by Lisa Sanchez
“Ugh,” she said with a groan. “It doesn’t take much to get me drunk. Plus, those jerks from the bar scared me a bit. Pigs!”
I looked up toward the heavens as we stepped outside. The sun was low on the horizon, streaks of pink and orange painting the autumn sky a wondrous color. Still pleasantly warm with just a hint of a breeze, it was a perfect California evening. Except for the fact that my car was no longer where I left it.
“Wait! Wha…what? No!” I screamed, my voice filled with anguish as I ran to the empty space where my beloved Mint Mobile was no longer parked.
“Ugh.” Jessica wavered a bit, doing her best to balance herself after I’d left her on her own. She ended up sinking down onto the sidewalk in a heap.
“This…” I turned to face Quinn and Jess and held my hands out, motioning to the empty spot in which I stood. “This is not happening!” I paced back and forth maniacally.
I clamped my eyes shut nice and tight and held my breath, willing my car to magically reappear. If faeries and boogeymen existed in this world, why the hell couldn’t my car materialize back to where it belonged? I cracked one eye open and faced my grim reality with a heavy heart. My car was gone and I was devastated.
Astonished by the fact that my car was stolen in broad daylight in front of the very establishment we patronized, I ran past Jessica, who sat hunched on the curb, and Quinn, who looked incensed as he paced back and forth scanning the area. Someone had to have seen something with as crowded as the pub was.
I scurried past Tabitha, ignoring her protests that I couldn’t just barge into the place and interrupt people while they enjoyed their meals. I didn’t care what she had to say. I needed to know if anyone saw anything. I weaved my way through the crowded dining area until I stood in front of the two tables situated in front of the window, directly across from where my car had been parked.
“Excuse me,” I said, out of breath and panting. “I apologize for interrupting your meal, but my car was stolen. It was parked just outside…there.” I pointed to where Jessica sat on the curb, partially blocking the now empty space. My poor, drunk friend; she heaved once again into the street, and I grimaced at having treated the poor strangers to such a sight during their meal.
A warm, tingling sensation trickled up my spine and I turned to see Quinn standing behind me, a fierce look in his eyes as he stood with his hands shoved into his pockets.
I stared at the patrons in front of the window. “Did you by chance see anything?”
The guests at the table farthest from where I stood merely shook their heads and continued shoveling food into their mouths. The older couple sitting at the table closest to me, however, stared at me like I was a certifiable nut.
Frowning at me, the old man spoke. “Yeah, I saw something. I saw you get into your car and drive away.”
Me? What?
“Uh, no, I didn’t move my car. I was in the bar until just a few minutes ago.” The tone of my voice rose higher and higher, along with my agitation.
He pointed a bony finger at me and glowered. “Look here, little missy, I’m telling you what I saw. About twenty minutes ago, I watched you get into your car and drive off.” He shook his head at me in disgust and grumbled, “That’s the problem with your generation. You don’t take responsibility for yourselves. Maybe you should lay off the sauce and focus more on your studies. When I was your age…”
Grandpa Kettle’s words floated off into the ether as I stood amidst the crowded tables, shaking with anger.
“Ryann, come with me now,” Quinn said forcefully.
I whirled around to face him. “But—”
My protest was met with a stern glare. Mr. Serious Face was not messing around.
Not wanting to argue with Quinn on top of everything else, I made my apologies to Ol’ Man River and his wife, and followed Quinn outside. “What the hell?” I said once we were outside the Plough. “I’m just trying to find out what happened to my car. Apparently, I stole it myself and drove away!” I reached into my bag, pulling out my new phone, and dug around for Officer What’s-His-Name’s card. Dammit! I’d left it on the coffee table back at the apartment. I frantically clawed at the touch screen, trying to figure out how to make a call. “Damn thing! How the hell do you make a call on this contraption?”
Quinn stalked over to me. “Who are you trying to call?”
I blew up. “The cops! I need to report my car being stolen.”
Quinn scanned the street in both directions with a deadly look on his face. “Put your phone away, a ghrá. The police won’t be able to help you find your car.”
“Why not?” I stared at him in disbelief.
“Because I think it was taken by some kind of demon. I sensed the presence of evil when we first came out here. It lingers still.” Quinn took on a protective stance, positioning himself closer to me, while staring down each passerby with a shit-load of ima-beat-you-if-you-come-any-closer as he spoke. In fact, as he stood on the curb with a cold, lethal stare and a pair of large, sinewy arms that looked more like weapons of mass destruction crossed over his chest, Quinn was no longer the cheeky, charismatic ladies’ man I’d grown to know, but a fierce warrior ready to wipe the floor with anyone or anything that came near me.
“What the hell does a demon want with my car?” Mythical creatures popped in and out of places by magic and traveled at the speed of light. Last time I checked, the boogeyman didn’t drive a Prius. Hell, maybe I was the crazy one, and the past few days had been some kind of whacked out fantasy being played out in my mind.
“I’ve no idea. It seems the only explanation, though, what with the dark aura that’s lingering about, and with the patron’s account of what he saw.”
“What do you mean?”
“The man in the restaurant claimed he saw you get into your car and drive away. I know you didn’t as I was with you, so someone, or something, that looked like you took your car.”
“Something that looks like me?”
“Aye, mo chrói. A shapeshifter,” he said, his voice filled with disgust.
I blanched and my eyes felt like they might pop out of their sockets.
Shapeshifter?
The boundaries of what my brain could accept were being stretched way past what was acceptable to me.
I hit the wall and lost control of myself, unleashing an emotional tirade straight out of Jerry Springer. “This is insane. No, I’m insane, that’s it. I’ve lost my freaking mind. My car, you, all of this is a manifestation of my subconscious mind. Holy Mother of God! I’ve cracked!” I was past upset and had ventured into the wonderful realm of hysteria. My eyes darted back and forth scanning the street, my paranoia-filled mind certain I’d be shot any moment with a tranquilizer gun and dragged away for shock treatment.
Quinn stood in front of me and glared. “Calm down, a ghrá. You’re not crazy and—if you wouldn’t mind keeping your voice down? It’s really not very fun having to go around scrubbing people’s memories.”
“Uh…hello? Ryann?” I snapped my head around to see Jessica still sitting on the curb looking pale and sweaty. “Can we go home or should I just lay down here in the gutter?” It was plain as day Jessica felt awful, and a terrible pang of remorse stabbed me in the chest. I was a horrible friend for leaving her to sit on the curb for so long while I had a mental breakdown.
“Oh, God. I’m so sorry. Here…” I walked over and crouched down, grabbing hold of her by the arms and hauled her up to her feet. “Let’s go. We’ll have to walk.”
“Stay where you are,” Quinn said with a commanding tone while glaring at me. “That means no flitting about interrogating hapless strangers about your wayward vehicle.” He stood in front of me, his body mere centimeters from mine, and got right in my face. “Sit yourself down and stay put.”
“Excuse me?” I crossed my arms in front of me. I didn’t particularly care for his bossy tone and I loathed being treated like a child, though I knew he meant well. I donned my best diva attitude, pla
cing my hands on my hips, and stood still, chin up, glowering at him.
“You heard me.” He pointed toward the curb, glaring at me with one eyebrow raised, all but daring me to cross him. “Stubborn as a mule you are,” he grumbled and shook his head while walking away, I assumed to retrieve his car.
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.
Chapter 10
I DIDN’T SLEEP WELL 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 st
ill 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.