Of Fate & Forbidden Desire (The Gatekeeper Duet #1)

26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

I need answers and I need them tonight! - Dina

T hankfully, Ally fell asleep shortly after leaving Donovan’s so I had a break from her and Jacin fighting. Jacin had also been quiet, only speaking when we crossed the Scottish border to ask for directions to my place in Edinburgh. I’d given him them and lapsed back into my thoughts. Charleene hadn’t stirred or made any noise the entire trip, and her silence was wearing on me more and more. I missed her chatter and bubbly attitude, especially when I found myself being plagued by memories that should remain buried.

I glanced out the window, noticing we were on a familiar street as Jacin murmured, "Ally?" and gave her a little shake, "we're here."

“Here?” she questioned sleepily, glancing out the window, “And where’s here?”

“Edinburgh.” I told her, my tone harsher than I’d intended. I’d spent a lot of the drive pondering Donovan’s words and realised if the roles had been reversed I wouldn’t want Charleene being blamed.

Ally looked back at me and then across at Charleene with a sad look, “I thought we had another stop before we’d got here?”

“We were going to, but after Lysais found us at Donovan’s, we thought it would be best to come straight here.” Jace explained, making her shiver.

“Oh,” was her only reply and for a few minutes she’s silent, only speaking again as Jacins pulled up to the curb and stopped the car, “So what happens now?”

“We’ll get settled inside, and then I’m going to meet one of my contacts here.” I said, trying to be more open with them .

“How do we know it’s safe here?” Ally asked, as I sped around the car, and gently pulled Charleene from her seat.

I made sure her head was resting against my shoulder before answering, as Ally’s head swivelled taking in the street, “It’s one of my spots.”

Leaving them both out on the street, I strode up the steps and unlocked the front door of my house. I took a deep breath of the slightly stale air and a small smile graced my lips as familiar scents of bergamot and freesia welcomed me back. It’d been far too long since I’d last been here.

I took the steps one at a time, being careful not to jostle Charleene as I took her upstairs and tucked her into my bed. There was another guest room down the hall, but if I had to leave her, I wanted her surrounded by my scent. The Fae could use the spare room. Pausing at the door to give her one last look, I turn my attention to the job at hand. We needed more information on where the Nicniven witches could be and I was determined to find it tonight. Going to go back downstairs and inform the Fae of my plans, I froze on the top step. Ally was looking intently at the photographs which had been taken of me over the years. I’d forgotten they even still hung there, a reminder of the past I couldn’t return to.

As if she could feel my eyes on her, Ally’s gaze snapped to mine and a faint blush stained her cheeks. “I’ve put Charleene in my room and there’s a spare room at the end of the hall up here, so you’ll have to share with Jace.”

“Erm, thank you.” She muttered, shifting her feet.

“She’ll need looking after while I’m out,” I stated.

“Where will you be going?” Ally asked and I frowned.

“Jace has my number if she wakes up.” I said before using my speed to leave.

The door slammed behind me but I didn't care, for now I just wanted to be on my own and I needed to hunt.

Melting into the shadows cast from the street lights being just too far apart, I made my way into the city of Edinbrugh through the network of streets and alleyways. It was alive tonight with people drinking, walking home from late shifts and those who are homeless. In a world with so much wealth, it really was heartbreaking to see those who have to go without the basic necessities like housing, food or amenities. However, those same people with no home to go to are who vampires can rely on to feed us if we need to. Although tonight I wasn’t looking for the blood bank equivalent of fast food, I need something more substantial.

Not being able to help Charleene had made me feel redundant in a way and tonight, I wanted to chase and hunt my prey. To dominate it.

I headed to the rougher parts of the city, watching for the perfect victim. Someone who was bad enough to warrant me hunting them, but not too evil that I would lose my self control. I also required someone that no one would believe if they remembered me feeding from them. Let's face it, who would believe that a person would bite and drink from another person.

It took me over an hour to find someone dealing drugs to an addict who looked so far out of her right mind that it seemed laughable for him to be taking the money from her shaking hand. Waiting until the transaction had been completed and the woman had scurried off, I began my hunt. I let my feet fall heavily on the pavement, close enough that he started throwing glances over his shoulder but keeping far enough away to make him doubt if I was following him. His glances became quick flicks as he turned a corner and I followed. After the third corner his strides grew faster, until another street later he was almost running.

Tasting his fear taint the air, I let a cruel smile twist my lips into a sneer and made myself catch up to him. I was within grabbing distance when he finally found his balls and spun on the spot to face me.

“What ya want lass?” The scumbag asked, showing me his black and missing teeth in the process, “You after a score?”

My lips peeled back from my own perfectly white teeth at his words. “Why would I want your poison?”

“Then wha’ ya followin’ me fer?” he asked, seeming genuinely perplexed with the situation he found himself in .

“To teach you a lesson.” I all but growled at him, letting my own monster dangerously close to the surface and my fangs descend.

The streetlights in this part of town were not maintained very well and every other one seemed to be broken, however the scumbag still had enough light to see them.

“Wha’ are yer?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at me.

“Your worst nightmare.” I deadpanned, before grabbing his throat in one hand and the fist he threw at me in the other. Using my superior strength I forced him down the alleyway we'd stopped next to.

Cutting off his oxygen stopped any noises from leaving his foul, rotten mouth and his free hand clawed at my unbreakable skin as he tried to free himself. Smiling viciously, I allowed him to struggle as I took him to the bottom of the alley. There were no windows, and at this time of night, there would be no one to offer him aid, as I tilted his head and roughly tore into his rancid skin. The stench of his body odour was overpowering as it mixed with the scent of fresh piss. His struggles grew more frantic and he kicked out at my legs, hoping to dislodge me as the first spurt of his blood hit my tongue.

I almost spat it back at him as its bitter taste coated my tongue like oil. The drugs coursing through his system tainted it and made it taste disgusting. However, I'd started now and needed to force myself to drain enough for him to lose consciousness. If he passed out his brain would assuage him that this had all been a drug fueled nightmare. There'd be no marks to say otherwise, when he woke. Forcing myself to drink faster, I smiled against his sweaty neck as his fight lessened with each heavy pull, until finally he sagged in my hand.

Thankfully pulling away, I forced myself to lick my puncture wounds, before dropping him in a heap at my feet. It’s going to take days of donated blood to wash my mouth clean , I thought to myself, trying not to retch as I headed off back towards the city centre and the first contact I had here.

So far my night had been a complete failure. My first two contacts could only tell me that the Nicnevin Witches had been persecuted more than others throughout history, making them secretive and aloof. None of them could tell me why the Coven decided to fully withdraw into obscurity. One had heard murmurs of a strange place outside of Glasgow, where it was said that people walked one way only to find themselves turning around. The other had said the same about rumours from up near Inverness. I was hoping that my final contact would be able to find them for me, but I wasn't holding out much hope.

Still trying to free my mouth of my last meal, I step up to Carol's front door and press the button of her doorbell. It was already well past midnight but I wasn't afraid of waking her, she'd been expecting me after all, and it wasn't as though vampires typically kept to sociable hours. The door of the tall brownstone building opened a crack and Carol’s one green eye met mine.

“Adrina.” She greeted me coldly, swinging the door open further so I could enter. There was no love lost between me and Carol, but she was too afraid of my Coven and myself, to deny me information.

“Carol,” I matched her tone and walked further down the thin hallway, towards the kitchen at the back. The air was heavy with the scent of sage and smoke still clung in thinly to the ceiling.

“Well make yoursen at home, why don't ya.” She grumbled, closing the door behind her with a sharp bang.

“I need to locate the Nicniven Coven.” I said with no more preamble as she shuffled into the kitchen to join me.

“Now there's a name I ain't heard in a long time,” she rambled, “Wha’ yer want with them?”

“That's none of your business,” I informed her, narrowing my eyes to match hers.

“Well they ain’t been seen in almost twenty odd years, findin’ ‘em will be difficult.” She mused .

“I'll pay double, can you find them or not?” I asked, taking out the thick roll of cash I'd taken from the drug dealing scum.

“Course I can.” She scoffed with a snort, as though my doubts were unfounded. Carol was a witch who specialised in scrying.

I propped one shoulder against the kitchen door frame, watching as she gathered everything she would need and laid it all out on the table. She lit four candles to represent the elements and poured water into the scrying bowl. Carol chanted quietly, speaking words only she needed to hear, and watched as smoke rose from the water, filling the bowl and dancing hypnotically near the top. Carol’s normal—one blue, one green— eyes were now a cloudy white as she raised her head and settled them on me. A shiver ran down my spine as her voice took on an otherworldly tone; no matter how many times she’d used it in the past it always had the same effect.

“Speak your question and receive your answer.”

“I require to know the location of the Nicnevin Coven.” I responded, keeping my words clear and concise.

The minutes dragged by slowly as Carol sat unblinking, her lips moving silently. “They are bound to Scotland.” Her otherworldly voice intoned, unhelpfully.

“I know that, but where?” I tried.

Again she took a while to answer, “Uncertain; they have been near Edinburgh, near Fife, near Glasgow, near Glencoe, near Glenfinnan and many other places but never straying across the Scottish border.”

The answer was unhelpful, giving me numerous places to search, “Why can they not be found?” I asked, trying to change tactics.

“Magic clouds them, protects them, until they choose to move.” Carol intoned, before drawing in a noisy breath and her eyes cleared along with the smoke inside the bowl. “They are using magic to conceal themselves, even the fates can not find them at the moment.” She explained further, “They obviously do not want to be found. ”

“But why?” The question slipped out as any hope I’d held onto vanished like a candle blown out by the wind.

“Who knows, but I can narrow your search down a little; Glasgow flashed in my vision more than once as did Inverness. Maybe those are favoured areas for them.”

“Maybe, thank you for your services.” I said, wanting nothing more than to get home to Charleene.

“A pleasure as always Adrina,” Carol said sarcastically, she hated my visits, “Please see yoursen out.”

With a nod, I did just that and sped all the way back to my own townhouse.

I’d lain awake all night, laying next to Charleene and holding her hand, pondering where it would be best to start our search. I didn’t know how much longer Charleene would remain attached to our world, even if we still had four days left on Gladys’ spell. I heard Ally’s soft footsteps on the hall landing as she padded past my closed door. She’d already been in bed when I returned and Jacin had been snoring on the sofa downstairs. I tuned out their voices as they greeted each other in the kitchen, but it wasn’t until I heard my coffee machine beeping that I dragged myself from beside Charleene. Leaving her with a gentle kiss on her forehead I slowly made my way downstairs.

“I was hoping it might rub off on you, but clearly not.” Jacin’s voice was quiet as I tread lightly on the stairs, “The coffee’s really good by the way, Dina has an awesome Nespresso Machine.” I heard, confirming my observation that he was touching my stuff, damn Fae.

Jacin passed Ally a steaming cup of coffee. The rich scent of the beans filled the air and I inhaled deeply as Ally asked, “Have you spoken to Dina this morning?”

“No he hasn’t.” I declared, making Ally jump a mile in the air—how she managed not spill a drop, was beyond me.

Clutching the cup to her chest they both spun to face me. “So what happened last night?”

“I managed to speak with a couple of my contacts in the city. The Scottish Coven has been persecuted, more than any other throughout history, but stories have circulated over the years. We’re going to Glasgow today." I explained slowly.

"Why Glasgow? I thought the witches were supposed to be here?" She replied, a small frown forming above her eyes.

"There have been rumours of a Witch's Coven up near Glasgow," I snapped. It’s too damn early for her hundreds of questions, I think to myself, heading to the fridge and grabbing out one of the blood bags I had stashed in there.

"Seriously, is that blood?" Ally’s voice dripped with her disgust as I grabbed my favourite cup from the cupboard.

"What else would I be drinking?" I said, my tone flat and watched happily as her mouth flapped about like a fish. I squeezed the thick red liquid from the bag, making sure I didn’t spill a drop, before putting the cup in the microwave and warming it.

"So when do we leave?" Jacin asked, shaking his head at Ally, as I threw the now empty bag into the rubbish bin.

"In an hour," I said, already bored with the conversation as the microwave beeped and I grabbed my lukewarm cup of blood and left them alone.

It wasn’t not long before I heard Ally stamp her way back upstairs and across the landing. Before the door, to what I’m assuming is my guest bedroom, shut with a click and I heard her muffled,"For fuck sake."

Sipping my blood, I savour the taste of it, shuddering at the foul stuff I’d drunk last night. Donated blood wasn’t the same as fresh blood, but it was a damn sight better than that drugged up loser’s. My gaze watched Charleene, counting each rise and fall of her chest to mark the time I’d given the Fae to get ready.

I listened as Ally packed her stuff and went downstairs, giving them a few more minutes, before I carefully picked Charleene up and grabbed the pillow from the bed. I took each step downstairs carefully, listening to the Fae’s hushed conversation.

“Do you think Charleene will ever wake up?” Ally whispered and I couldn’t help myself from responding as I paused in the open doorway.

?“You better pray that she wakes up, because if she doesn’t then…” I began to snarl at her, before Jacin interrupted me.

?“Don’t finish that sentence unless you want a fight!” He snarled with a cutting glare at me.

“Whatever, we’re taking my car.” I informed them, walking away.

“What’s wrong with my car?” Jacin’s voice called after me.

“It’s not mine,” I stated, swinging the front door open.

“What about our stuff?” Ally shouted.

“It’ll be fine here.” I threw over my shoulder, already making my way to the deserted street. With the bite in the air and the early hour, the humans were thankfully still asleep as I made my way to my silver audi.

“But my car…" Jacin whined from behind me as I pressed the button on my keyfob, unlocking the car doors.

"You can retrieve it when you come back this way, I'll help you shift your boxes into the house so we can get going." I offered, placing Charleene in the back seat and putting the pillow beneath her head.

"Fine," he begrudgingly agreed, not like I was giving him much choice in the matter. Jace agreed, passing me his bag and unlocking his car.

Shifting their stuff inside took longer than I wanted; they had so much stuff crammed into that beat up excuse for a car. However once it was done, I locked up as they each got it to my car and we set off for Glasgow.

I didn't speak to either of them as I drove, concentrating on which exits to take and eventually Ally’s soft snores filled the car. I drank in the near silence as Jacin stared fixedly out the window.

Jacin’s voice finally broke the silence as I drove past a sign declaring Glasgow was only five miles away .

“Ally needs to train.” He declared, raising my hackles.

"Absolutely not!" I yelled, surprised that he would even suggest such a thing.

"What the hell are you two arguing about now?" Ally’s sleep filled voice interrupted us.

"Brainiac here wants to train your magic." I couldn’t help but spit at her, meeting her surprised eyes in the rear-view mirror, before returning them to the road ahead.

"She needs to learn how to control it." He said and I know that he’s right however with her track record of using magic, I didn’t want her using it anywhere near me or Charleene ever again.

"Yeah, like that turned out so well last time." She scoffed in return, glancing over at Charleene as if to hammer home her point.

"You'll never get any better if you don't face it Ally." Jacin said, turning in his seat to meet her eyes.

"Hmmm," she mumbled non-committedly.

"We're almost at Glasgow, you can't have her letting off powerful magic in its limits," I mumbled, knowing I was fighting a losing battle.

"As soon as we reach a more remote place, I'm beginning her training." Jace begrudgingly agreed.

"Well, I'm so glad that's sorted," Charleene's calm voice made me freeze for a second as it filled the car like the sweetest music I’d ever heard.

Without thinking or even checking the other cars around me, my foot slammed down on the brake pedal and we lurch to a stop. Angry car horns blare as I couldn’t believe that she was awake and swivelled in my seat to stare at her open eyes.