Book One: The Girl (The Sanctum) by Madhuri Blaylock

her tiny hand and gave a short wave, knowing she could never thank the witch for the gift bestowed upon her, hoping she could one day live up to it. And then, without another thought Darby fled, appearing as a mere blur on the horizon.
    That was almost forty years ago. For humans, a lifetime but for the immortal, a mere blink. Darby had always hoped she would one day have the chance to repay Maya for her kindness and last night, when she caught Dev’s scent, Darby believed their paths had come full circle. Only one other time in her life had she smelled another being quite so intoxicating and truth be told, Darby never expected to do so again. But there was Dev, lying on her couch, evoking memories of years gone by of a witch full of power and majesty, a most unique being.
    Darby smiled as she walked down Avenue C, forgetting Wyatt and Ryker, the murderous Hybrid and anything else troubling her, solely focused on memories of Maya and wondering when they would again meet.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
     
     
     
    The evening sun stretched across the floor of the living room, giving everything a golden hue, including Wyatt. He slowly opened his eyes, not quite ready to wake, but knowing he should. For one, he needed to check on Dev and another, he could not hide from Ryker and Jools forever. The best thing to do would be to find them before they found him and give them a perfectly worded excuse for his getaway. Or, even better, an explanation.
    Wyatt rolled over and sat up, ready to face the music.
    “Well, looka here, Sleeping Beauty has arisen. Or should we call him the Great Leaper, able to escape any window in a single bound ?” Ryker asked as he sat in a chair across from Wyatt, his legs crossed and a drink in his hand, the picture of relaxation, despite the fact that he sounded extremely annoyed.
    “I think ‘liar’ works just fine. Pretty much sums it up,” Jools chimed in from the other side of the room as she poured herself a drink at the bar.
    She waltzed back towards the boys, gently raking her fingernails across Wyatt’s head as she passed him, smiling all the while. Jools took a seat next to Ryker, sipped her drink, stretched her never-ending legs over the arm of her chair and waited. Ryker settled in and did the same.
    Wyatt ran his fingers through his hair and rubbed the day-old stubble growing on his face. Taking stock of the situation, he chastised himself for being so stupid and shortsighted. He acted out of desperation rather than thinking through his moves and developing a air-tight plan. Any other day, Darby’s would be the last place he would come, knowing Ryker would seek her out for information. And why not? If the tables were turned, Wyatt would do the same simply because Darby always knew everything about everything when it came to the boys. She made it her mission to watch over them, whether they needed her protection or not.
    And had he been delirious this morning when he asked Darby not to tell Ryker about Dev? It was the only explanation for such a ridiculous request. Wyatt knew Darby would never keep a secret from Ryker, same as she would never keep one from him. How could he even have the nerve to ask such a thing of her? It was like asking her to pick her favorite, Ryker or Wyatt. Darby probably hated him for it.
    “Where’s Darby?” Wyatt wondered aloud.
    “Around,” Ryker replied ambiguously, “probably somewhere upstairs, checking on things.”
    Wyatt raised his eyes, catching Ryker’s emphasis.
    “Ahhh, that got your attention, Clayworth? Something of yours upstairs?” Ryker asked, not mentioning Dev directly, suggesting Jools didn’t know of her existence.
    “Nothing of mine is anywhere in this house,” Wyatt insisted.
    “Interesting,” Ryker rubbed his chin, thoughtfully contemplating Wyatt’s words, “because that’s not what I heard.”
    “Boys, boys, come on already,” Jools swirled her drink in irritation, not wanting to listen to their cryptic banter a minute longer,