, that creature I'd killed in the alley did too, and it very clearly existed. So, if something like that could be walking the world, why was it impossible for the spirit of a dead woman to be inhabiting my body?
“Weird, huh?” Glyn asked, standing not too far from me.
He was now wearing jeans and a t-shirt and I felt a twinge of disappointment that he'd covered his body since I could have stared at him pretty much all day. As I looked at him, that sense of longing and desire flared up within me and it took everything in me to not reach out and touch him.
“Yeah, very weird,” I said, putting the picture back where I'd found it. “She was beautiful, by the way.”
“Thanks,” he said softly, taking a seat across from me. “She was my whole world, honestly. The only woman I ever loved.”
As he spoke, my heart filled with a warmth and feeling of love I couldn't explain – though, it felt wonderful. Apparently, Onda had gotten his message, loud and clear. The pain and despair I saw in his face though, broke my heart. I hurt for him and would have given anything to take away his grief.
“I'm so, so sorry,” I said. “I wish more than anything that we could have saved her.”
“Me too,” he said with a sigh, running his hand through his wet hair.
We were silent for a few moments as I let Glyn have a little time to gather himself. I didn't want to rush him along – not when he was still obviously grieving. It felt like a lifetime ago that Onda had passed away right in front of us, but in reality, it had just happened the other night. It was still raw for him, and I could see the pain etched into his face.
I so badly wanted to go to him. To comfort him. But I knew that would only make things worse. Just like sleeping with him had probably made it worse. He wasn't ready to move on yet.
“So, I talked to my Warden,” he said after a few moments.
“And?”
“And I'm not sure I believe it,” he said, leaning back in his chair, scratching at the stubble on his jaw. “But I guess in the absence of anything better, it seems like the most logical explanation.”
“What does, Glyn?”
He sighed and the look of skepticism on his face was abundantly clear. “He thinks somehow, Onda's essence is inside of you.”
“Her essence?”
“It's like her soul,” he said. “Apparently, he believes that when one of my kind die, their essence – their soul – melds into the universe. A common belief among my kind is that our essence, when released into the heavens, become the stars in the sky. Which, if you ask me, sounds like some spiritual bologna. Anyway, somehow instead of melding with the universe like it was supposed to, Onda's essence entered you instead.”
I looked at him and was struck by how right those words sounded to me. He may have been a skeptic about it, but to me, it was the most logical explanation I could think of.
“So, I do have someone else living inside of me?” I said. “Your dead girlfriend is now somehow part of me?”
As soon as I said those words, I regretted it. Glyn flinched as if I'd smacked him across the face. I shook my head and groaned to myself – I really used to be better about that sort of thing. Saying something so blunt and so brutal was the absolute wrong thing to say – and something I never would have done a few days ago. I had no idea what in the hell was wrong with me.
“I'm sorry, Glyn, I didn't mean –”
He held up his hand to stop me. “Yes, according to my Warden, Onda is inside of you. But that's only his theory. A theory based on his – spiritual beliefs.”
I was more excited about this than I should have been considering the fact that I had another person living inside of me. A dead person. But having an answer – even one as outlandish as that – was such a relief. Having an answer meant we might be able to figure out a way to fix the situation.
“Yes, yes, I know,” he said with a sigh, closing his eyes as if to think. “I personally can't think of any other explanation. I've tried and tried, but have come up with nothing.”
“This explains why I'm suddenly attracted to the night. Why I'm restless,” I said. “Why I could kill that monster without even flinching. Not to mention how I acquired those skills in the first place.”
“Onda was an amazing fighter. One of the best I've ever seen,” he said. “She lived for the hunt. Cutting down monsters was one of her greatest joys in life. So yeah, I'd imagine you're feeling some of that too right now.”
I was. Ever since the minute I'd killed that monster, I'd wanted nothing more than to wander the night with Glyn. To hunt. To kill the evil that lurked in the darkness. As I stared at Glyn and listened to his stories about how strong and skilled Onda was with a blade, it only made me want it more.
“Do you have anything planned tonight?” I asked him.
“Look, I don't want to be rude, but I'm not exactly looking to date at –”
“Not what I meant,” I said, holding up my hand to stop him. “What I meant was, do you have a hunt lined up for tonight?”
He looked at me and arched an eyebrow. I could see his hesitance in his face because I figured he knew what my next question was going to be.
“I do,” he said slowly. “I actually have to head out here shortly –”
“Great. I'm going to come with you then.” I asked, eyes wide like a kid in a candy shop.
“The hell you are,” Glyn said with a laugh. “I can't have a human tagging along with me. Just because you have Onda's essence, it doesn't make you Dragonborn. And I'm sure as hell not going to be responsible for you.”