Page 92 of Quintus

“I’m not lying…I just…” Gabriella trembled, and nervously twisted her hair. “I don’t know. She’s always hated me. I’m not pure. I’m a hybrid. Witches only. My blood. It ruins the coven. It’s not meant to be. My blood, it taints their lineage.”

“Ah…there you go, little witch.” Kellan smiled.

“My blood,” Gabriella whispered.

“Tell me. It will stay amongst us friends.”

Quintus briefly shut his eyes and gave a loud exhale as he sat back down. Gabriella’s blood. It was different than any other he’d ever tasted, but moreover it was the magick within it that was special.

“I…I…my blood. I used to sell it on the black market,” she admitted.

“Vampires,” Quintus added.

“So it’s valuable?” Kellan asked.

“Only to vampires,” she replied. “I mean, there’s no other use for it.”

“Demonic poisoning. A while back, Gabriella saved me,” Quintus said.

“Ah, I love a good love story. Vampire meets witch.”

“It was a crypt.” She shrugged.

“Don’t say romance is dead.” Kellan’s smile faded, and he focused on Gabriella. “What else? There has to be something else. Why, why, why does she want you?”

“I don’t know. The vampires, they like my blood. It’s like a special flavor. They’re willing to pay for it.”

“You’re a donor. You let them bite you?” he asked.

“No way. I just, you know, I siphoned off a bit here and there. At first I started doing it in Boston when I was thirteen. I met a human woman on the streets who suggested I do it for money. She was a donor, and said they’d like virgin blood. It was popular, and I earned enough for a ticket to Miami. I got away.

“Then once in South Beach. I’d been selling my blood for a few weeks to this blood club. The vampire who runs it, he tells me that the others, they want more of my blood. They wanted me to let them bite me for extra money. I said no, then ran to the next town because it was unsafe. I was able to stay some places longer than others. Sometimes years.” Gabriella shoved her fingers through her hair and sighed. “But I never let them bite me.”

“Any other surprises before we talk money? My help comes at a cost,” Kellan said.

“We have something that supposedly can kill Lilitu. End the coven. But we don’t know how to use it. We’ve consulted with another high priestess. We’re coming to you. Name your price.”

“Twenty-five thousand dollars.”

“Is he out of his damn mind?” Hunter exclaimed. “We don’t even know he can help us.”

Kellan dug into his jeans pocket and retrieved a small business card and offered it to Quintus. The vampire snatched it out of his hand and promptly tapped at the screen of his phone. “Done.”

Kellan’s phone beeped. He picked it up off the armrest and nodded, a smile blooming on his face. “Well then. Looks like we’re in business.”

“Let’s make it fast. You may think you’re safe in fairy land, but we’re not. Lilitu breaks all the rules.” The Alpha scanned the courtyard.

“Fae realm,” Kellan corrected.

“He’s right. She could find us anytime. She’s able to track Gabriella with little issue.” Quintus took note of the sweat beading on Hunter’s forehead. If he didn’t get him out of here soon, he grew concerned he’d die.

“What do you have?” The fae cocked his head, staring at Quintus.

“Bone of the high priestess. Found it in the catacombs.”

“How’s that?”

“The short of it is it required Gabriella’s blood and mine, but we got the bone. Lilitu has been after it ever since. It supposedly can kill her, but we don’t know how to use it.”