after the Civil War.
Above all, she needed to avoid Grant’s brother, Sheridan, because there’d be no fooling that vampire.
There were a hundred ways this could go wrong.
“Quinn,” Kassius said quietly beside her. “You must remain calm. It will not do for Grant Blackstone to radiate fear. He, alone, shows and feels none.”
Her eyes widened with dismay. She hadn’t known that. Any fear feeder would feel her emotions and suspect something, even if it was only that Grant Blackstone was up to something. Which could have her hauled in front of Cristoff.
“Why in the hell did we glamour me to look like Grant, then?” she said, stopping in her tracks.
Micah grabbed her shoulders to keep from running into her. “What’s the matter?”
“You need to make me look like someone else. Kass says Grant never feels emotion and I sure as hell can’t mimic that .” If they needed proof, her pulse was already racing, her palms damp with sweat. And she was still perfectly safe down in the tunnel.
“Come here, Quinn,” Grant said. “I want to talk to you. Alone.”
Her vampire companions glanced at one another, but none of the three offered up an objection when she continued on with Grant. It occurred to her that she and Grant must look like twins.
“Stay in sight,” Micah called quietly.
Grant said nothing, but stopped some twenty feet from the others and turned his back on them. “There’s a reason no vampire senses my fear.”
“And what is that?” But she watched him, unable to hide her interest. “Magic?”
“Yes. My father’s.” He took a stone out of his pocket, a small clear crystal in the shape of a squat Washington Monument, and handed it to her. “Hold onto this. I’m going to want it back, but you need it more than I do at the moment.”
She looked at the stone, then at Grant. “A magic talisman or Dumbo’s feather?”
Grant frowned. “Who’s Dumbo?”
Quinn’s smile was quick and amused. “A Disney character. Never mind the reference. I was referring to the fact that sometimes simply believing will make it true. Whether or not the stone truly possesses magic, if I believe that no one will sense my fear, then perhaps I won’t feel afraid. Although in this case, I’m not sure that’s going to work.”
He nodded, his brow slightly furrowed as if he only partially understood what she was trying to say. “You’ll still feel afraid. The vampires simply won’t be able to sense it. I used the stone to cast a temporary spell over my companions earlier, which is why neither of your fear feeders sensed our presence when you first arrived in the tunnels.”
“How did you know we were coming?”
“I didn’t. Not until you entered the stables. I set that trap soon after Kassius learned of the tunnels. I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t tell others.”
“How did you know we’d entered?”
He shrugged. “Magic.”
She eyed him curiously. “You have an awful lot of magic for a sorcerer too weak to renew Vamp City.”
“I have magic. It’s just not the right kind.”
He was being awfully helpful all of a sudden. “Why give me your stone, Grant? Why help me at all?” But she realized she knew. “I’m wearing your face. If I screw up, you’re toast.”
“Something like that. I’ve never had anything against you personally, Quinn. I’d love to see this world crumble because I’m sick to death of living in it and I can’t leave. But I’ll happily put up with another hundred years in exchange for watching Cristoff taken down by his own vampires.”
She looked at him curiously. “This isn’t the time for this, but I’ve been wondering…do you have any idea how we’re related?” When he lifted a brow, she continued. “I possess Blackstone magic, therefore I must also possess Blackstone blood.”
Grant shrugged. “Daddy dearest only had two legitimate children that I know of, but he was old by the time Cristoff killed him, Quinn. A lot older than he looked. He
Above all, she needed to avoid Grant’s brother, Sheridan, because there’d be no fooling that vampire.
There were a hundred ways this could go wrong.
“Quinn,” Kassius said quietly beside her. “You must remain calm. It will not do for Grant Blackstone to radiate fear. He, alone, shows and feels none.”
Her eyes widened with dismay. She hadn’t known that. Any fear feeder would feel her emotions and suspect something, even if it was only that Grant Blackstone was up to something. Which could have her hauled in front of Cristoff.
“Why in the hell did we glamour me to look like Grant, then?” she said, stopping in her tracks.
Micah grabbed her shoulders to keep from running into her. “What’s the matter?”
“You need to make me look like someone else. Kass says Grant never feels emotion and I sure as hell can’t mimic that .” If they needed proof, her pulse was already racing, her palms damp with sweat. And she was still perfectly safe down in the tunnel.
“Come here, Quinn,” Grant said. “I want to talk to you. Alone.”
Her vampire companions glanced at one another, but none of the three offered up an objection when she continued on with Grant. It occurred to her that she and Grant must look like twins.
“Stay in sight,” Micah called quietly.
Grant said nothing, but stopped some twenty feet from the others and turned his back on them. “There’s a reason no vampire senses my fear.”
“And what is that?” But she watched him, unable to hide her interest. “Magic?”
“Yes. My father’s.” He took a stone out of his pocket, a small clear crystal in the shape of a squat Washington Monument, and handed it to her. “Hold onto this. I’m going to want it back, but you need it more than I do at the moment.”
She looked at the stone, then at Grant. “A magic talisman or Dumbo’s feather?”
Grant frowned. “Who’s Dumbo?”
Quinn’s smile was quick and amused. “A Disney character. Never mind the reference. I was referring to the fact that sometimes simply believing will make it true. Whether or not the stone truly possesses magic, if I believe that no one will sense my fear, then perhaps I won’t feel afraid. Although in this case, I’m not sure that’s going to work.”
He nodded, his brow slightly furrowed as if he only partially understood what she was trying to say. “You’ll still feel afraid. The vampires simply won’t be able to sense it. I used the stone to cast a temporary spell over my companions earlier, which is why neither of your fear feeders sensed our presence when you first arrived in the tunnels.”
“How did you know we were coming?”
“I didn’t. Not until you entered the stables. I set that trap soon after Kassius learned of the tunnels. I didn’t trust that he wouldn’t tell others.”
“How did you know we’d entered?”
He shrugged. “Magic.”
She eyed him curiously. “You have an awful lot of magic for a sorcerer too weak to renew Vamp City.”
“I have magic. It’s just not the right kind.”
He was being awfully helpful all of a sudden. “Why give me your stone, Grant? Why help me at all?” But she realized she knew. “I’m wearing your face. If I screw up, you’re toast.”
“Something like that. I’ve never had anything against you personally, Quinn. I’d love to see this world crumble because I’m sick to death of living in it and I can’t leave. But I’ll happily put up with another hundred years in exchange for watching Cristoff taken down by his own vampires.”
She looked at him curiously. “This isn’t the time for this, but I’ve been wondering…do you have any idea how we’re related?” When he lifted a brow, she continued. “I possess Blackstone magic, therefore I must also possess Blackstone blood.”
Grant shrugged. “Daddy dearest only had two legitimate children that I know of, but he was old by the time Cristoff killed him, Quinn. A lot older than he looked. He
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