Hunting a Necromancer: Hunter Elite, #6

Chapter One

SPEEDING AWAY FROM Von Hades’ mansion, Quin drove much faster than usual. She zoomed through Rosethorn without any regard for the speed limits at all. The cords in her neck stood out and her breathing was ragged. It had been hours past dawn when we’d left London, but it was still dark in West Virginia. Most people were tucked away safe and sound in their beds, so there was little danger of us hitting anyone.

Riding up front beside Quin, Connor shot her a concerned look. Are you okay, boss? he asked cautiously.

Knuckles turning white from the strength of her grip, she shook her head. Her skin seemed to ripple and I realized her wolf was reacting to the moon’s presence. Her beast wanted out, but it was permanently trapped inside her.

Should you be driving in this condition? Mirra asked. It would normally take us two hours to reach our base. Even at the speed we were travelling, it would take at least an hour before we would reach our home. It was obvious to us all that she was losing control.

Cursing beneath her breath, Quin screeched to a halt and threw her door open. She tore the seatbelt off rather than unbuckling it. Staggering a few steps away, she dropped to her knees in the middle of the road. She howled in torment, tearing her jacket to shreds with her bare hands in a futile effort to release the beast that was caged within her.

We have to get her somewhere safe before someone calls animal control, Jonah said. For once, he wasn’t joking and his tone was deadly serious.

We need to get her home, Connor said and flicked a look at me.

Knowing what he wanted me to do, I used the locket I’d bound my best friend to and issued him with an order. Jonah, take Quin to our base. He didn’t need to calm down from being a poltergeist, so I didn’t need to order him to go to his cell this time. It was his natural haunting place and he would have free run of the house once he arrived.

With a nod, he swooped through the door. He became solid enough to grab hold of Quin by the shoulder, then they both disappeared.

Poor Quin, Mirra said as Connor climbed out and rounded the SUV to the driver’s side. There doesn’t seem to be anything she can do to allow herself to shift. Neither of us made any move to climb into the front seat.

Is that what you two were doing while you were supposed to be sightseeing the day Lilly tried to kill Ari at Primrose Hill? Connor asked. He set us into motion again, sticking to the limits rather than speeding. Were you looking for a way to fix her? We hadn’t asked the pair what they’d been up to that day because we didn’t want to incur Quin’s wrath for prying into her private affairs.

Mirra nodded and twisted her rose quartz pendant between her fingers. We saw a few of the more popular attractions as a cover, but we were really consulting with some witches and warlocks. None of them knew of a spell that would allow a defective werewolf to shift into their animal form.

If experienced, knowledgeable practitioners of the arts didn’t know of any incantations that could fix Quin, then there was little chance that I would be able to pull it off. Then again, they probably didn’t have the particular type of spell books I’d acquired lately. I’m not giving up on her, I said. I’m going to keep looking for a way to help her.

Connor’s expression was bleak, but Mirra’s was hopeful. They both knew I could handle some pretty dangerous spells, yet my mate was worried that I would burn myself out. I’d come close to it a few times already. He knew I always put the people I cared about ahead of my own safety.

Dawn light glinted on the ice that coated the ground by the time we reached our base. It hadn’t snowed yet, but it was only mid-December. Dark, threatening clouds hovered over the mountain range that hunkered behind the mansion. It seemed the bad weather had held off in anticipation of our return. We were in the foothills of the mountains, but I assumed it usually snowed here.

The gate that protected our base swung open as we approached it. We drove up the long, dirt driveway and entered the attached garage. Jonah met us when we disembarked from the SUV. Quin is in the shower, he informed us. He was wringing his hands in distress. We should have waited a couple of hours before returning to the States. I never even thought about how the time difference would affect her.

Spencer deliberately brought us home while it was still dark, Connor said with a scowl. It was punishment for Quin defying him. Almost the entire team had been turned into his thralls after being forced to drink his blood. Jonah was the only one who was exempt. Our boss had resisted to the very end before finally succumbing and drinking his blood. Only the threat of my death had forced her into obedience.

We grabbed our gear from the back of the SUV, then filed inside. Mirra carried Quin’s bags to her room while Connor and I headed for our own rooms. Pushing my door open, I halted in mid-step when I saw it had changed dramatically while we’d been gone. What the hell? I said in bewilderment as I entered.

Curious about my astonishment, Connor followed me inside. Instead of my modest sized room, it was now much larger. The wall to the next room had been removed, making it twice the normal size. A king size bed had replaced the queen and the wardrobe had been expanded so it was now large enough for two people.

Seeing a note leaning against one of the pillows, Connor crossed to it and picked it up. It was addressed to both of us in ancient, flowery script that I could barely read. With an uneasy glance at me, he opened it and read it out loud. To Connor and Arienna, consider the alterations to this suite to be congratulations from our master on becoming bonded. Regards, Harrow.

He crumpled the note as we came to the same conclusion. The alterations had been performed shortly after we’d been called on to travel to Scotland, judging by the faded smells of paint and carpentry. How the hell does he know everything about us as it happens? I asked in a grim tone just as Mirra and Quin appeared in the doorway to see what was keeping us. He’d known about our bond soon after it had occurred even though we hadn’t told anyone, apart from Jake.

Quin’s hair was still wet from her shower. She looked even more haggard than usual now. Her wolf was confused and restless at being roused twice in one day and she still had one more night of the full moon to deal with yet. Plucking the rumpled note from Connor’s hand, she read it herself. Her mouth pressed into a thin, unhappy line. Spencer is too devious for his own good, she muttered. He chose the wrong band of creatures to try to bend to his will.

Doesn’t he realize we’re a bunch of misfits who will never willingly bow to him? Mirra added.

Maybe this is a peace offering, Jonah said as he examined the room. It could be a demonstration that he doesn’t intend to be an evil overlord. The irony that he was playing the Devil’s advocate for a demon wasn’t lost on us.

Demons are evil personified, Quin reminded him. How many humans did he kill trying to get that ancient portal in the woods to work?

Thousands, the ghost said with a sigh. Okay, he’s evil, there’s no disputing that. But nothing much has changed so far. You’re still free to go on with your lives.

Yes, but he holds our leashes now, Mirra said darkly. You of all people should know how that feels. We’re his weapons and he can turn us on anyone who displeases him.

Again, not much has changed, he said with a shrug. We’re the Hunter Elite. Teams like ours have been tracking down and killing whoever he’s directed us to for as long as the unit has existed. The H.E. had been formed around three hundred years or so ago. We were the thirteenth group of supernatural creatures to become his personal hunters. The others had been hunted down and eradicated by Morgwen’s assassins.

Everything has changed, Quin said flatly. Freedom is just an illusion now. We are his creatures and nothing is ever going to change that.

Not unless we find a way to kill him, Connor added, then doubled over, clutching his head in pain. Just the mere thought of ending our master had been enough to instill harsh punishment.

See? Quin said in a dull tone. Spencer owns us body and soul.

The pain abated and Connor straightened up again with a grimace. I put my arm around him when I saw how pale and shaken he was. Mirra’s expression reflected the horror we all felt that they’d become ensnared in the Von Hades thralldom just like I had.

Chapter Two

QUIN AND MIRRA LEFT us alone so we could unpack our belongings. I found my clothes in the wardrobe on the left. The twin closets took up an entire wall and had sections where I could hang my jackets and drawers for the rest. There was even a couple of deep compartments where we could store our favorite weapons. Connor’s closet was a mirror image to mine.

The décor was a blend of masculine and feminine. Whoever had decorated the suite had good taste. I suspected Harrow had had a hand in it. A few paintings hung on the walls. They were tasteful landscapes of tranquil lakes and forests. Our bedcover was dark blue now rather than blood red, for which I was grateful. Two brown leather armchairs sat next to the fireplace with a coffee table sitting in front of them. I could already see us sitting there, chilling out after a stressful hunt. Jonah gave the chairs a sour look, then drifted through the wall into the bathroom. He clearly felt left out, realizing that he would have to give us our space now that everyone knew we were bonded.

I headed for the bathroom to see it was also larger than normal. It had dual vanities and the shower could accommodate two people, as could the huge bathtub. My face heated as Connor strode inside after me. His arms went around me as he contemplated the adjustments. I could definitely get used to this, he said in a husky voice. He was still furious that Harrow had pointed a gun at my head to force Quin to drink Spencer’s blood, but he was trying to calm himself down.

I guess this means I’ll be spending my nights alone again, Jonah said mournfully. He’d grown used to being my incorporeal companion when I slept and he hated being ostracized.

The bed is big enough for three of us, Connor said with a sigh. Just as long as you give us space when we need it.

Surprised that he wasn’t going to be ousted from our room completely when we slept, Jonah gave him a sly smile. Are you going to put a sock on the doorknob as a warning when you’re about to get naked together?

This isn’t a frat house, I said dryly. But that’s not a bad idea, actually.

Connor slanted me an amused look. I’m sure we can come up with something slightly more subtle than that.

Heading downstairs, we met Quin and Mirra in the foyer at the base of the grand staircase where they were apparently waiting for us. What’s going on? Jonah asked.

I want to take a look at our escape route now that it’s finally been finished, Quin replied. Her tone was gruff, but that was her usual manner during the full moon. Normal werewolves would still be in their beast forms right now, sleeping after a long night of hunting. She usually didn’t bother to sleep at all and only crashed once her ordeal was over.

We might as well all take a look, Mirra said. She was just as curious as the rest of us to see the changes that had occurred while we’d been away.

We trooped to the hidden elevator at the end of one of the hallways and descended into the bowels of the mansion. A network of identical corridors and doorways greeted us. Quin marched straight along the main hallway to the back of the basement. The door should be right here, she said, pointing at the wall. She took her cell phone out of her pocket and used it to unlock the invisible exit. Seams appeared on the wall and a narrow doorway swung inwards until it sat flush against the wall. The passageway that was revealed was small, cramped and the ceiling was barely high enough to accommodate Quin’s and Connor’s heights.

I hope none of you are claustrophobic, Jonah joked. Thanks to the locket I currently wore around my neck, he was able to come with us as we walked along the secret route. I could see why it had taken the workers several weeks to complete it. The passageway had to be nearly a mile long by the time we reached the end.

A ladder awaited us with a hatch at the top. A keypad attached to the opening acted as a lock. Quin climbed up first, keyed in the code, then pushed the heavy door open. We all climbed out after her, which hadn’t been easy for Mirra in her tight lime green dress. Turning, we saw we were just beyond the boundary of our property. The high fence topped with razor wire and inconspicuous cameras mounted here and there were a dead giveaway.

It’s impressive, Connor said, but how will the rest of us open it if you aren’t here to trigger the door for us?

I’ve already thought of that, Quin replied curtly. I’ve added the program to your phones. Just type in the code and the door will open.

She told us the six-digit number and I did my best to lock it away in my memory. Remember that number, I said to Jonah, just in case I forgot.

He gave me a mock salute in reply. You speak and I obey, oh great and powerful vampire-witch mistress. Since I was wearing the locket, he would probably remember it forever.

Mirra snorted out a laugh, Connor and I grinned, but Quin’s expression didn’t change. Her already limited sense of humor would be absent at least until tomorrow morning. Maybe longer this time since she’d had to suffer more than usual.

If you ever need to use the escape tunnel, a warning will be sent to Spencer once the door has been opened, Quin said. He’ll send a car to pick you up at a road half a mile straight ahead. She pointed and I looked through the trees, but I couldn’t see the road from here. Spencer would know this was a test and wouldn’t be sending someone to rescue us right now.

That’s fine for Connor and me, but Ari is bound to get lost in the woods, Mirra said teasingly. I shot her a mock glare, but didn’t bother to dispute it.

I’ve thought of that, too, Quin said wryly. The trees have been marked so even Ari should be able to find her way.

Thanks, boss, I said with genuine gratitude. My faulty sense of direction had let me down too many times to count by now. Spying a notch in a tree just ahead, I was pretty sure I would be able to follow the trail to the car.

I’m surprised the assassins still haven’t attacked our base in large numbers, Connor said as he turned to climb back into the tunnel. His voice echoed around the small space as I descended after him.

We know they have a hidden agenda, Quin said, waiting for Mirra to enter before following her and closing the hatch. They know where we live and their mistress will send them after us at some stage since they failed to kill us in London.

I’d found a tracker in my backpack after Connor and I had been run off the road by the human assassins. We’d discovered they were a mysterious cult and that they’d banded together with Morgwen in order to obtain an object of immense power. Sadly, that was all we knew about them so far. We didn’t even know what the cult called themselves, or what they planned to use the object for.

As if we didn’t already have enough to worry about, Spencer also had a mysterious task for me to complete. For now, he was concentrating on capturing the witch and putting an end to her reign of terror before it could begin. After that, he would throw us into the deep end again. He seemed confident that I would eventually gain the skills I needed to perform his mission. My only consolation was that at least I would have the entire team to back me up now that we were all his puppets.

Chapter Three

OUR FIRST DAY BACK home proved to be uneventful, but we only had a short reprieve from action since Quin already had a mission lined up for us. She caught a few hours of slumber after her werewolf receded with the waning of the full moon, then joined us in the kitchen for lunch. She recuperated quickly, thanks to her werewolf blood. The bags and dark circles around her eyes were already fading.

I received a call from someone from my past yesterday, our boss said as she took a seat at the table. Normally, I wouldn’t interfere in pack business, but I don’t have a choice this time. Picking up on her tension, I had a feeling this was personal.

What’s the mission? Connor asked, beating me to the question. He also sensed her unease.

Three werewolf kids have gone missing. An old friend heard rumors that I deal with this kind of thing and contacted me. Our unit was supposed to be a secret, but word had a way of travelling within the supernatural community.

How did she get your number? Mirra asked.

Jake Everett heard that Sasha was looking for me through one of his sources. He called me to ask if he could give her my number. Curiosity got the better of me and I gave him permission to pass it on. She called me and gave me a brief rundown of the problem.

My heart warmed at the mention of my foster father. I’d missed Jake while we’d been away. A quick phone call every now and then wasn’t the same as seeing him in person. Unfortunately, we weren’t going to be able to tell him all the details of what we’d seen and done while we’d been overseas. Spencer had forbidden us from speaking about his secrets with anyone who wasn’t one of his thralls. Roderick was the only exception, since he knew almost everything anyway. Then again, Jonah could spill his guts without reservation, so Jake wouldn’t be in the dark for long.

Why do I get the feeling you don’t really want us to take on this mission? Mirra asked shrewdly.

Quin’s shoulders hunched defensively as she answered. The kids who are missing don’t belong to just any pack. They belong to my father’s pack.

Silence fell at that revelation. As the