"I shall remain out of sight."
"Far out of sight."
"Does the ritual have to take place at a certain time?" Neo asked. "Like midnight?"
Arturo shook his head. "Not that I'm aware. But there is a second problem. Quinn does not know the ritual that must be performed to renew the magic."
Sounds of frustration and disappointment peppered the small room, and it was clear that Neo, Amanda, and Mukdalla hadn't known.
"Sheridan Blackstone is the only one who knows the words," Arturo told them. "He was there, listening, when his father performed the first renewal after Phineas attempted to destroy his creation in 1878."
"Will Sheridan help her, then?" Neo asked.
Micah snorted. "That's the sixty-four-thousand-dollar question."
Kassius glanced at Quinn, his gaze sharp with knowledge. "I have something on Grant."
And she bet she knew what it was. When Arturo had delivered her to Cristoff after her first escape, Cristoff had demanded to know who set her free. He'd sent for Kassius since the werevamp could, through a bite, steal another's memories. After Kassius bit her, he'd told Cristoff the truth, to an extent, that two Slavas had set her free-Slavas she'd already sent home through a sunbeam. But Kassius had left out most of the details, like the existence of the tunnels beneath Gonzaga Castle known only to the Slavas. Tunnels created magically by Sheridan's brother, Grant. He'd also failed to mention to Cristoff that Grant had been the one who'd orchestrated her escape.
If Cristoff learned of Grant's involvement, there was no telling what he'd do to him.
Kassius smiled grimly. "When I get back, Grant and I will have a discussion about what I know and what he's going to do to secure my silence."
Arturo leaned back. "There's a good chance that Sheridan and Grant will be followed when they leave the castle for the Focus. We're going to need a diversion."
"I'll handle that." Micah smiled. "Cristoff will be certain the sorceress is right under his nose." He'd probably use glamour to make himself look like her. "We need to set a timetable. It's damned inconvenient that cell phones don't work in this place."
"What time shall I tell Grant to meet us at the Focus?" Kassius asked.
Arturo frowned. "Make it 5:00 P.M. That should give you plenty of time to get Grant and Sheridan in place."
"Cristoff will be frantic," Micah murmured. "The equinox dawns, and he has no sorceress."
"If word reaches Gonzaga Castle that the sorceress was spotted at Fabian's?" Kassius asked.
"Remind Cristoff that I will not stop hunting her until I've captured her. That will be enough."
"The moment this is over, any of us who've been spotted by Sheridan or Grant Blackstone had better disappear. Especially you, Kas." Micah's brows drew down. "Even if he doesn't have them followed, Cristoff will know the Blackstones were involved. The moment Cristoff threatens either of them, they'll give you up." He glanced at Arturo. "Even if Cristoff regains his soul through this, he'll never forgive a traitor. Ever."
Silence sat thick in the room for several moments before Arturo spoke.
"Quinn and I will remain here and work on her magic until time to go to the Focus. The better control she has, the better for all involved."
The discussion turned to logistics and diversions, and while Quinn listened, many of the names and places went right past her. Finally, the meeting was over.
Neo rose. "Rinaldo will stay and keep watch for you. Mukdalla's promised to send food back for Quinn."
As the others exited through the front door, Micah turned to Quinn, his eyes warm with concern. "Have you recovered?"
"For the most part. I think I'm just tired, now."
"Good." He flashed her a friendly grin and followed the others out the door.
When they were alone, Arturo turned to her, his eyes dark and fathomless. "Time for bed, cara mia. You are asleep on your feet."
But Quinn shook her head. "Not yet. I want to try to practice first." The sooner she learned how to control her gift, the safer they'd all be.
"If you're sure."
She smiled at him. "This moment, I'm sure. Five seconds from now, I might decide I'm too tired and go to bed." She looked around the ancient house warily. "We'd better go outside. If I try throwing power in here, I could bring this whole place down on top of us."
"If you bring the house down, so be it. It will have served its purpose. I'll make certain you get out safely."
She peered at him curiously, but then her tired brain caught up. "You're afraid my eyes will glow."
"Yes." He looked around the room, then pointed to one of the folding chairs. "Try to push that."
Quinn eyed it, clenching and unclenching her fists. The power still flowed beneath her skin, as it had ever since Vintry released it, but calmly now. Just a gentle current of energy. Narrowing her eyes, she wondered if she'd need an adrenaline spike to get it going. There was only one way to find out.
Lifting a single hand, palm out, she focused on the chair and willed it to move if only a couple of feet.
Nothing happened. Dammit. She'd thought she was past this phase.
With a twist of her lips, she tried again, imagining the chair slamming into the back of the hearth. Still nothing happened. When that first Ripper had attacked her, she'd had no trouble pushing him back. Then again, her life had been on the line.
"I have an idea," the vampire said behind her.
Quinn glanced at him over her shoulder. "Are you going to try to terrify me? My power seems to work best when I feel threatened."
He smiled as he joined her. "Would you believe me if I promised to tear out your throat?"
"Fortunately, no."
Coming up behind her, he slipped one well-muscled arm around her waist, and dipped his head to her neck.
"Are you going to bite me?" she asked, surprised. But she felt no prick of fangs, only the cool brush of his lips. And felt an answering shiver of pleasure.
"I am going to do what I've been wanting to do for hours," he said huskily. He turned her in his arms and kissed her thoroughly, his hand sliding into her hair, the other pulling her hips tight against his. When she slid her arms around his neck and opened her mouth to his, he slid his tongue inside with a groan, pulling her closer still. Passion erupted between them, a heady, wonderful pleasure that stole all thoughts, all worries, drenching her body in pleasure.
"This isn't helping me reach my magic," she said breathlessly, as his lips trailed kisses along her cheek and jaw.
"This is magic," he replied, his hands roaming restlessly across her back. "I need to be inside you, bella."
"There are vampires outside."
"They won't come in."
A burst of humor left her mouth on a sigh. "And you don't care if they do."
"I do not." His mouth nuzzled her neck. "I need to taste you, to feast on you, to worship your body in comfort and leisure without anyone's forcing our intimacy." As Fabian had last time.
And she needed that, too. Heaven help her, she needed him. That quickly, their kiss had stirred her into a frenzy of desire that sang in her blood, snapping and popping . . .
She stilled.
He lifted his head, peering at her with question.
"Hold on a second. Let me try something." When he slowly, reluctantly, released her, she turned once more to the chair, lifted her hand, and sent it flying into the wall.
"The passion?" he queried.
"I guess. It seems that my magic only works when something's stirring my blood."
He pulled her back against him, one hand sliding over her breast, the other between her jeans-clad legs. Quinn groaned, arching at the pleasure of his hands on her.
"All I need is you, Vampire," she gasped.
He growled low in her ear, his teeth nipping lightly at her earlobe, without fangs. His fingers slid against the crotch of her jeans, stroking, heating . . .
"You are my sun," he breathed, his breath warm against her cheek. His hand ducked under the hem of her shirt and burrowed up, his fingers sliding over her bra cup, tracing the edges, delving beneath to find the sensitive bud of her nipple.
She gasped at the sweet pleasure, arching against him as he pushed the cup aside, as he stroked her breast and plucked at the bud.
Suddenly, he was in front of her, on his knees, his clever fingers unfastening her bra clasp with one hand and her jeans button with the other. Her bra gave way. He brushed the cups aside, sliding his hands around to her back, pulling her close, then taking her breast into his mouth.
Quinn clung to him, sliding her fingers into his hair as she struggled for breath against the exquisite pleasure, his tongue stroking her nipple, his lips caressing the flesh of her breast, his warm hands sliding with tender care and increasing urgency over her back.
One of those clever hands returned to the front, unzipped her jeans, and slid down into her panties. A single finger dove deep into her body.
Her legs buckled, and he tightened the arm still around her waist, moving his mouth to claim her other breast. Hands in his hair, she held him tight against her as his finger slid in and out, in and out, his thumb circling and stroking her clitoris, driving her up and up and up.
She came with a cry, her legs buckling as the pleasure pulsed and throbbed inside her.
Finally, slowly, Arturo withdrew his finger from her body, his hand from her panties, his mouth from her breast, and stood. As she struggled to catch her breath, he straightened her clothing and stepped back, licking her essence off of his finger.