Page 76 of Quintus

“She’s happy?” Joy emanated from her face as she blew the bubbles, playing with Luca and Kate.

“We might adopt some day. The child would have to be a supe. Maybe a wolf or a witch. It’s hard to believe but sometimes they lose parents or are abandoned. They need homes too. Watching Kate…she brings us hope,” Kade said.

“I’d heard he had a baby, but seeing Luca with her like this…clearly it’s changed him.” Quintus didn’t admit the feelings that stirred within him. What the hell is happening to me? Since being turned, he’d never given a thought to having kids until this very second.

“You don’t have to say anything. I know how it feels. That’s all I’m saying.” Kade sighed. “Perhaps we should talk business. Even though this place is warded, I don’t want to risk fate. You know the way of demons. Come. Sydney and Luca will stay with the child.”

Quintus glanced at Hunter, his expression hidden behind his sunglasses. The Alpha had overheard the conversation and said nothing, making him curious as to why. The quick-witted wolf had gone silent upon the conversation of children.

“Where’s Léopold?” Distracted by baby Kate, he hadn’t realized the vampire had vanished.

“He only stopped by for a few seconds, because he heard you were in town,” Kade told him. “He travels often. Spends quite a bit of time in France. The woman he’s bonded with is still there on holiday.”

Quintus crossed the lawn and stepped out of the sun into the lattice-covered structure, taking a seat next to Gabriella. Hunter and Kade followed. Samantha turned to address her guests.

“Gabby has been telling me about her coven. But to Luca’s question, why come to New Orleans? I haven’t met Absinthe, but I’ve heard of her and she’s a very powerful priestess.”

“The short of it is that something happened recently, and I don’t trust her,” he replied.

“But she told you about this artifact, yes?” Samantha questioned.

“She did. But I have good reason to question her motive for doing so. To be honest, if I had a choice, I would have gone to Ilsbeth with this kind of thing.” The last time he’d seen the ancient high priestess of New Orleans, she played as if she couldn’t remember her own name. But Quintus didn’t buy her convenient case of amnesia. “I take it she still isn’t practicing?”

“She’s indisposed at the moment.” Samantha’s demeanor fell flat as she looked to Kade.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Quintus asked. Fucking Ilsbeth.

“It’s okay. You can tell them.” Kade nodded.

Samantha’s gaze went to Luca whose smile faded momentarily in agreement.

“She’s missing,” Samantha admitted in a whisper.

“What the fuck?” Quintus shook his head and balled a fist. He took a deep breath, his face tense. “I knew that bitch was faking it the last time I was here. What happened?”

“She just disappeared one day. You have to understand. She was living in the coven house. It’s been converted but structures like that hold energy. I’d personally set a spell to keep her in place but one day…Holly, her keeper.”

“Yes, I met her the day I last saw you. With Jake and Kai.” Holly. The bubble-headed neophyte witch had been tasked with caring for the former high priestess. “I’m surprised you’d let a novice watch Ilsbeth.”

“Holly was newer at her practice, but all the witches took turns keeping watch over Zella.”

“Zella?” Gabriella asked.

“It’s the bullshit name she’s given herself. Jesus, I can’t even believe she walked out of here,” Quintus fumed. “You know how dangerous she is.”

“She tried to kill Dimitri’s wolf. Involved up to her eyeballs in the shit with Jax,” Hunter added.

“She was neither all good nor all bad. But I think we can all agree she was powerful,” Kade added.

“We did our best. But you know the reality. Ilsbeth is one of the oldest and most powerful witches. Holly…” Samantha blew out a breath, placing her palm onto the cool wooden table. “We found her dead in Ilsbeth’s room.”

“Perfect. She killed her,” Quintus commented.

“Yes.” Samantha paused, her lips drawn tight in a line. “Look, the truth is that although it’s easy to say she killed Holly, I’m not convinced. I was in the room. It stank of Hell. Sulfur. Could it have been Ilsbeth? Yes. She was involved with the demon up in New York. But I have this feeling whatever killed Holly actually was a demon.”

“Jax said the demon in New York was contained,” Hunter said.

“Maybe yes. Maybe no. From what I hear, that cave was open for a while,” Quintus said. “It doesn’t really matter. We all know that Ilsbeth had her finger in more than one pot. It’s not like that demon up in New York was the only one she knew. That may have been the demon she lost a deal with but there have been plenty others on her dance card over the centuries.”