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With a feeling of reluctance, Gilly felt Gavril release her arm. “We’re almost at the cemetery. I’ll wait across the street near the voodoo shop, where it’s darkest. Once you have them on their way to the docks, I’ll follow but at a distance.”
Gilly nodded. “No heroics, okay? Remember, the Chenilles are going to be ravenous by this time. If they see you before I can get them on the ferry and across to the compound, we’ll be the ones contacting your family about your death.” Gilly regretted her words the moment they came out of her mouth. A cloud of sorrow and depression crossed Gavril’s face, and she was sure he was thinking of Ronan. What an insensitive ass she was.
“I mean—”
“I know what you mean,” Gavril said, the light returning to his eyes. “No worries. I’ll be careful.”
Knowing that the François family ferry was waiting at the dock for her Chenilles, Gilly signaled Gavril to go into the shadows. Then she went into the cemetery to round up her brood.
As the Chenilles exited the cemetery—following Gilly’s lead Chenille, Patrick—Gilly stood by the cemetery gates and took count as they went by. Ten more short than the last count, and as best she could tell, the scabior dome was still intact and operational. Being led by Patrick, the Chenilles followed in pairs. Their tall, thin figures bent over at the waist slightly, their beautiful faces intent on the Chenille before it. It was feeding time, and every Chenille knew it, which was what kept them from breaking formation and made it easy to walk them through the shadows and alleys to the dock.
Not having time to stop and give Gavril the news, she hurried over to Patrick’s side and led her Originals to the docks, winding through side alleys and behind buildings to remain undetected.
Once they were loaded onto the ferry, Gilly got on. As the boat began to move, Gavril came out of the shadows and watched her, and she watched him. With the distance between them growing, Gilly could have sworn she saw Gavril give her the smallest wave goodbye and then lay his hand over his heart. If she was right and hadn’t mistaken the gesture for some odd shadow, the thought of him making that heart tap made her heart feel full to the point of bursting. It took a lot of will power for her not to return the gesture. But what if she’d been mistaken in what she thought she saw? What would he think? That she was having a heart attack and attempt to get to her? Or would he see it for what it was and think she was making a move on him?
Deciding to play it safe, Gilly faced forward, glancing occasionally at the water lapping on either side of the ferry, and forced her mind to focus on business.
With Viv’s Loup-Garous and Evee’s Nosferatu both missing, her clan would have to use their screw-like incisors to drill down hide and meat to get to the bone. Marrow fed them, and they were used to having fresh bone to suck from when brought in for a feeding. Usually the Nosferatu had drained the cattle of blood, and the Loup-Garous had eaten the meat from the same. This left only the bone for the Chenilles to deal with. Now that wouldn’t be the case, however. She didn’t have any idea how they’d react to this change.
Viv was waiting for her on the Algiers side of the river, as was Evee.
“The cattle are in the feeding area like always,” Viv said loudly so her voice carried over the ferry motor. “Lead them down the feeding shoot like usual. We’ll be waiting for you here, behind the trees, over there, while they feed.”
Nodding her understanding, Gilly moored the ferry to the dock and saw her sisters in her peripheral vision hurry off behind the grove of trees nearby.
Gilly unlatched the back gate of the ferry, led her troupe down a winding path, and once they came to the front of the feeding shoot, no more direction was needed. The Chenilles took off at a dead run, all of them ravenous and anxious for the food awaiting them.
In the distance, Gilly heard a few Chenilles whine, while others grumbled, obviously displeased over the fact that they’d have to do so much work to get to marrow. Once all had quieted down, and the only sound she heard was the crunch of bone, Gilly went back to the dock to meet Viv and Evee.
“Any issues?” Viv asked.
“Some whining, a few sounding pissed off,” Gilly said. “But at least they’re eating.”
Evee let out a shaky sigh that sounded very much like she was close to tears. “What are we going to do? We can’t keep running around the city looking for our Originals. We’ve run out of time. With so many Nosferatu and Loup-Garous missing, human deaths are going to become the norm—every day.”
“We can’t give up,” Gilly said. “If we do, we’re already defeated.”
“I’d call losing an entire troupe of Originals pretty much defeat,” Viv said. “I have no idea why my Loups left. The north compound was their home. Why would they just walk away from it?”
“If they walked away from it,” Gilly said. “We really don’t know what’s happened to them.”
She suddenly looked up and about as if just remembering something. “Where the hell are Nikoli and Lucien? They’re supposed to be with you, protecting you. Or did they forget that those ugly sons of bitches determined to kill all of our Originals intend to kill us, as well?”
Viv held up a hand as if to stop Gilly’s tirade. “Nikoli’s still back at the hotel, dealing with his family about Ronan’s death. Lucien went to check on him.”
“To check on him?” Gilly huffed. “The man’s six-four, if he’s an inch, and built like a tank. What’s to check on?”
“Emotions,” Evee said. “I know you’re worried about us, Gilly, but you can’t forget that these men, no matter their size, have hearts. And right now they’re mourning the loss of a close cousin.”
“Yeah, whatever,” Gilly said. “So is that the excuse I use if one of you gets chewed up by those sky assholes?”
“Chill, okay,” Viv said. “We’re fine. We’ll leave here as soon as you get the Chenilles back city side, and the ferry makes it back here.”
“I don’t like it,” Gilly said. “You’re too out in the open. If something happens to one of you...well, it ain’t gonna be pretty for Nikoli and Lucien. That’s all I’ve gotta say.”
With small shakes of their heads, Viv and Evee cocked an ear toward the feeding area.
“Sounds like they’re about done,” Gilly said. “Patrick will lead them back here, so go hide behind a tree or something, will you? The last thing I want is for one of my own to get to either of you.”
Doing as they were asked, Viv and Evee ducked into a grove of trees just as Patrick led the now satiated Chenilles back to the ferry. They boarded lethargically, all of them seemingly overfed.
Once everyone was on board, Gilly closed the back gate of the ferry, kicked the motor on and steered the ferry to city side, where she knew Gavril would be waiting. She wished the ferry had a throttle, wanting it to go faster. All she cared about right now was seeing his face and getting her sisters back from the compound safely. But there was no throttle, so she had to tolerate the chug-chug of the engine and snail crawl of motion until they reached the other side.
After unlocking the back gate, Gilly motioned for Patrick to take her troupe back to the cemetery and make sure they were hidden in old crypts that had been busted open by vandals or in between any open mausoleum slots.
Patrick nodded and, with a grunt, motioned for the other Chenilles to follow him, which they did. Their steps were lumbering, as if trying to balance oversized bellies as they walked.
When they were well out of sight, Gilly uttered an incantation that sent the ferry back to Algiers for Viv and Evee to board. She waited at the water’s edge, nervously biting her nails, her insides shaking. Her nerves were already shot with all that had been going on, but thinking that her sisters might get hurt by a stalking Cartesian en route made her nerves so bad, she thought she’d vomit.
“They’ll be fine,” a man’s voice said behind her. And it took a nanosecond for Gilly to recognize it as Gavril’s. He put his hands on her shoulders and leaned closer to her ear. “I promise. They’ll be fine. And as soon as they return, they’ll have Nikoli and Lucien at their sides at all times. That I assure you.”
“But what if—”
“You can ‘what if’ until the cows come home,” Gavril whispered into her ear. “But the key is to think positive. Visualize them back here safe and sound. Nothing will happen to them.”
Gilly turned toward him, Gavril’s hands still on her shoulders. “Nobody can know for sure. Crap happens, you know?”
Gavril let out a chuckle. “That’s one thing I like about you, Ms. François. You do speak your mind, no matter what crosses it.”
“It’s not funny,” Gilly said. “They’re alone out there and—”
“Look,” Gavril whispered and turned Gilly around. There in the distance was the ferry, already headed city side. From the light of the moon, Gilly easily made out Viv and Evee, both standing near the landing gate. She let out a breath of relief she didn’t even realize she’d been holding.
Instinctively, Gilly reached up and covered one of Gavril’s hands with her own. The spark of electricity that went through her when they touched shocked her, and Gilly quickly removed her hand. She thought of the Elders’ warning not to be intimate with the Benders, as doing so might be their undoing. Yet she couldn’t help but think of Evee and Viv. Both had received the same warning but continued their relationships with Lucien and Nikoli.
Gilly helped maneuver the ferry into its slip and hugged each of her sisters as they walked off the ferry.
“What’s with the mushy stuff?” Viv asked with a laugh. “We only saw you a few minutes ago. You’re acting like you haven’t seen us in a year.”
“Mushy stuff, huh?” Gilly huffed. “Just glad both of you are safely here.”
“Me, too,” Evee said, with a worried expression on her face. “Me, too.”
* * *
Gavril watched as Gilly greeted her sisters, and felt his heart swell. As tough and independent as Gilly might have come across to the rest of the world, Gavril had been fortunate to see more. He’d seen how hard she could love, how deep her loyalties ran, her tenderness when the moment called for it.
Simply watching her interact with her sisters now, Gavril could not deny the fact that he was falling for Gilly and falling hard. This filled his heart and took him aback at the same time.
Gavril had dated more than his share of women over the years, but not one of them had affected him the way Gilly did. This had him walking in unfamiliar territory, which made him a bit nervous. He didn’t want to move too fast or too slow, and knowing either with Gilly was a hard call. Aside from that, he had to keep his mind on the matter that had brought him here in the first place—the Cartesians.
Worrying about how to approach Gilly with his feelings had to come second. His first order of business had to be protecting the Triad and the remaining Originals from the Cartesians. The problem was, every time Gavril saw Gilly, his mind took a hard left without permission, and all he could see or concentrate on was her.
Regardless of how he felt, he had to gain control over his emotions and focus on protection. He’d tried comforting Gilly earlier by telling her to focus on Evee and Viv returning on the ferry safe and sound. The whole time he’d been trying to convince her that they would return safely, he’d been worried about their safety. Both Evee and Viv had been out alone without a Bender to protect them from Cartesians. And having a Triad member out alone when the Cartesians were after them along with their Originals was like teasing a catfish with a fat, juicy worm.
He was just as grateful to see them return safely as Gilly had been. Now, however, things had to change. No more outings without a Bender in tow. And no matter what it took to make that happen, even when it came to feeding the Originals, Gavril would make sure it did.
Chapter 2 (#ue2b00d6d-46d9-51a3-9927-79e98a3f302b)
“What now?” Gilly asked as she, Gavril, Viv and Evee walked away from the docks.
“More hunting,” Gavril said. They crossed a broken piece of sidewalk, and Gavril placed a hand on the small of Gilly’s back to maneuver her around it.
“Our hunting skills suck,” Gilly said.
“Yeah,” Viv said. “All we’ve gotten out of hunting for our missing Originals is more missing Originals. There has to be a better way to tackle this.”
“I think it’s time to hit our Grimoires,” Evee said, referring to their book of spells. “Read through them to see if there’s not a spell we’ve missed or one we can alter slightly that might help us.”
“You can’t just alter a spell,” Gilly said gruffly. “You change it, and it changes the outcome.”
Evee frowned. “It was just a thought.”
“And a good one,” Viv said. She gave Gilly a warning scowl, and then she laid a hand on Evee’s shoulder, trying to reassure her. “It wouldn’t hurt for us to look at our Grimoires. I vote we go through them...just to be sure.”
“Well, if that’s the case,” Gavril said. “I’ll walk the three of you home, then go to the hotel and meet up with Nikoli and Lucien to make sure the arrangements are set up for Ronan. Knowing Nikoli, the details have already been set in stone, though.”
“Then why go?” Gilly said and then felt embarrassed for asking.
“Support,” Gavril said. “Everyone can use some from time to time. The three of you look through your books, and we’ll go back to the hotel and wrap up a few things regarding Ronan with our families. Let’s say the six of us meet up in front of St. John’s Cathedral in a couple hours.”
“Sounds good,” Viv said.
“Fine. Two hours,” Gilly said, and the she turned on her heels and started for home. She made sure she stayed at the lead as she didn’t want Gavril to see the disappointment on her face. She didn’t like the fact that he was leaving—for any amount of time.
“Slow down, will you?” Evee said as they neared the Garden District. “We’re not running a marathon.”
Gilly tsked and glanced over her shoulder at Evee. “No, but the sooner we’re off the streets, the better.”
When they finally reached home, Gilly unlocked the front door and marched into the foyer. She heard Viv reiterate to Gavril that they’d meet in front of the cathedral in two hours. After closing the door behind her, Viv turned on Gilly.
“What the heck’s wrong with you? He only offered to walk us home, and you’d have sworn he carried a contagion the way you stormed ahead.”
Gilly pulled off her T-shirt in the middle of the kitchen and started making her way to the stairs in order to shower and dress. “I wasn’t storming ahead,” she declared. “Just because I walk faster than you, it doesn’t mean anything else.”
Gilly heard Evee let out a giggle, and she stopped and glared at her sister. “What’s with that? I don’t find any of it funny.”
“I know why you were acting weird coming home,” Evee said.
“Oh, yeah, Smarty? Why?”
“Because you like him,” Evee said. “You didn’t want Gavril to leave.”
“Aw, that’s bull-crap,” Gilly proclaimed, and she walked into the foyer and started stomping up the stairs to her room.
“No, it’s not,” Evee said. “Admit it, Abigail François. You like Gavril Hyland.”
“Stop acting like a pubescent teen,” Gilly shouted down at her. She hated when anyone used her full first name. It made her sound like a wuss. “I’m going to shower.”
By the time Gilly made it to her bedroom, Elvis, her albino ferret familiar, was stretched on her bed. He greeted her with a big yawn.
“She’s right, you know,” Elvis said.
“About what?” Gilly asked, stripping out of the rest of her clothes.
“You liking that Hyland guy.”
“Oh, for the love of peace, would you stop already? I’m getting enough crap from Evee about that, and it just isn’t true.”
“But it—”
Naked, Gilly spun about on her heels and faced Elvis. “One more word out of you, and I’ll dunk you in cold water, got it?” Elvis hated to have his body immersed in water, much less cold, which Gilly had done to him by accident a year ago. She’d been holding Elvis while filling a tub with water. Before the water temperature had crawled to warm, as it often took the time to do in their big old house, she’d tripped and accidentally dropped Elvis into the tub. He’d howled and shrieked and sprang up on all fours out of the tub, then ran out of the bathroom into hiding. He’d stayed angry with her about the incident for weeks.
Elvis lay his head down and covered it with his front paws.
Once in the shower, and away from Elvis’ badgering and Evee’s teasing, Gilly relaxed under the hot spray and thought about Gavril. It wasn’t so much how he looked that tantalized her, although his Adonis-like handsomeness was nothing to spit at, it was who he was that intrigued her. It was the intensity with which he tackled any project he put his hand to, his gentleness when he touched her and the caring he showed for his family, which seemed as strong as what she felt for her own. She had a strong sense that Gavril felt for her the same way she felt for him. The way his eyes gazed into hers, how they never moved away from her face when she spoke, as if every word uttered held an importance that needed to be understood. Not once had he ever spoken over her. And the most beautiful thing about him, to her, anyway, was the way he seemed to be able to read her mind. To comfort her without her asking. To give her space without prompting. He accepted her for who and what she was. Never showing a hint of disgust or frustration. Not even when she dropped an F-bomb on occasion. In all of her adult years, Gilly had yet to meet a man with all those wonderful qualities.
Oh, and the way he smelled. An earthy scent, a manly scent with the slightest hint of cinnamon. It made her feel like a starving woman ready, needing, to consume all he had to offer.
It was easy to find one or two of these qualities in men, Gilly knew, but she had never known one man to possess them all. It was that and so much more that kept Gavril at the front of her thoughts. How would she ever find another man whom she felt had been so perfectly designed for her? She could only wish and hope he felt the same.
With his looks, Gilly was sure that he could have any woman he desired. All he’d have to do was look her way and smile, and any woman would melt like cream on a hot sidewalk at his feet. The thought of that jumbled Gilly’s belly with jealousy, and seemed to turn the water about ten degrees colder.
Scrubbing her face with her hands, Gilly let the thought of other women go down the drain with the dirty water she washed from her body. If anything, she’d discovered in the few days she’d known him that Gavril was as loyal as they came. And jealousy was not her strong suit, anyway, which was another piece of the puzzle that made their match perfect.
Only one square peg refused to complete the picture. That peg was the one the Elders had thrown in their lap by demanding that the Triad have nothing more to do with the Benders. They’d reminded the Triad that having relationships with the Benders would be their undoing, which in turn and in the end, would be the destruction of the world.
As Gilly stepped out of the shower and dried her body, she repeated what the Elders had said verbatim in her mind. Although she easily remembered their remarks word for word, she found them unfair and questionable. If having a relationship with a Bender would be the end of them, then what about Viv and Evee? Both had sex with their Benders but were still around, their powers on par with her own. She was the only one who hadn’t experienced hers. She wanted desperately to change that, but what if the Elders had been right? What if more intimacy with the Benders meant more destruction, more discord and more deaths among the Originals and humans in the city? Was she willing to take the chance and find out? The more she thought about it, though, the less sense it made. If the Elders’ words of warning were to be taken verbatim, then Viv and Evee would be useless as witches right now. Gilly couldn’t help but wonder if after all the centuries of interpretation, their Elders might have gotten something wrong or out of context.
After throwing Elvis a warning glance to keep his mouth shut, Gilly went to her closet, chose a pair of light blue linen pants and a short-waisted white cotton pullover. She pulled on a pair of ankle socks, shoved her feet into a pair of white sneakers and hurried out of the room. She was about to head down the stairs, when she heard Elvis’ voice.
“Don’t say I didn’t warn you!”
“Pfft,” she proclaimed and hurried down the stairs.
She found Evee in the kitchen, steeping a cup of tea.
“Where’s Viv?” Gilly asked.
