A warrior and a witch battle to save the world

When magical creatures start being killed, the François sisters, all witches, must protect themselves. But Abigail “Gilly” François doesn’t count on finding undeniable passion in the process. She’s irresistibly drawn to brave, sexy Gavril Hyland, but she is forbidden to love a human. As they hunt down their elusive enemies threatening everything they love, can Gilly and Gavril save their friends—and their hearts?

DEBORAH LEBLANC is an award-winning, bestselling author from Lafayette, Louisiana. She is also a licensed death scene investigator and a private investigator, and has been a paranormal investigator for over twenty years. Deborah is currently the house “clairsendium” (clairvoyant/sensitive/medium) for the upcoming paranormal investigation television show Through the Veil.

In 2007, Deborah founded Literacy Inc., a nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting illiteracy among America’s teens.

For more information, visit www.deborahleblanc.com and www.literacyinc.com.

Also by Deborah LeBlanc

The WolvenThe Fright Before ChristmasWitch’s HungerThe Witch’s ThirstWitch’s Fury

Discover more at millsandboon.co.uk

Witch’s Fury

Deborah LeBlanc

www.millsandboon.co.uk

ISBN: 978-1-474-08207-5

WITCH’S FURY

© 2018 Deborah LeBlanc

Published in Great Britain 2018

by Mills & Boon, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF

All rights reserved including the right of reproduction in whole or in part in any form. This edition is published by arrangement with Harlequin Books S.A.

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, locations and incidents are purely fictional and bear no relationship to any real life individuals, living or dead, or to any actual places, business establishments, locations, events or incidents. Any resemblance is entirely coincidental.

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To my family for their love and patience.

Contents

Cover

Back Cover Text

About the Author

Booklist

Title Page

Copyright

Dedication

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Chapter 22

Chapter 23

Chapter 24

Epilogue

Extract

About the Publisher

Chapter 1

Over the past three weeks, Gilly François and her sisters, Vivienne and Evette, had been living a nightmare that the triplets couldn’t seem to wake from. The sisters, known as the Triad—a special set of witches—were at a loss over all of the strange and unusual events that had been occurring lately. Each sister was responsible for otherworldly creatures known as the Originals, the first of their breed. Gilly took care of the Chenilles, the original zombies, Viv the Loup-Garous, the original werewolves, and Evee the Nosferatu, the original vampires. Lately, however, no one seemed capable of taking care of anything or anyone.

Chenilles had been slaughtered, just like Loup-Garous and Nosferatu. Even worse, many of the members of their Originals factions had simply disappeared, leaving the safe haven created by the Triad years ago.

Although the sisters had cast additional protection and boundary spells over their assigned territories, more times than not, the spells appeared ineffective. The killings continued.

Feeling at a loss and hopeless, the Triad were nearing their wits’ end when four men showed up on their doorstep: Nikoli, Lucien, Ronan and Gavril Hyland. They’d said they were cousins, known as Benders, and had been sent to New Orleans to help the Triad. Whatever they were, there was no denying they were all tall, muscular and drop-dead gorgeous.

Along with their arrival, the cousins brought unsettling news. They revealed that the local deaths of the Triad’s Originals were not due to infighting among the factions as the Triad had first suspected. According to the cousins, the deaths were coming by way of creatures known as Cartesians—massive, monstrous creatures with long, razor-sharp talons and teeth. Their bodies were protected by inch-thick scales that hid behind a heavy matting of fur. Their job as Benders, a special generational group of men ordained by the Church centuries ago, was to destroy the Cartesians.

Gilly and her sisters had heard of the Cartesians before but only in folkloric tales. According to legend, Cartesians were an invisible lot, only revealing themselves occasionally. They fed on other-worldly creatures, anything whose life force exceeded that of an average human, which, of course, included the Triad.

Although it had taken some time for the Hylands to convince Gilly and her sisters that the men weren’t a few cards short of a deck, the Triad was eventually convinced. So much so that they’d decided to split up into three groups with the Benders to cover more territory in search of their missing Originals. Viv worked with Nikoli, Gilly with Gavril and Evee with both Lucien and Ronan.

Sadly, in the midst of a surprise attack on Evee, Ronan, whom Evee knew had a crush on her, had rushed over to save her and had been gored in the head by a Cartesian’s massive talons. The Cartesian had then disappeared with Ronan into another dimension. Evee and Lucien had witnessed it all; Nikoli had contacted the family back home and notified them of Ronan’s death.

Gilly had been sure that after that horrid event, the Benders would be off to their homeland to help console their family and help with Ronan’s memorial service. Instead, they’d chosen to stay in New Orleans. It was evident to Gilly that the Benders met their commitments and finished their missions, no matter what.

The Triad had even set up an elaborate feeding system in Algiers, across the river from New Orleans, using cattle as their feeding stock, so the Originals were always satiated: the Nosferatu fed on the blood, the Loup-Garous on the meat and the Chenilles on the bone marrow. But despite the appearance of the Benders and their offer to help, things had started to take a turn for the worse, and quickly. Word from the Triad’s Elders was that some of the missing Originals had already moved out of New Orleans proper and murdered two people.

In the midst of all the chaos, the Triad met with their Elders—Arabella, Taka and Vanessa—to ask for their advice, help and understanding.

Unfortunately, not only were the Triad’s powers beginning to wane, but the Elders’ powers were, as well. Everything from binding to comehither spells worked, didn’t work, or barely worked. The last two symptoms became more dominant each day. The only advice the Elders had to offer was to possibly speak to the three sorcerers who lived in New Orleans, in hopes they might be able to break through this spell malaise.

While meeting with the Elders, it was discovered that Viv and Evee had already been intimate with their Benders—more than once. The revelation came by way of the Triad’s familiars, all three of which snitched on their mistress for what they thought to be the greater good. Appalled, the Elders demanded that they no longer have any intimate contact with the Benders. Triad members were forbidden to marry or live intimately with humans. If so, they’d lose their powers completely, and the Originals they were there to protect would run amuck, killing humans at will.

Evee and Viv tried to deny that they had been romantically involved with the Benders. But to the Elders, what else explained why things had taken such a severe turn for the worse? It had to be because Gilly’s two sisters had sex with their search partners, and the reason their powers were waning Although Gilly had spoken to her sisters about that hypothesis and they had agreed that it might be a possibility, neither Evee nor Viv seemed to regret their actions.

So far, Gilly was the only member of her Triad who hadn’t had sex with a Bender, and it wasn’t for lack of desire. Every time Gilly saw Gavril, the only thing that crossed her mind, no matter what else might be going on, was kissing his full bottom lip. She wanted to stare into his violet eyes and run her fingers through his collar-length, ginger-colored hair. She could have wrapped up her emotions in one huge, lust-filled package, but it didn’t explain why her heart ached when he wasn’t near. As much as she longed for him, she supposed guilt played a part in allowing it to go any further. After the Elders had found out that Viv and Evee had been intimate with their Benders, they’d confessed their senses of guilt to Gilly. They worried about the role their intimacy played in making things worse. But despite worry and guilt, however, they both declared that the drive, need and love for their men kept them going back for more.

“Fifty bucks for your thoughts,” Gavril said, as they walked to St. Louis I cemetery to check on the remaining Chenilles.

She gave him a sideways grin. “Isn’t it, ‘a penny for your thoughts’?” The Benders had been with the Triad for a little over two weeks now, and the longer they stayed, the more Gavril tugged on her heart strings. His looks were one thing, but she so admired his drive and determination, his caring, thoughtful manner, and his do or die attitude when it came to accomplishing any task.

Gilly and Gavril had been searching incessantly for her missing Chenilles. By last count, twenty-five had gone missing. If her brood wasn’t found before feeding time, chances were extremely high that they would start attacking humans for food. The police were getting involved, and that scared Gilly to death.

The last thing Gilly would admit to anyone, however—especially her sisters—was how badly she wanted Gavril. So badly, in fact, that it wasn’t unusual for her to have wet dreams about him. She felt a bit guilty about that. Viv’s entire troupe of Loup-Garous had vanished, as had Evee’s lot of Nosferatu. She should be thinking of them, of helping them, while keeping track of her own Originals.

She and her sisters had spent their lives working hard to fit into the social day to day of New Orleans so as not to draw suspicion that they were witches. They were also ultra-careful in tending to their Originals, keeping them out of the way, in safe zones, so humans wouldn’t find them. They lived in the Garden District and made sure to play nice with the neighbors at all times.

“So I’m a big spender. Besides, you haven’t said three words to me since we left Evee’s café to come to the cemetery. You looked so lost in thought, at times, I was sure you’d run headlong into a lamppost.” Gavril stopped walking and took hold of her arm gently, stopping her movement and turning her toward him. “I know things are crazy right now, but aside from that, are you okay?”

Gilly sighed. “Yes and no. I wish I could be more help to my sisters, but I know I have my own Originals to look after.”

When she stopped speaking, Gavril studied her face. His eyes pierced hers, looking for more answers than what she’d just given him.

Gilly bit the corner of her mouth, unable to resist the questions in his eyes. “And I’m scared. So much has gotten out of control that I don’t know if we’ll ever know normalcy again.”

Gavril ran his hand up and down her arm with a soothing touch. “All we can do is the best we can do. You can’t explain why some of you and your sisters’ spells aren’t working, or if you know you haven’t told me about it, and I have no idea why the scabior canopies are failing. I mean, this has never been done before, not to my knowledge, but it should react similar to our scabiors, which never just go out.”

The Benders had assured the sisters that the Cartesians were not fictional creatures but real, vicious monstrosities that were determined to be the sole power in the netherworld, a three-dimensional place that held vampires, elves, djinn and other supernatural creatures. They had also dispelled the myth that Cartesians moved under the cloak of invisibility. It only appeared that way because Cartesians were able to slip in and out of physical dimensions in the blink of an eye.

The Hylands were able to track Cartesians by their scent, which was a noxious odor of sulfur and clove. They’d been taught, as were their fathers and grandfathers before them, how to battle the giant hellions in order to protect those who lived in the underworld. They did so by using a special weapon called a scabior—a six-inch rod of steel with a bloodstone attached to one end—which was handed down from generation to generation.

Not long after the Benders had arrived, in order for them to find the missing Originals and keep the ones they had safe, they’d created a scabior canopy, an electrical shelter that hovered over each safe zone. No Cartesian would be able to drop in through that crisscrossed electrical current.

“But they did go out. One of them, anyway—Evee’s, the one Lucien set up in the catacombs for the Nosferatu. Remember? He told us he’d had to recharge the current. Then, before we knew it, it was completely out, and all of the Nosferatu that were inside disappeared.”

“I know.”

“How could that happen?”

Gavril frowned and shrugged. “It’s as much a mystery to me as it is to you. What’s stranger still is that the canopy was still intact over the north compound, where Viv kept her Loup-Garous, yet all of them disappeared.”

“Yeah,” Gilly said. “Explain that one.”

“I wish I could, but I have no answers. The canopies were something that had never been done before, just a brainstorming idea that seemed to make sense, so we really don’t know their power or capabilities. As for the Loup-Garous going missing with the shield over the compound still operational, it’s beyond me. The only thing I can figure is that they purposely chose to leave.”

Gilly shook her head. “That doesn’t make any sense. Their food is there. Safety is there.”

“That may be, but if they’ve never known anything else but the safe zones, they have no way of knowing what they face once they escape it.”

Gilly lowered her head reluctantly. She didn’t want to break eye contact with Gavril. His gaze consumed her, no matter the topic of conversation. The rest of him was nothing shy of downright hulk, bulk and sexuality. He exuded all three.

Although Gilly had never asked his age, Gavril appeared to be in his mid-thirties. He stood at least six foot four and had a body and face built for GQ—wide shoulders, biceps that looked like he could lift an elephant one-handed and, even from the black T-shirt he wore, the ripples in his abs were evident. His violet eyes were accented by a short, red beard, an aquiline nose and a cleft chin. His hair, the same color as his beard, sat just below shoulder length. His lips were always something Gilly worked hard to avoid looking at. Average upper, thick bottom, a mouth made for kissing. For deep, passionate kisses, not only on her own lips but all over her body.

When she looked back up at him, his eyes were still on her face. “Right now, our best move is to make sure your Chenilles are okay in their safe zone and lead them to their feeding. Once that’s done, you bring them back here, and we keep hunting for the ones that’re missing.”

Gilly watched his lips as he spoke, feeling warmth spread through her body. She had to concentrate hard on his words as they were damn near lost to her need for him. So much of this felt odd, yet wonderful to her. It had been at least a year and a half since she’d dated. Since a committed human relationship was forbidden, she’d kept her dates limited, never with the same man twice.

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

“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.

“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

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.

With both of them satiated for now, Gilly lay her head on his chest, and he cupped her head and pressed her closer. The fact that they were out in a public place crept into the edges of his mind, but for now he shoved the thought back. He needed to feel her this way. Needing him, satiated.

Finally, Gilly lifted her head and whispered, “We have to find her, Gavril. She’s part of me. If something happens to Viv, part of me will die, too. We have to find her.”

Aside from an ultra-explosive orgasm, there was nothing that could make a man go as flaccid as the words she’d just spoken.

Gilly rolled off Gavril, her cheeks suddenly red with embarrassment. She quickly pulled her shirt over her breasts and scurried back into her pants. “I—I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Gavril asked, although he suspected the reason.

“For...for acting like this. My sister’s missing, we have dead Originals with two sectors completely missing, and all I can think about is having sex with you.” She scrambled to her feet, her cheeks still bright pink.

Gavril zipped up his pants and closed his shirt over his chest. He couldn’t button it because Gilly had ripped every button from its hole when she’d wanted to get to his bare chest. This brought a gentle smile to his face. He got to his feet and reached for her. She took a step back from him, and the movement pierced his heart.

“Listen to me,” Gavril said. “You’re a wounded woman who needed something real and alive to keep your world in balance. Sex does that and quite well. Believe me, if I’d have thought there was any other intention, you wouldn’t have reached first base. I may be a guy, but I do have control over my senses and anything below my belt.”

“Oh, that you do,” Gilly said shyly.

“I wanted you, Gilly, from the first moment I saw you. Not just to have sex with you, but the whole of you. Your spitfire attitude, your willingness to say what’s on your mind, even if it involves an expletive or two. Your loyalty to your Originals and to your sisters. Even the way you carry yourself and the way you look. Your pixie cut, beautiful eyes, your tiny nose. It’s all of you, Gilly. All of you.”

Gilly stood staring at him silently, and for a moment, Gavril feared he had revealed too much too fast. There was no question in his mind that he’d fallen hard for this woman, but she’d yet to voice how she felt about him. Sex was one thing. Feeling another. Matters of the heart went much further, much deeper than sex. He resented the fact that the Elders had lit into the Triad about having relations with the Benders, but he understood. Every group had their rules. Even Benders. While on a mission they were to keep one head in their pants and the other on the task they’d been assigned. So far they’d blown that one out of the water big-time. The last thing he felt about that, however, was regret.

Letting out a deep breath, Gilly said, “We need to head out. It’s a decent hike back to the Elders. We’ll probably wind up back at the hotel a bit early, but if Evee shows up first, I don’t want her worrying about where I am, as well.”

Feeling a stabbing pain in his heart that Gilly hadn’t even acknowledged all he’d shared with her, Gavril simply nodded, and both of them headed back to the Monteleone.

By now the trolleys were running, and it would have been easier to hop one and take it down to Canal Street, which crossed Royal, where the hotel was located. But Gavril hoped the walk might give Gilly time to absorb all he’d said and respond in some way.

They’d just crossed Iberville and took a right on Royal, when out of the blue, Gilly reached for Gavril’s hand and held it tightly. His heart soared. Her palms were sweaty, so he knew that she was nervous. She probably had no idea how to respond. Although she might not have had the words to respond to him, her taking his hand said more to Gavril than a thousand words would have. Even better, seconds after taking hold of his hand, Gilly moved closer to him. To anyone watching, the two of them must have looked like a couple in love, enjoying each other’s company. But sometimes words weren’t necessary. Actions spoke more openly and loudly than a thousand syllables strung together.

When they finally reached the hotel and entered, Gilly let go of Gavril’s hand and headed to the bank of elevators.

Gavril silently followed, unable to take his eyes off her. He’d known many women in his life, but none so beautiful inside and out as Gilly François. He tried to harden his heart and mind to keep things in perspective, but neither would harden. If only she’d say something about how she felt, aside from holding his hand, he’d be more certain of the direction to head in with her.

Gavril knew of the Triad curse, which mandated that they not marry a human or live intimately with one. Like he needed something else to add to his ever-growing list of things to do—protect the safe zone of the Chenilles, find the missing ones before they attacked humans. And now, everything they’d been working so hard for came to a screeching halt because Viv was missing, and she was a priority. This was something Gavril completely understood.

But somewhere in the middle of fixing this, fighting that, he set it in his mind to find out a way to break the curse that bound the Triad, even if he had to visit their Elders himself. Surely there had to be a loophole; all laws had them. He assumed curses were the same. No one, not even a witch, could remember everything that might cover generations of Triads to follow. Not as far back as the 1500s.

Times and situations changed over the years. Unless the Elders who’d issued the curse were able to see far into the future, they had been only dealing with then, with the times, situations and customs that affected that time period. He seriously doubted they had seen so far into the future. Maybe they had only assumed that the curse they’d set upon the first Triad would hold forever. Or maybe not.

Gavril thought of the Elders who watched over the Triad now. They were like mother hens to those three women. Even in anger, he couldn’t see them implementing a curse that had no end, with no out clause. Anger was indeed anger, and punishment was punishment, but didn’t love trump them all? Surely the original Elders had felt some sort of compassion for the first Triad and left a door open that no one had found yet.

Yet. That was the key word.

Once that curse was broken, and if he ever got Gilly to speak her mind as far as he was concerned, his intent was to have her for the rest of her life. Having traveled the world many times over, Gavril had yet to meet anyone as unique, smart, caring and beautiful as Gilly. A man didn’t place the largest diamond found in any mine on a shelf, and then leave, hoping it might still be there once he returned. Gilly was his rough-cut diamond, and if it took his entire lifetime, he’d look for a loophole in the curse for the simple purpose of making her his own.

These were words Gavril kept to himself; if Gilly heard them, she’d take off running like a wild rabbit, thinking him mad. What business did a human, who had no concept of the magic they generated, have in messing in witches’ business?

And she’d have been right.

But the one thing he did do well was investigate. He’d developed his investigation skills over the years while hunting Cartesians. If somehow he had the chance to read the document that sealed the Triad curse, he’d pick it apart until he found a loophole that worked for them. They’d be free at last, something he knew the Triad had never experienced before.

He wanted, more than anything, to be Gilly’s hero.

Chapter 4

“I knew something like this was going to happen,” Arabella, the head of the Elders, said when Gilly told them about Viv going missing.

“Well, if you knew, why didn’t you warn us about it?” Gilly asked. The last thing she’d wanted to do was come back to the Elders, especially after they’d been royally reamed out during their last visit. The Elders lived only a couple of blocks from the Triad in the Garden District, but coming here again felt like they’d walked the green mile. They’d had no choice. Not with Viv missing. No matter what the consequences might be, they had to let the Elders know.

“Oh, she did,” Vanessa said.

“She did not,” Gilly insisted.

“Uh-huh,” Taka, the third, said. “Remember the whole thing about Viv and Evee being intimate with their Benders, how it needed to stop. Well, it obviously didn’t stop, because now we’ve got another catastrophe on our hands. They should have listened—that’s all I’ve got to say.”

“I wish,” Vanessa said.

“Wish what?” Taka asked, frowning.

“That that was all you had to say.”

Taka tsked loudly, and then looked at Gavril and said, “No offense meant, Mr. Bender, but witches have rules to live by. If we don’t live by them, then all kinds of havoc occur, like now. There are reasons we have leaders, Elders. It’s not like the Triad is out there on their own. They have us to bounce things off of.”

“So, you’re saying that you’re blaming Evee and Viv’s intimacy with Nikoli and Lucien for all this chaos?” Gavril said.

“I am,” Taka said.

“This isn’t the time to go into your rant about the Triad members having relations with the Benders,” Gilly said. “Viv is missing and that’s what matters most. Besides, I think all three of you have this relationship thing wrong or twisted sideways somehow. It doesn’t connect or make sense.”

“It makes complete sense,” Arabella said. “As it was part of the curse set on the Triads since the 1500s. Nothing has changed to refute it. The intimacy you’ve obviously taken course with regarding these young men has caused nothing but disaster.”

“No disrespect meant, ma’am,” Gavril said, “but that’s baloney. My cousins and I have tracked these Cartesians around the world. Have been to places where they’ve taken out an entire species from the netherworld in a city. Humans died, more Cartesians showed themselves. But not once did it have anything to do with me or my cousins being intimate with any female. Witch or no witch.”

“But if the Triad doesn’t listen, there isn’t much we can do about controlling what happens,” Taka said.

“Oh, there’s plenty we can do about it,” Arabella said.

“Like what?” Vanessa said.

“Leave them to their chaos. They asked for advice, we gave it, they ignored it, and now they have to live with it.”

“I’d appreciate it if you’d stop speaking about us as though we weren’t in the room,” Gilly said angrily.

“Hello?” Gavril said. “Did any of you hear what I said earlier?”

“Yes, of course,” Arabella said.

“How can you say that when Viv’s gone?” Taka said to Arabella. “Mr. Bender said they’ve been trying to help. Surely you won’t attempt to stop them from doing that.”

“Please call me Gavril,” Gavril said. And Taka gave him a shy smile. “And please give my words some consideration. None of what’s been happening was caused by the Triad. The blame goes to the Cartesians.”

“Where was the last place you saw her?” Arabella asked Gilly, ignoring Gavril.

“At home. Evee told me she was headed to the hotel to talk over something with Nikoli, her Bender. The problem was that she never showed up at the hotel.”

“For the love of stupidity,” Vanessa said. “Ever since you three were little girls, your heads were harder than brick and mortar. Now that you’re thirty, that doesn’t seem to have changed one bit. Arabella told you to stay away from the Benders, and what do you do? Show up at their hotel.”

“Talking to someone is no crime,” Gilly said. “Especially when we’re trying to find Viv. Going to somebody’s hotel room doesn’t mean sex is involved, Vanessa. People do meet up and talk in those rooms.”

“I disagree,” Taka said with a smirk. “There are beds in hotel rooms, and where there are beds, there’s sex.”

“Oh, get a grip,” Vanessa snapped at Taka.

Arabella gave Gilly a slow nod. She eyed Gavril, and then looked back at Gilly. “You’re right. There’s no crime in talking, that’s for sure, but let me ask you something.” This time she looked Gavril right in the eye before asking Gilly. “Have the two of you been intimate? After I warned you to stay away, did you disobey? Have you been intimate with this man despite our warning?”

“Nothing was her fault,” Gavril said. “When she heard about Viv—”

“My question wasn’t directed at you, young man,” Arabella said. “It was meant for Gilly.”

Taka huffed. “You did it, didn’t you, Gilly? Was it at the hotel?”

Vanessa shook her head. “A Triad slut brigade, that’s what we have on our hands, sisters. They’re going to do what they want to regardless of our warnings. How does an Elder combat that? We try and we try to lead them down the straight and narrow, and look, they take the first fork in the road they come to.”

“We’ll deal with it by allowing the Triad to handle the consequences of their actions,” Arabella said.

“Wait a minute,” Gilly said angrily. “You’re speculating that I’ve been intimate with Gavril, and because of that, you won’t give me any help in finding Viv? What kind of Elders are you? Ever since the beginning, every Triad had Elders who helped them with problems.”

“Not all of them,” Arabella said. “Or have you forgotten the first Triad? Their Elders didn’t change the monstrosities they’d created back to humans. Instead, they punished the Triad.”

“So is this what this is?” Gilly asked. “Punishment? You won’t help us because of some warped assumption you’re making? It begs the same question—what kind of Elders are you?”

“We have tried to help,” Arabella said. “Repeatedly. We’ve even contact the rest of our sisters and asked for help. Something or someone seems to be blocking all of our spells. My only assumption as to why that might be is, once again, your intimacy with the Benders. Part of the Triad curse in action.”

“And we’re smart Elders,” Taka said. “I think.” They’d been sitting around the kitchen table, and Taka suddenly got to her feet, seemingly flustered. “Anybody want crumpets and tea?”

“Sit down, Taka,” Vanessa said. “Now isn’t the time to extend hospitality. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this.”

“But I’m hungry,” Taka whined.

Arabella gave Taka a stern look, which sent her back into her seat with a pout. “It was just tea and crumpets.”

“You claim your intimacy with your Bender is our speculation, an assumption,” Arabella said to Gilly. “Is it an assumption? Or did it happen?” She looked first at Gavril, and then she allowed her eyes to settle on Gilly. “I want the truth.”

Gilly sighed heavily. “Yeah, we were intimate,” she finally said, and saw Gavril shift uncomfortably in his seat. She didn’t blame him. He was sitting at a table of witches, any of whom could have turned him into a frog or turtle with a kindergartner’s spell.

“Mr. Bender,” Vanessa said, “as you can see, this conversation is getting quite personal. I think it best if you leave us to deal with Abigail, who obviously decided to not heed our advice.”

“He doesn’t have to go,” Taka said.

“It’s best he does,” Arabella said.

“But he’s cute,” Taka said. “Easy on the eyes. And besides, we’re not going to be saying anything he hasn’t already heard or known about. If they were intimate, they were intimate. He already knows that. You think we’re revealing a secret?”

“I’d prefer to stay if it’s all the same to you,” Gavril said. “Gilly is not alone in this. And if I may respectfully add, we came here of our own volition. Vivienne has gone missing, and we wanted to see if you’d seen her or possibly know where she might have gone.”

“I haven’t seen her,” Taka said.

“Me either,” Vanessa said.

“Nor have I,” Arabella added. “Have you tried the compound where Viv kept her Loup-Garous?”

“Yes,” Gilly said. “Her Bender is there looking for her now.”

“You sent a human Bender into the compound?” Arabella said with shock. “Did you purposely want this man dead?”

“He’ll be mauled like ground beef,” Taka said, her brows knitting together. “Surely he’s not alone there, right?”

“Haven’t you heard?” Gilly said. “All of the Loup-Garous are missing.”

“What?” Arabella, Vanessa and Taka said in unison.

Gilly nodded. “They were there one morning, and by the afternoon, not one of them remained on the compound.”

“Oh, Mother Earth and every worm beneath her,” Taka said. “Does that mean they’re all loose in the city?”

“I have no idea,” Gilly said. “We’ve each been taking care of our own. I still have Chenilles in their safe zone, but have about fifteen missing. Evee lost all of her Nosferatu. Same thing with Viv’s. One minute they’re where they’re supposed to be, the next, they’ve vanished.”

Arabella got up from the table and began to pace. “You know what this means, don’t you?”

“That we’re in deep doodoo,” Taka said.

“You’re not kidding,” Gilly said. “With them missing, it means more humans are in danger.”

“If more humans start dying at the hands of the Originals, you know what that means, right?” Vanessa said.

“Well, duh,” Taka said. “It means those humans will be dead.”

“Stop being an idiot,” Vanessa told her. She looked over at Arabella. “It means more cops at our door.”

“Why are police coming here?” Gavril asked. “How do they know about you and the Originals?”

“I suspect a leak,” Arabella said. “And I’m almost certain it’s one of the sorcerers.”

“I don’t understand,” Gavril said.

“I’ll explain later,” Gilly said. “We’ve got to stay on task with Viv. She’s got to be our main focus right now.”

“Oh, heck, that’s right about the cops,” Taka said suddenly. “What do we tell the cops when they come back here to talk to us? Do we not answer the door like before? Ignore them?”

Arabella shook her head. “Not this time. Too much has gotten out of hand. We’ve got to let the police know about the Loup-Garous and the Nosferatu. If we don’t, the entire city will soon be overrun with dead bodies when those Originals get hungry and need to feed.”

“What good will the cops be if they know?” Vanessa asked.

“We’ll have to give them information—information we’ve never given any other human,” Arabella said solemnly. “We’ll have to tell them how to kill them.”

“Have you lost your marbles?” Taka asked. “That means, if they see any Original, attacking a human or not, they’ll kill it.”

“I know what it means,” Arabella said. “But with so many Originals loose, it’s come down to a choice. Their lives or the lives of humans.”

“We can’t let them all be killed,” Vanessa cried. “The Triad needs to find them and regain control.”

“I wish it was that easy,” Gavril said. “But you have no idea what trauma and drama we’ve gone through with the Cartesians over the last week just trying to find the Originals.”

“To hell with the Originals,” Gilly said. “What about Viv? We’ve got to find her. Do you have any idea where she might be? Do you have any spells that might give us some direction as to where she might be hiding?”

“You know we don’t use crystal balls,” Arabella said with a huff as if Gilly had used a foul expletive. “Our spells are innate, herbs and elemental. But you already know that. What I don’t understand is why you’ve come here to ask us about finding Viv when you and Evee both have natural talents that can help find her. Haven’t you thought of doing something with them?”

Gilly looked at her quizzically. “I don’t understand.”

Taka rested her elbows on the table. “Sure you do. You know how Evee can talk to the dead? Channel them? If she can contact one of the Loup-Garous, Chenilles or Nosferatu, like Pierre, one of them who’s already died, they might be able to give her some valuable information. Once she gets that information, you can use your astral projection thing that you do and bring your energy to whatever place the dead might see Viv. Then you’ll know if she’s there. The dead see more than we do, you know. They’re not stuck with two feet on the ground like we are.”

“For once, I think Airhead over here is right,” Vanessa said, referring to Taka.

“Who you calling an airhead?” Taka asked. “I’m the one who came up with the idea, while you were over there checking for chips in your fingernail polish.”

“I was not,” Vanessa claimed. “I was listening closely. Just because I’m not looking at your mug doesn’t mean I wasn’t paying attention.”

“Both of you stop bickering,” Arabella said. She looked over at Gilly. “Taka speaks the truth. You and Evee have natural talents that don’t involve spells that may or may not work. Has Evee tried to communicate with the dead? Have you tried astral projection, since that’s your specialty?”

“No, neither,” Gilly said. “But...the idea has some promise to it.”

“It certainly does,” Gavril said. “Not only in finding Viv but locating the missing Originals, as well. I say we give it a shot.”

Arabella scowled at him. “It’s not your business to say whether or not they attempt to use their powers this way.”

Gavril cocked his head to one side and eyed Arabella. “Ever since I walked through that door, you’ve treated me like I have lice. All I’ve done since coming here is try to protect the Originals and the Triad. We’ve managed to destroy many Cartesians while here. What problem do you have with me?”

Arabella held up a defiant chin. “Although we do appreciate what you have done to help the Originals and the Triad, I’m afraid that the attraction you Benders have for the Triad has caused more problems than anything. This entire situation might be solved right now if you would have kept certain parts of your body in check.”

“Arabella!” Gilly said, appalled that her Elder had confronted Gavril that way. She got up from the table and signaled Gavril to follow her.

“Taka, thank you for your advice,” Gilly said. “We’ll certainly give it a try. Arabella, if I were you, I’d do a conscience check. You might be my Elder, but when I see you headed in the wrong direction, as a witch, I have an obligation to let you know. You’re way off here. Gavril and the other Benders have been nothing but gentlemen. And, if you remember, you’re the one who wanted to get the sorcerers involved, which would have been a far bigger disaster than what we’re dealing with now.”

“I didn’t say the sorcerers weren’t getting involved,” Arabella confessed.

“You...you didn’t go to Cottle with any of this,” Gilly said. “Tell me you didn’t.”

“Cottle? No. But I have spoken to Gunner Stern about it. If you remember, Taka was the one who got him involved in the first place. I simply followed through.”

Gilly glared at her. “And?”

“There is no ‘and.’ He’s doing some snooping around. Seeing if there’s anything he can do to help.”

Gilly shook her head. “Look, as much as we warned you about getting the sorcerers involved, you did as you pleased anyway. You know the sorcerers have always thought us to be an inferior, bothersome species. I’d call that even when it comes to your accusations regarding the Benders. If anything, we owe them our gratitude. You have no idea how hard they’ve been fighting for us.”

With that, Gilly walked out of the kitchen and headed for the front door, Gavril by her side. When they’d made it outside, Gavril grinned. “Really. Do you always talk to your Elders that way?” he asked.

“Only when they’re going way off track.”

They walked a ways, heading down to the French Quarter to meet up with the others as promised. Luckily a trolley came to a stop fifty feet away, and they were able to hop a ride on it all the way down Canal. They then got off where it intersected with Royal.

Gavril got off the trolley and held out a hand to help Gilly down the metal steps. She took his hand and made her way to ground level.

As they walked to the hotel, Gavril kept turning to look at her.

“What?” Gilly finally asked. “Why are you looking at me that way?”

“Just think it’s cute.”

“What is?”

“The set of balls you have is undeniable. You say what you mean and mean what you say. Elder or no Elder. Hell, it could have been the President of the US, and I think you’d have shot him down the same way.”

Gilly shrugged. “I get a bit carried away sometimes.”

“I’d say,” Gavril said. “But I love it. Wouldn’t want it any other way.”

Gilly gave him a strange, shy look, and it was then that Gavril realized he’d used the L word. Although he hadn’t actually said the words I love you, it had been close enough to give her pause.

“Good,” Gilly finally said. “I’m glad you like it. ’Cause I only come in one color.”

“What’s that mean?”

She stopped and gave him a long, soulful look. “It means, Mr. Gavril Hyland, that when it comes to me, what you see is what you get.”

“And that’s supposed to be a bad thing?”

“It’s been known to get me into trouble from time to time.”

“Good,” Gavril said with a chuckle. “A woman after my own heart.”

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