Boundary Born (Boundary Magic Book 3) - Melissa F. Olson Page 0,91
getting a call to come in and see Maven. I went to Magic Beans, but . . .” She crinkled her face, unable to remember. “I think someone was waiting for me.”
“It’s going to be okay.” I touched her shoulder, awkwardly. “Opal, I need you to wait here for Quinn. I’m going after the person responsible for all of this.”
She gave me an uncomprehending look. “But don’t you want Quinn to go with you? He always goes with you.”
“If he did, Lysander would press him, just like he pressed you,” I told her. “Quinn would never forgive himself if he hurt me. Just tell him . . . tell him I love him, okay?”
She nodded dully. I didn’t know if the message would make it to Quinn or not, but it didn’t really matter. He knew.
I took Emil’s cell phone from her, stood, and ran for Kirsten’s rental car. But when I got there, a familiar Jeep was parking behind it.
Quinn jumped from the seat with vampire grace and rushed over to me, hands touching my face, checking my neck. “Are you okay? What were you thinking?” he said in almost the same breath.
“How did you get here so fast?”
“I was already on my way. That witch, Kirsten, called Hazel to apologize for not going through the proper channels for coming into town. Hazel called Lily. When we realized you were no longer with Kirsten, I knew something must have happened. Or someone took you.” He tilted his head at the rental car. “Rental cars have GPS now.”
I threw my arms around him. He let me hold him for a moment, then pulled back, his hands clutching my upper arms. “I can’t believe you came to meet Emil without me. What happened?”
His nostrils flared, and his pupils contracted. I nodded, realizing he was smelling Emil’s blood. “Emil’s dead. He had Elise, and he said I had to come alone, and I killed him.” I could hear myself babbling, but I couldn’t seem to slow the words. “Can you please press Elise and get her home?” I would feel guilty about brainwashing my cousin later. “I need to go.”
I made it about a third of a step in the direction of the Kia before he stopped me. “What? Where?”
I hesitated, trying to think of a lie he’d believe, but the pause gave me away. “You’re going after Lysander, aren’t you?” he demanded. “I’m coming with you.”
I reached up, wrapping my fingers around the back of his neck and pulling him down to meet me. “You can’t, Quinn. Lysander can press vampires.”
He only blanched for a moment. “I’ll wear sunglasses. I won’t look at his face.”
I pressed my forehead against his. “No, baby,” I said softly. “You know that’s not good enough. He’s too strong.”
His face clouded over, and I saw what it cost him to say, “Then at least take Simon. Hell, take him and Lily both.”
“I can’t do that either. Even if I were willing to risk them, which I’m not, the only way this will work is a surprise offensive. You know that, Quinn.”
He jerked his head away from me. “If you won’t take Simon, then I’m coming with you,” he said stubbornly.
I sighed. Quinn trusted me to handle so many situations by myself—Ford’s vampires outside the Jeep, for example—but this was too much for him. “Look, you swore an oath of loyalty to Maven.” I gestured over my shoulder. “Maybe Emil’s blood could help her. Take it to her. I’ll be fine.”
It was a flimsy excuse—only last night, Emil’s blood had been full of belladonna—and we both knew it. Quinn’s eyes narrowed. “Don’t you dare try to make this about me choosing her over you. You want to go alone because you’re afraid to risk me.” His eyes widened. “Or is it that you’re planning to let him have you?”
I tried to keep my face neutral, but he was right. If I couldn’t beat Lysander, I would have no choice but to go with him. Emil was right: he would keep coming at me, and more people would get hurt. I would be the new keeper, the new surrogate, whatever, if it meant he would leave my town and my friends alone.
“He took Elise, Quinn,” I pleaded, my voice cracking. “He’s not going to stop until I go with him or one of us is dead. And we can’t die.” Tears filled my eyes. “I have so much to lose. Charlie—”