“How old were you?”
“Fifteen.” He must’ve read her surprise, because he added, “Most Ardere come into their powers sometime during puberty.”
“Why is it different for me?”
Gavin kicked the mulch at the ground. “Preservation mechanism.”
“What do you mean?”
He started back toward the car. “You should ask Waldeburg.”
“I’m asking you. Remember, you encouraged me to talk to you just an hour ago.”
He released a heavy sigh. “The pregnancy rate between an Ardere and Umbra is very low due to gene incompatibility. An Ardere’s genes mutate when they turn Umbra. As a Fluidus you have both Ardere and Umbra genes. Most bodies are too weak to handle these two DNA streams and the ensuing Fluidus powers, which results in most Fluidus dying or their powers remaining dormant. Your powers manifesting makes you very rare and puts you in danger because others will want to use you and your powers.”
A nervous giggle worked its way up her throat. “I can barely move a piece of paper.”
“Not yet.”
A shiver built in her scalp. “What could my powers be used for?”
Gavin stiffened beside her. “To shift the balance. No Ardere faction, meaning no Umbra, can control the elements. Controlling wind, water, fire, and earth equals leverage—a lot of it. The Ardere have always been in charge, shunning the Umbra. Sure, there are gangs and some get away with crimes, but ultimately, the Ardere are in charge.”
“And having a Fluidus on the Umbra side could change that?”
He nodded. “Yes, there are a few strong and well-organized Umbra groups. We don’t know how many, since they tend to hide. They like to stay under our radar, for good reason. We would take them out on sight.” Gavin rubbed his forehead. “They’ll come out now. The temptation to snatch you will be too great to resist.”
“That’s why we’re training.”
“This—” He motioned around them. “—isn’t a real training space. I’m not a professional teacher.”
“You think I’d be safer at the headquarters.”
“I can’t teach you everything you need to know. I can’t protect you against a whole Umbra gang.”
“I understand. But going to the regency means entering the system.”
They arrived at the car, and Gavin started the engine. “You became part of the system the day you were born.”
Sierra bit her lip. Why did everything have to be so complicated? Gavin had a point. Still…“My dad must’ve had a good reason to keep me away from the regency, and now Gran is dead set against asking them for help.”
Gavin’s lips thinned into a straight line. “At some point, the question will turn from ‘Should I go to the regency?’ to ‘How quickly will I die if I don’t?’”
Images of the Umbra attacking Gran in the motel room flashed in front of Sierra. When she tried to swat them away, she saw the Umbra in Atlanta. Two attacks within weeks. And then there was Finn’s death. Would his killer come for her too?
“I hope you can make your peace before it comes to that. I hope we all can make our peace before it comes to that,” Gavin continued.
Law-abiding Gavin struggling with submitting to the regency. Sierra remembered Gran mentioning that Gavin graduated top of his class from a prestigious Ardere high school in Connecticut, where he learned how to fight, defend, and use his Dragoon powers. Certainly, top-of-the-class students would be expected to stay in the headquarters. Instead, Gavin resided in a tiny supernatural community in the South. What ghosts of his past had dampened his ambitions and made him move as far away as possible? And how much time did he have to face these ghosts until they caught up with him?
Sierra fell silent and spoke only when the car pulled up in front of the student housing. “Have Umbra ever ruled?”
“Only once since Ardere came into being in the sixth century.” Gavin’s jaw hummed with tightness. “Three hundred years ago, the first Umbra, Bahadur, created an army at light speed, taking the Ardere by surprise. Fortunately, Prince Dietrich, a Dragoon, was able to defeat him.”
“And since then?”
“Everything was calm. Your existence could change that. You’re the first of age, awakened Fluidus that I know of.”
Which made her a prime target. Sierra swallowed hard. How close was she to death? How much closer would she come to it? Would she be safe ever again?
Chapter 20
Out of the corner of his eye, Gavin watched Sierra walking next to him. She looked stunning in her white summer dress, which exposed a generous amount of her shapely legs, while the sun brought out amber undertones in her chocolate hair.
He shook himself and tried to refocus his attention on Savannah’s streets, anything really. These thoughts were a no-go. He was her boss, her mentor, and Sierra was Waldeburg’s granddaughter. He had been reminding himself of this for the last few weeks, yet each day the arguments in his head seemed weaker and weaker. Each day, his hands inched closer to her, wanting to caress her, to hold her.
“It feels good to get out.” Sierra smiled at him, and he wondered what her lips tasted like.
He unscrewed his iced water, wishing he could pour it over his head. It hadn’t been the smartest decision to agree to show her Savannah. His ringing cell phone was a welcome distraction, especially since the caller ID indicated it was Jillian.
“Gavin? I’m at Bonaventure. I need you to come now.” She hung up without saying anything else. He didn’t like the uncharacteristic weariness in her voice.
“Who was that?” Sierra asked.
“I’m sorry, we’ll have to postpone this. I need to go to the cemetery.”
Sierra shook her head. “I’m coming with you.”
“No, you’re not.”
“Yes, I am. It’s like you said, I’m part of this world now. I need to know. I need to understand.”
Seeing how determined she was, and not having the time to talk her out of this, Gavin led the way to the Bonaventure cemetery. Minutes later, they arrived at the wrought iron gate, which was flanked by two angels perched on stone columns.
Goose bumps broke out on Sierra’s flesh, and Gavin wished he had grabbed his jacket so he could offer it to her.
“It’s okay if you changed your mind,” he said.
“I’m fine.” She straightened her spine and stepped through the gate.
He pretended he didn’t notice the cloying smell of her fear as eerie silence engulfed them. They treaded past flush slabs, crosses, obelisks, domed gravestones, and sculptures of children and women with empty eyes. Where was Jillian? Gavin wondered, just as Sierra took a corner and shrieked.
He caught her as she stumbled backward, away from the gruesome scene.
On the mulch lay a dead female. Dark blue bruises covered her neck; her face was leeched of color. Scratches marred the area around her nose and mouth, and her tongue protruded slightly. Next to the human kneeled Jillian. “She’s dead,” she choked out.
Ensuring Sierra was steady on her feet, Gavin pointed to a spot a few feet away. “Stay there. Don’t touch anything.”
“Will you call the police once you’re done?” she asked, stepping back.
“No. Someone will find the body tomorrow and notify the police.”
Sierra’s throat worked, and she hugged herself tightly, but didn’t protest.
Gavin turned to Jillian. “Did you see the killer?”
“No. But I had another premonition, again nothing visual but an intention. I sensed his desire to kill. I think he’s still using the aura obliteration potion.”
Gavin examined the victim. “There’s blood underneath her fingernails. The human fought back. I need you to test the DNA.”
Jillian retrieved a Ziploc bag and collected some of the dried blood.
“Do we know who she was?”
“No. She had no ID on her, but I found this.” Jillian handed Gavin a mathematics book borrowed from Dunlawton University. “Another student, j
ust like Whitney and Finn.”
“What? Is Whitney all right?” Panic filled Sierra’s voice.
“Yes. She’s fine.” Gavin rose. “Come. We need to get you home.” He turned to Jillian. “You got everything you need?”
“Yes, but I’ll ride back with you if that’s all right. I walked here.” Gavin nodded. Jillian snapped a few more photos and followed them out of the cemetery.
“What happened to Whitney? And why is this the first time I’m hearing she was attacked?” Sierra persisted.
Jillian shot Gavin an I-told-you-so look. She summarized how they had rescued Whitney from the murderer, questioned her, and then wiped her memory.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
“We didn’t want you to freak out.” Gavin put the car in reverse. The ride to Sierra’s apartment was spent in silence, with her looking out the window the entire time. As soon as the car came to a stop, she jumped out, and disappeared into her apartment complex.
“Where to first?” Gavin asked.
“The library. We need to find out who borrowed that math book.” Jillian paused and then added in a soft yet firm voice, “You can’t keep what’s going on from Sierra. She has a right to know.”
“I’m trying to protect her.”
“She’s not a child.” Gavin didn’t reply. “What are you not telling me?” Jillian stared holes into Gavin. “You did something, didn’t you?”
“I made a deal with Lady Windsor.”
Jillian continued shaking her head long after Gavin had finished explaining the contract. “So, to get Louis off your back and for a few passwords, you bound yourself to a mission you know nothing about and promised to bring Sierra to London, which you haven’t told her about?”
“I had no choice.” Jillian scowled. “It was a direct order from Lorna.”
“Still, you could’ve asked for details, and you should’ve never promised Sierra as an add-on.”
“She’s not!”
Jillian put her face in her hands. “Sierra will be so mad when she finds out.”
Gavin’s grip on the steering wheel tightened. He’d had enough of Jillian’s admonitions. It was easy for her to judge. She didn’t know what Louis was capable of, had never been on the receiving end of his temper. Jillian had no idea how good she had it as a Guardian in a small city, never having to play political games.
“What we need to focus on is the connection between this murder, Finn’s murder, and Whitney’s attack.”
Jillian leafed through her notes and photos of the last victim’s body. “Only Finn’s was spilled. This victim was suffocated, the way Whitney would’ve died if we didn’t reach her in time.”
“Her bloody fingernails indicate she struggled. Whitney didn’t.”
“No, and Whitney was attacked during nighttime. Today’s attack was around sunset.”
Gavin killed the engine and took long strides down the corridor toward the library. “None of this makes sense. Killing without a Phoenix sacrifice. Targeting university students. Using an aura obliteration potion only to leave a trail of bodies behind. Stabbing Finn and then switching to suffocation.”
“We should know more once we get the victim’s name and the DNA of her attacker.”
“The DNA won’t do us any good unless there’s a match in the system.”
Jillian paused in front of the library entry. Her voice dropped to a whisper. “I know you already questioned Jeff and Gio—”
“They’re innocent.”
She bit her lip. “I’m sure Gio is, but what about Jeff?”
Gavin shoved his hand through his hair. “He has an alibi. And I know he didn’t do it.”
Jillian shifted from foot to foot. “I like Jeff, I do. It’s just the ten-year anniversary is coming up.”
“Exactly. It’s been ten years since he sacrificed a human to rescue his wife. He didn’t even want to become Umbra. He did it for her. It’s not his fault it was too late.”
“I know, and I’m not saying he would do it on purpose. I just wonder if Jeff—”
“If Jeff has gone insane and is our murderer? Grief doesn’t make you certifiable.” If anything, losing his wife would make the Umbra more sensitive to the suffering of others. He wouldn’t kill an innocent person and inflict the same pain on his or her family members. Gavin was certain of that. “Let’s get this over with,” he said to Jillian.
He strolled toward the librarian and established eye contact to exercise mind control. Once the librarian’s eyes glazed over, Gavin made his request.
The librarian typed away. “Amelia Clarks borrowed this book last.”
“I need to look at the screen.”
The librarian nodded and stepped aside.
Amelia had been a nineteen-year-old mathematics student, living at one of the student residences. Gavin took a photo of the address. “Thank you.”
“Please don’t tell me you’re planning to break into Amelia’s place.” Jillian jogged to keep up with his tempo.
“That’s exactly what we’re doing.”
In less than a minute, Gavin broke the lock and entered the empty apartment. He didn’t feel any satisfaction at this, knowing the real challenge was finding useful information.
After an hour of futile search, Gavin was ready to leave. “There’s nothing here. It doesn’t appear as if the killer knew Amelia. He must have picked her at random.”
“Come here,” Jillian called from the bedroom—the first room Gavin had inspected.
“Another book?”
Jillian shook her head. “Amelia’s diary.”
Excitement surged through Gavin. “Does she mention meeting someone new? Or maybe a fight?”
“Nothing about a potential killer. However, listen to this.” Jillian read aloud, “‘Mom called again, trying to set me up with Jeremy because Jeremy’s father is a dentist and Jeremy will be a dentist too. I’m only nineteen! Why is she playing matchmaker? She had a breakdown when I refused to go out on a date.’” Jillian turned two pages. “Here’s another one. ‘Mom called me a spinster. A spinster, at nineteen? She is so annoying. I hope I can get out of seeing her this weekend.’”
“Whitney and now Amelia.”
Jillian nodded. “I think we’re starting to see a pattern.”
“Despite Finn?”
“It’s like you said, there might be two killers. It would make sense. The first killer chose a supernatural, stabbed him, and took his blood as a souvenir. The second killer is targeting ungrateful, human daughters and strangling them.”
“And both use an aura obliteration potion and don’t clean up the bodies?”
Jillian bit her lip, probably trying to come up with an explanation. Finally, she said, “I’ve checked the list of Guardians in the South capable of making an aura obliteration potion. I found nothing. I can’t really research the black market.”
“So, what are you saying?”
Jillian leaned against the wall. “Nothing. I just wish we could find the killer’s mother. I bet she would lead us to her son.”
“What if we get last year’s data on households with single supernatural mothers between the ages of thirty-five to sixty?”
“That would be perfect. How would we do that?”
“Cooper.”
Jillian exhaled slowly. “You might as well get your full worth out of your deal. I still wish you hadn’t made it in the first place.”
She had no idea how much Gavin wished that too, but the world wasn’t a fairy tale. If he wanted information and to keep Sierra safe from Louis, he needed strong allies. If anyone was worth temporarily giving up his freedom to, surely it was the European regent.
“We got this,” Gavin promised. Whether it was a promise to Jillian or himself, he didn’t know.
Chapter 21
Gavin sank into the plush beige couch in Jillian’s living room while she pulled up the list of supernatural single-female households.
They had both scanned the data separately without d
etecting anything. Meaning they had to search harder. Lorna might be able to protect Sierra from Louis, yet Louis was still breathing down Gavin’s neck. And the killer could strike again any day.
Despite this, all Gavin kept thinking about was Sierra and the joy on her face when she had figured out how to use telekinesis. The confident way she moved. The way her waves tumbled over her shoulders. He bet, if he ran his fingers through her hair, it would feel as soft as silk.
He shook himself. What was wrong with him? Sierra being his protégée made her off-limits, at least for him. Sure, someone like Gio wouldn’t think twice, but Gavin wasn’t like that. Anyways, he had learned his lesson in high school with Pia. Relationships were a waste of time and energy. You invested so much only to get hurt. He was content on his own. The occasional one-night stands were enough to take care of his physical needs.
“Gavin?” He looked up at Jillian, who was waiting for a response. He had no idea what the question had been. “You’re distracted. Is this about Sierra? Talk to me.”
Gavin rubbed his temples. Jillian knew him too well. “You were right. I need to find a way to tell her about London.”
“The earlier you tell her, the better.”
“I’m not sure she or Waldeburg will agree to go.” He fisted his fingers in his hair. “Even without me, Lorna would’ve gotten Sierra to come to London eventually…”
“Yes, but you expedited the process.” Jillian sighed. “You have to tell them, give them time to adjust to the idea.”
Jillian had a point. But Sierra and Waldeburg were just settling into Savannah. Both were still recovering from losing Heath. Gavin wished he could take some of their anxiety away, the way Waldeburg had when he had needed her to. Yet no matter how desperately he wished for this, he didn’t possess the ability to calm others.
“Let’s finish this up,” he said, refreshing the database. Together they scanned it twice and found nothing. Restless, Gavin began pacing the room. A clue had to be in there somewhere. He knew it had to.
“I’ll get us something to snack on.” Jillian walked over to the kitchen.
Fluidus Rising: A YA Paranormal Novel: (The Ardere Series Book1) Page 13