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“She left,” Evee said. “Said she had to discuss something with Nikoli before we all got together, so she headed for his hotel.”
A prickle of worry stung the back of Gilly’s neck. “She shouldn’t be out alone. Maybe we should go and find her. Walk her over there.”
Evee glanced at the clock on the wall. “Too much time has passed. She’s surely already there, safe and in one piece. We still have an hour before we’re supposed to meet up with the guys in front of the cathedral. Whatever Viv and Nikoli have to talk about, I think we should give them that privacy.” She held up her cup. “Want some tea?”
“No, thanks,” Gilly said and found herself starting to pace the kitchen. “It’s still very dark outside. Suppose she gets jumped by some freakazoid.”
Evee smiled. “She brought a flashlight with her and the bat we keep in the laundry room. If anyone tries to attack her, I pity them more than anything.”
Evee’s smile and words usually comforted Gilly, but right now, they did little more than piss her off. They made her feel like she was being treated like a child.
“Look,” Gilly said. “I doubt if the Hyland cousins are going to give a rat’s ass if we show up at their hotel early instead of meeting them at the cathedral at a precise time. I really think we need to go and check on Viv—make sure she got there okay.”
“Okay, okay,” Evee finally agreed. “But I’d like to finish up this chamomile tea first, if you don’t mind.”
Gilly wrinkled her nose. “Chamomile? That crap tastes awful. You just as soon be drinking horse vomit. Why chamomile?”
“It relaxes me. Gets rid of anxiety so I can focus.”
“Peppermint tea does the same thing, but at least it tastes good. Besides, chamomile wires me up.”
“Yes, but—”
Gilly waved a hand to cut off her words. “Drink whatever you like, but just drink it. I’d like to get going sooner than later.”
“What’re you so worried about? She’ll be with the Benders.”
“If she made it there.”
Evee gulped down the rest of her tea, smacked her lips and then placed the cup and saucer into the kitchen sink. “Viv’s a big girl. She can handle herself.”
“You mean like she had to handle herself when a Cartesian attacked and Lucien had to perform a flying tackle to get her out of the way, and Ronan ended up dead?”
“Geez, you don’t have to be so brash,” Evee said. “I’m done with the tea, so let’s go already. Anything to ease that wild-stallion brain of yours.”
Satisfied that they were finally on their way, Gilly grabbed a flashlight from the utility room and hurried to the kitchen door to lead the way to the hotel.
“Shall I find another bat?” Evee asked with a grin.
“Don’t be stupid,” Gilly said. “We only had one. Maybe bring a butcher knife or something like that. Anything to protect us if we need it.”
Evee let out a sigh of exasperation. “I will not run around the city with a butcher’s knife. Should, and I do mean should, something come up, remember we are witches. We’ll turn the attacker into a toad or a rabbit.”
“I prefer a pile of dung, myself,” Gilly said, walking out of the back door with Evee in tow.
“That’s because you’ve got the class of a hyena, sister. You know, everyone claims we’re triplets, but really, you could have been adopted.”
“Oh, shu...hush up. You’re just upset with me because I’m a little wired about Viv.”
“A little wired? Abigail, darling, you could light up half the state with your worry wires. She’s fine. I’m sure of it. I’ll bet you ten to one she’s with Nikoli at the hotel, sitting nice and cozy beside him.”
It was earlier than they’d originally planned to meet at the cathedral; more than likely, Nikoli and Lucien were still talking to family members about Ronan’s death. Gilly knew she should have given them the space they needed to make their family calls, but Viv’s heading out there alone made decent protocol appear stupid. She had to make sure her sister was safe with her Bender.
With dawn breaking, and the trolleys still not up and running, Gilly and Evee had to foot it from the Garden District to Royal Street in the French Quarter, where the Hotel Monteleone was located.
Gilly speed-walked the entire way, with Evee occasionally stopping to work out a stitch in her side.
“Slow down, will you?” Evee said to Gilly. “At this pace, you’re going to give me a heart attack.”
“Witches don’t have heart attacks.”
“Okay, then my lungs are going to burst. You’re faster than I am, so slow it down a notch. Why are you all but running there? We agreed to go to the hotel to make sure Viv was okay, and we’re doing that, but you didn’t mention speed-walking like a gazelle to do it.”
Gilly slowed slightly, allowing her sister to catch up. “Something’s wrong,” she said suddenly. “I feel it in my gut. That’s what’s making me so anxious to get there as quickly as possible.”
Evee came to an abrupt stop. “What’s wrong? Cartesians? Are they around here? Did one of them get Viv?”
Taking her sister’s hand, Gilly pulled her forward, not wanting to stop their progress to the hotel.
“I can’t quite put my finger on it. It just feels like a fur ball growing in the pit of my stomach. I’m not sure who or what’s causing it. The only thing I know is it isn’t good.”
Evee tugged on Gilly’s hand, attempting to slow her down even more. “Is it a Bender? Did we lose another one like we lost Ronan?”
“I already told you, I’m not sure what or who is causing me to feel this way, but there’s only one way to find out—get our asses to the hotel and find out.”
That bit of information seemed to add new energy to Evee’s step. Gilly pushed her speed up a notch. She really wasn’t sure how many more catastrophes she’d be able to manage without losing her mind. She might be a witch, but she was still human, filled with emotions and yearnings. Being a witch didn’t stop that from happening.
When they finally reached the Monteleone, Evee led Gilly to the elevator bank near the Carousel Bar. She remembered the room number from before and figured it best to go directly there instead of heading to the reception desk first.
Having reached the appropriate floor, Evee led Gilly to the suite shared by the three remaining Benders and then knocked on the door.
Within seconds, Nikoli opened the door and seemed surprised to see them. His eyes were slightly red-rimmed, as if he’d been crying. Gilly couldn’t blame him. Had he not shown some emotion over the loss of his cousin while telling his family, she’d have considered him an asshole of the highest order.
“Are we late?” Nikoli asked, glancing at his watch. Evidently seeing that they were in fact a half hour early, he asked, frowning, “Is there a problem?”
“Is Viv here?” Gilly asked.
Nikoli looked surprised. “No, she hasn’t been here since we arrived at the hotel earlier. Why?”
“She was supposed to be on her way here to discuss something with you,” Evee said. “At least, that’s what she told me.”
Nikoli invited them inside and motioned for them to have a seat on the couch in the living area. When they were seated, Nikoli stroked his beard, worry etching his face. “She said she was coming here?”
“Yes,” Evee said.
“You mean to tell me she’s not shown up here at all this morning?” Gilly asked, getting to her feet.
“I haven’t seen her since the feedings,” Nikoli said.
“I told you,” Gilly said to Evee. “I told you something was wrong.”
“What are you talking about?” Nikoli asked.
About that time, Gavril appeared, freshly showered, barefoot, dressed in jeans and a cobalt-blue button-down shirt.
His eyes went wide when he saw Gilly and Evee, and then narrowed. “Is there a problem?”
“I’d say so,” Evee said.
“What is it?” Gavril asked.
“The girls are saying that Viv was on her way here to talk to me about something, but she never showed,” Nikoli said, nearly shouting. Dressed in jeans and a forest-green pullover, he went over to the desk in the living area, grabbed his scabior and attached it to his belt. Gilly noticed his hands shaking slightly.
Gilly stared at Evee and said, “She’s gone missing. Heaven and all the elementals, our sister has gone missing!”
Instead of answering, Evee suddenly burst into tears. “We have to find her! We have to!”
“She’s got to be our first priority,” Gilly said. “Screw the missing Originals and those damn Cartesians. We want our sister back—now!”
After Lucien belted his scabior to his jeans, they all but ran out of the hotel en masse.
To the patrons of the hotel, they must have looked like lunatics, running down hallways, across the foyer, and all but crashing through the front doors of the hotel.
Gilly had no idea where to start looking. She feared most of all that somehow the same thing that had happened to Ronan had happened to her sister. The only thing that abated her fear was an innate knowledge that all three sisters carried. One knew when the other was hurt. It only made sense that Gilly would know in her heart of hearts if Viv was dead. And she didn’t feel that was the case.
Not dead, but in grave danger.
Chapter 3 (#ue2b00d6d-46d9-51a3-9927-79e98a3f302b)
Seeing the worry and pain in Gilly’s eyes over her missing sister felt like a dagger in Gavril’s heart. He would have done anything to remove the pain from her and make her world normal again.
The problem was no matter how hard the Benders had tried to help the triplets, their situation seemed to be getting worse than better. Yes, they’d managed to get rid of more than their share of Cartesians since they’d arrived in New Orleans. But that hadn’t stopped Ronan’s death, or the death of some of Viv’s Loup-Garous, Evee’s Nosferatu and Gilly’s Chenilles. It was as if all of the Cartesians ever created from centuries ago had zeroed in on this place and were bound and determined to take out every last Original, along with the Triad.
The Benders had traveled the world, fighting groups of Cartesians whenever they appeared to destroy a sect of the netherworld. From Africa to Alaska, England to New Zealand, they’d fought and won each battle they’d been confronted with. Never, however, had any of the Benders faced a situation like this. The more they battled, the worse things seemed to become, and for the life of him, Gavril couldn’t figure out why. Certainly it had something to do with the Cartesians discovering the Originals here, but usually, after a battle or two or three, they’d move on to easier territory. This definitely wasn’t the case here and now.
Now Gilly and Evee were standing in their hotel room, claiming Viv was missing. She’d told Evee she was coming to the hotel to talk to Nikoli, who knew nothing about the impromptu meeting, but regardless, Viv had never showed up.
Gavril saw the pain in Nikoli’s eyes and how quickly his expression went haggard. Viv had been paired with him. His job was to protect her and her Originals, and for all intents and purposes, judging by what he’d seen when Viv and Nikoli were together, it had taken on a whole new course. His cousin was in love with the woman who was now missing, and nothing short of death would stop him from finding her.
So far, all that had happened was the disappearance of all of Viv’s Loup-Garous, and now the woman he not only was supposed to protect, but cared for in a deeper way than they were allowed, was missing. Gavril could only imagine how deep the wounds were inside of him. Not only had Nikoli been the one to contact the family about Ronan’s death, recounting the tragic tale again and again to various family members, but now he had to deal with Viv’s disappearance. How much pain could a man bear without breaking? Gavril could only imagine, for if Gilly had been the one to go missing, he’d have already cracked wide open.
Everyone seemed frozen in place, unsure of what their next move should be. If by some horrid chance a Cartesian had gotten to Viv, they’d never find her. She’d be dead, hidden away in another dimension, just like Ronan. Only there’d be no family to contact, save for the Elders, as Viv’s entire family members were her sisters, who were already here.
As if reading his mind, Gilly said, “She’d not dead. I’d know it if she was. But she’s hurt.”
“What do you feel, either of you?” Gavril asked.
“Danger,” Evee said.
“Yes,” Gilly confirmed. “It’s all around her. I get the sense that she’s trapped somewhere and has to stay hidden to stay alive. Wherever she is, she was chased there, coerced there, hurt there. The Cartesians are waiting for her to come out of hiding in order to pounce on her again. They’re counting on her doing just that.”
“Viv’s too smart to let that happen,” Gavril said. “If she knows they’re waiting for her to come out of hiding, she’ll nest herself right where she is until we can get to her.”
“I know,” Gilly said. “But how long will that be? How hurt is she? She’s a prisoner for all intents and purposes. That’s no way to live—or die.”
“We’ll find her,” Gavril said. “It may be a good idea to start from the beginning. Nikoli, since feeding is over and all the Loups are missing, anyway, go to the north compound and see if Viv’s there. Evee and Lucien, you take the Bon Appétit Café first, and then the two of you head back to your house in case Viv doubled back and wound up being there. I’ll take Gilly and head for the St. Louis I Cemetery, just in case she decided to go there to help check on Gilly’s Chenilles. After that, if we don’t find her at the cemetery, then we’ll head to the Elders in case she went there, looking for help.”
“Not the Elders,” Gilly said adamantly. “I’m certain she wouldn’t be there, and telling them she’s missing will only freak them out even more.”
Gavril laid a hand on the small of Gilly’s back. He wanted to wrap his arms around her and never let go. Take her away from this place, from its dangers and heartaches. “We can’t leave any stone unturned. From what you’ve told me, news travels fast among the Circle of Sisters. With all of those witches in your group focused on this, I wouldn’t be surprised if the Elders already know she’s missing. They might even have a clue as to where she might be.”
“You’re giving them too much credit.”
“They’re Elders. We have to allow for all possibilities.”
Reluctantly, Gilly gave him a half-hearted nod. “Yeah, no stone unturned.”
With everyone assigned a location, they paired together, save for Nikoli, and parted ways, each seemingly carrying the weight of the world on his or her shoulders. They agreed to meet back at the hotel in an hour.
When Gavril and Gilly finally made it to the cemetery, Gavril stayed behind the locked gates, as instructed by Gilly, while she went inside. He hoped against hope she’d find some sign that Viv had been there. He’d never seen Gilly so distraught before, even after all they’d been through so far. He imagined, however, with the Triad being triplets, when one got lost and alone, all of them felt it. He’d heard twins and triplets often felt what their other siblings felt, and he assumed this was no different. Even during their occasional squabbles, it was easy to see how much the sisters adored one another.
By the time Gilly made it back to the cemetery gates, her cheeks were streaked with tears. As soon as she closed and locked the gates, she began to sob. “She’s not there. Hasn’t been anywhere near here, according to Patrick, her head Chenille. He came up to the gates to find out what I wanted. I hated to tell him because I didn’t want him worrying, but I had no choice.”
Then, out of nowhere, Gilly’s sobs grew louder, and she suddenly pressed a hand to Gavril’s chest. He stood fast, placing a hand over hers. Simply by touch he could feel the anger roiling through her. Not anger toward him, but the situation, for the loss of her sister.
Gavril didn’t budge when Gilly released her hand from his chest, turned and punched a light post. He knew all too well how she was feeling, since he’d just recently lost his Ronan, who’d been as close to him as a brother.
As Gilly sobbed, Gavril all but carried her to a side alley off Rampart Street so she could have the privacy he knew she needed to let go completely.
Once there, he pulled Gilly close, attempting to comfort her. She struggled against the gesture, evidently not wanting to give in to the over-the-top emotions she felt.
It didn’t take long for her to lose that battle, however. Before Gavril knew it, Gilly finally pressed herself against him and laid her head on his chest. He gently rubbed her back with a hand, whispering comforting words in her ear. “We’ll find her, I promise.”
Gavril had no idea who moved first, but suddenly his lips were locked with Gilly’s, and she was kissing him with the same fierceness she felt regarding Viv’s disappearance.
Gavril struggled to maintain control over the kiss, not wanting their intimacy to go further than it already had. He didn’t want her to hold regrets for something she did out of sheer emotional upheaval. But her kiss kept his head spinning, his body humming with a hunger he’d never felt before.
Obviously frustrated, and still in tears, Gilly took Gavril’s hands and brought them to her breasts. In that moment, it seemed she could have cared less whether the alley was dark or brightly lit. He felt she needed the pain inside of her to go somewhere else, and without question, he knew that the somewhere else was having Gavril deep inside her. He carried the same need for her.
As Gavril tried to hold her back, soothe her with his words, Gilly all but threw him down on a grass mound in the alley. She ripped his shirt open, and then her own. She pressed her breasts against his chest and Gavril groaned, quickly losing resolve.
He felt himself hard against her. She’d obviously felt it, too, because it seemed to make something in her mind click into overdrive. Gilly pressed a hand to his chest, yanked open his belt and unzipped his pants. Gavril opened his mouth to protest, but his body defied all he meant to say. He needed her as desperately as she needed him.
Meanwhile, Gilly worked her slacks and panties off with one hand and, without preamble, settled her wet, swollen self over his hardness.
With a groan, Gavril pulled her toward him, yet Gilly kept her hand on his chest and rode him like her life depended on it.
Gavril felt pain in his groin as he fought to maintain control, but the second Gilly flooded him with her hot, soaking juices, he exploded inside of her like a non-stop geyser that dared defy the laws of physics.
