Chapter Twenty
Gavin knew when he’d failed to mesmerize Chloe the first night he met her that she was different, yet he had not sensed that she might be immortal. In fact, everything from her somewhat zany personality and bizarre orange hair to her stubborn tenacity proclaimed her human. It wasn’t until he tasted her, that he’d had an inkling.
Her blood was like sweet ambrosia and he had nearly lost himself in just the slight sip he’d taken, but it had also told him what he needed to know.
Chloe’s father had been fey.
She turned to him as the car wound its way down Tioga Road toward Highway 120. They’d had mind-blowing sex again this morning and then he’d told her.
She’d been quiet ever since, no doubt contemplating.
“How can I be a faerie?” she finally asked. “I’ve never even liked Tinkerbell and my mother took me to Disneyland more than once.”
Gavin smiled. “We don’t know that you are a faerie. I said you had fey blood.”
“What the heck is the difference?”
“People—humans—with fey blood have special gifts and skills.”
Chloe gave him a dubious look. “Are you talking about magic?”
“Who knows what magic really is? If people living in the 18th century had seen an airplane fly, they’d have thought it was magic.” He paused. “You know how odd things sometimes happen around you?”
“Yeah. I’m a klutz.”
Gavin’s smile widened as he turned his attention back to the road. “Only because you’ve never learned to control the energy that sparks from you. It’s too bad your mother didn’t know. She could have taught you how to handle it.”
“How? You’re not telling me my mother is a faerie too, are you?”
If Jennifer were really Guinevere, she was probably more powerful than Chloe’s father had been, but Gavin couldn’t tell Chloe about immortals. Besides it being too much information for her to absorb at the moment, he had the damn Code he’d sworn to uphold. Gavin shook his head. “No. If she were, she’d have sensed her kind in you. But, you did say she was very accurate with the Tarot.”
“Yeah, but she always says she’s sort of a ‘channel’ for information to funnel through.”
“Well, that is one way to harness energy, isn’t it?”
Chloe started. “I used to see the prettiest lights around her sometimes when I was a little girl. It was usually just before I broke something and they’d all blink out. I always thought it was all my fault.”
He glanced back over. “You just didn’t know how to control the forces.” It had taken him a good hundred years to control the urge to drink a victim dry and he’d had Templar training. Without guidance, Chloe’s powers were scattered. “Maybe that’s why you are on this trip with me. You’ll get a chance to use those gifts.”
“I thought I was on this trip so you could protect me from the big, bad dragon,” Chloe replied, grinning and sounding more like herself.
Gavin didn’t return the humor. “Do not forget the dragon—and Adam Baylor—have been hunting you. Now we know why.”
“Geez. I’m trying to stay upbeat here.”
“Sorry,” Gavin said and reached over to take her hand, bringing it to his lips to kiss. “It is just that I now have another reason to protect you.”
Chloe traced his jaw with her thumb. “Which is?”
This time he did grin. “I’ll show you as soon as we get back to the hotel.”
* * * *
Chloe rolled over the next morning, burrowing into Gavin’s warm embrace. She had no idea vampires had so much stamina, not that she was complaining. Gavin was the best lover she had ever had.
He kissed the top of her head. “Happy?”
“Yeah.” She wrapped her arm around his sculpted chest and cuddled closer. “Sex is so much better with you. It’s kinda weird—but I feel like I’m a part of you. Like there’s no you and me. Just us. Oh, Geez. Sorry. I didn’t mean to get all soupy and sentimental—”
“Shhhh. I like sentimental.” His hand trailed down her spine lightly. “It’s a side of you I haven’t seen.”
“Yeah, well, most guys don’t like women to get all clingy.”
“I am not most guys.” He ran his finger along her throat were a tiny prick mark lingered. “In case you have not noticed.”
Heat flooded her as she remembered her body shattering with earth-jarring force when Gavin brought her to climax and then again, erupting like Vesuvius, rapturous euphoria spreading through her as he drank from her.
“Do you want to make love…” he started to ask as Chloe’s cell phone began John Lennon’s Imagine.
“That’s my mother,” Chloe said as she leaned across him to pick it up. “Hi, Mom.”
“Hi, Sweetie. Where are you?”
Chloe blushed, then realized her mother was probably not being literal. “Sonora.”
“Oh, good. Then you haven’t passed it yet.”
“Passed what?”
“Put me on speaker phone, sweetie, so Gavin can hear.”
How did her mother know Gavin was with her? It was early morning—or at least, she thought it was. Time had a way of slipping by when her mind was boggled. Gavin grinned as if he’d read her mind. She tried to glare at him, but it came out as a lopsided smile instead. How could she angry with a man who treated her body like it was some kind of temple to be worshiped at? Love-making, he called it. For the first time, she understood the difference.
“Are you there?” her mother asked.
Chloe blushed again, making Gavin laugh. She really needed to focus.
“I’m here, Mom. You’re on speaker.”
“Good. I had the worse feeling of impending doom yesterday, like something awful was going to happen to you. I just couldn’t shake it, so I went into deep mediation.”
Chloe glanced at Gavin. She hadn’t wanted to worry her mother about the abduction, especially since Gavin had saved her from real harm. “I’m fine, Mom.”
“I know that. A brilliant light flashed through my mind earlier, followed by the images.”
Chloe was afraid to ask what images. If her mother had tuned into their ecstatic sex—love-making—she’d have a hard time facing her any time soon. A corner of Gavin’s mouth quirked up, but his voice was neutral.
“What did you see?”
“Do you remember I drew both the Ace of Pentacles and the Knight?” Jennifer asked and then went on. “I always thought the mountains in the background on that card were the Sierras since that’s where the gold was found. But last night, the coin in the hand on the ace turned into a golden platter and the arch became a tunnel or something.” She paused. “Yet, that didn’t feel right, so I used some fly agarics.”
“The magic mushroom?” Chloe asked in disbelief. “You always told me that was too dangerous!”
“I was careful, Sweetie. Anyway, the arch is a covered bridge.”
“A covered bridge?”
“Yes. Actually, it’s the longest one in California and it’s at a place called Knight’s Ferry. Not far from where you are.”
“You saw the platter there?” Gavin asked.
“I’m not that clairvoyant, even with the mushroom,” Jennifer replied, “but remember I also drew the knight. That card was you, but it also represented a place. Knight’s Ferry. Your platter is somewhere very close to that bridge.”
“Thanks, Mom. I really wish you hadn’t used the mushroom though.”
“I had to. I feel like you’re in danger. The sooner you find this thing, the better.” Jennifer hesitated and then she added, “Take care of her, Gavin.”
“I will guard her with my life. You have my word,” he answered as he put an arm around Chloe and brought her to him.
Even as she reveled in his protective embrace, a disturbing thought flinted through her mind.
Chloe had the saddest feeling that it would be a really long time before she saw her mother again, if at all.
* * * *
“We’re going to have to clean out the trunk of this car before we turn it in,” Gavin said as he looked at the handful of brochures and information Chloe had collected at the Visitor’s Center at Knight’s Ferry.
“Well, if my mother thinks the platter is here, I don’t want to miss anything.” She shuffled the papers and looked down the street. “The General Store has been here for more than a hundred years. So has the bed-and-breakfast we’re staying at.” Chloe gave Gavin a mischievous smile. “I’m looking forward to reliving ‘history’ in that bed later.”
“Vixen.”
She let her hand roam over his butt, feeling seductively female as she savored the fact that Gavin liked what she was doing. He had showed her all kinds of things he liked last night and this morning and she was ready to practice all of them.
“If you keep that up, we won’t get any exploring done.”
“What kind of exploring are you talking about?”
Gavin caught her hand. “We’ll do that kind of exploring later. Any ideas of where to look for the platter?”
Chloe pretended to pout and Gavin brushed her forehead with a kiss. In truth, she couldn’t remember when she had ever felt so completely happy. She inhaled deeply, taking in the clean air. The Stanislaus River wound its way through gulches and bubbled over rocks, some of which were visible in the clear water. “The brochure says we should be able to see salmon running upstream since the river is low this time of year,” she said as they started along the trail leading to the bridge. She glanced back at the papers. “The original bridge was knocked out during a huge flood in 1862 and wasn’t covered. This one was built the next year.” She looked up. “If you think the platter arrived here shortly after the forty-niners, wouldn’t this bridge be too new? Of course,” she added as an afterthought. “Who would hide a gold platter in a bridge?”
“True,” Gavin answered, “but the clue said ‘Where gold glistens, in hidden terrain, there lies buried important remains’. I would imagine whoever the guardian was put it in the ground. But where?”
Chloe looked around the wilderness area. Jagged, shrub-covered ravines and steep, boulder strewn hills surrounded them for miles. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“I guess this is where the faerie blood comes in then,” Gavin said.
“Are you serious?”
“Absolutely. Balor would not have sent the dragon to follow us nor would he have bothered trying to abduct you if he did not think you could lead him to the platter.”
“But what do I do? Wave some magic wand? Which, by the way, I don’t have since my mother didn’t send me to Hogwart’s.”
Gavin smiled. “No need for wands. Didn’t you say you used to see lights around your mother when you were little? Have you ever seen them since?”
“No, not until…” Chloe hesitated. “Well, no. Not really.”
He gave her a scrutinizing look. “Until when?”
She swallowed hard, feeling the heat rush to her face. “Not until you made me come,” she replied in a near whisper, “but that was different.” Lord, she hoped he wouldn’t laugh at her.
Instead, his expression turned serious. “I felt them too. Those sparks—lights—were our connecting. We were both intensely focused. Don’t you see? When you are in that state, you can harness your abilities.”
“So you’re going to give me the climax of my life and I’ll know where the platter is? I’ll go for that.” Chloe started to laugh and then stopped as Gavin shook his head.
“As much as I would like to give that theory a try, what I meant was if you concentrate on locating the platter as much as you did on pleasing me, I think the powers will come to you.”
“It sounds a little too New-Age to me,” Chloe said. “My mother was the hippie, not me. Still,” she said as they came to the bridge, “I guess we can walk over it and see if I get any vibes.”
They joined several other people who were also entering the three hundred foot bridge. Inside, it was dark and the wooden planks creaked under their feet. “I guess this is why the bridge is closed to vehicles,” Chloe said.
“Do not worry. The trusses are still strong,” Gavin replied.
Chloe blinked as they emerged into the brilliant sunlight at the other end. Nothing in the landscape stood out although she tried hard to focus. Feeling a little foolish, she held her hands out as her mother did when she would scry.
“Anything?” Gavin asked.
She shook her head and pointed down. “I guess we could try the ruins of the old grist mill.”
They climbed and half-slid down the rocky embankment. Old shafts, dry now, had been built to channel water from the river. Much of the roof on various parts of the building was gone and only walls remained. Chloe slipped in the long grass and found herself looking up at blue skies. Gavin lifted her, keeping a reassuring hand on her arm.
“Guess being fey hasn’t kept me from still being a klutz,” she said.
Gavin smiled. “It gives me a chance to hold on to you.”
They continued around the three-storied structure, finally coming to a smaller, one-story building that looked like a small house. Rounding the front, they came to a side wall with one glass window and a curved, empty archway.
Chloe stopped so suddenly that Gavin nearly bowled her over. Would have bowled her over except for the firm grip he had on her arm.
“What is it?”
“The arch. It looks like the one on the Ace of Pentacles. Do you remember?” She walked over to it, placing her hand on the brick. “I’m not seeing any lights or anything sparkly, but the card image just hit me.”
Gavin nodded. “This is it then.”
“So how are we going to get to the platter? We can’t just start digging. There are too many people around.”
“We will come back after midnight. The moon is full, so we will have plenty of light.” He gave her a wicked grin. “I seem to remember you saying something about reliving history in that hotel room? I think we can pass the time pretty quickly.”
“Race you back,” Chloe said and then promptly tripped on a root, landing on her backside once more.
Gavin shook his head as he picked her up once more, this time in his arms. “I want you in one piece when we get back,” he said.
Well, she certainly wasn’t going to argue with being carried by her shining knight.
* * * *
Chloe was still dreamy-eyed from sex and Gavin inhaled her warm, woman-scent as he led her quietly past the sleepy streets of town toward the mill. It was well-past midnight since they had indulged several times in the best love-making that Gavin could remember in his long life.
“I sure hope we don’t get caught,” she whispered as they approached the open archway of the ruins. “I think this whole area is protected under some national preservation act.”
“Don’t worry,” Gavin said although his nape prickled. By now, Balor must be aware that the abduction plan didn’t work. The dragon had not put in an appearance which could mean Balor was hatching another plan. Although Gavin had not seen anyone who looked suspicious—by Scotland Yard standards—he had the uneasy feeling that they were being followed.
As Chloe crouched down to use her hands to scry, Gavin used his keen night vision to survey the area. About a hundred feet downstream, a rabbit scurried across rock and an owl swooped silently down for its dinner. Gavin scented the air. No mortals were near.
“Here,” Chloe whispered excitedly as she laid her hand on a brick just inside the empty doorway. “At least, I think it’s here. This area feels different. I can’t explain how, but—”
“You do not have to explain,” Gavin said as he knelt beside her, his fingers digging through the dirt and cement as though it were soft mud. “Let’s see if you are right.” His hands moved with preternatural speed, amassing chunks of dirt in a pile beside him as he burrowed down a good foot, then almost two. He was about to widen the hole when he struck something solid. With a single tug, he pulled out a wooden box.
Chloe grabbed his arm. “Is that it?”
For an answer, he opened it and heard her give a slight gasp. In the moonlight, the platter gave off a gentle, glowing sheen.
“It’s beautiful,” Chloe said, lifting the platter from its case and standing up.
“We’ll be taking that.”
Gavin spun around, putting Chloe behind him. Two men dressed as park rangers stood a short distance away. It took only a second for him to register that one of those men was Carl, the guide from Coloma. Had he been following them the entire time? Gavin’s vampire senses went on high alert.
Chloe peered around him and he could feel her start to shake. She pointed at the other man. “He’s the guy who abducted me!”
Gavin snarled, his fangs springing out. Lucifer’s eyes burned red and he laughed, a sound Gavin had never thought he’d hear again.
He was looking at the demon who had destroyed Arthur at Camlann.
“That’s right,” Lucifer said as he started to circle to the left, motioning Carl to go right. “I’ve been waiting a long time to finish this battle.”
An eerie howling began as a gusty wind suddenly swept through the ravine, an odd fog forming in front of it. What sounded like a horse’s hooves clattered up the riverbed toward them.
When the cloud cleared, they were surrounded by giant, white hounds their massive jaws open as they set their haunches to spring forward.
“Don’t move,” Gavin whispered to Chloe while he kept one eye on Lucifer.
From the darkness, Cernunnos rode forward on his ghostly horse. The god’s antlers gleamed, moonbeams shooting off them. “I ride the Wild Hunt on Samhain,” he said to Lucifer. “The only battle to be fought tonight will be mine.”
“I have a score to settle with the vampire,” Lucifer replied, his eyes blue again and his voice calm. “You should thank me for ridding the world of his kind.”
“I have a score to settle as well,” Gavin said. “Allow us single combat.”
Cernunnos glanced his way. “Your duty, knight, is to take that platter home.” He pointed toward the bridge. “Go”
“No!” Lucifer growled, morphing into his demon form. “The platter is mine!”
The god laughed, lifting one finger to signal his hounds. Instantly, they leapt toward Lucifer, surrounding him, fangs snapping.
A fireball hurled through the air as Sigurd arrived, belching smoke and hissing fire streams. In an instant, a fire ring formed around Gavin and Chloe.
“This is my land, dragon. You will not set fire to it.” Cernnunos charged toward the dragon, his wooden lance poised to throw.
“We’re surrounded by fire,” Chloe said in a small voice. “How do we break through?”
“The platter,” Gavin said. “Concentrate on it, Chloe. We can use it as a shield.”
“I don’t know how! What—”
Gavin wrapped his arms around her, pressing the platter between them. “Think about us,” he said. “The connection—”
Thousands of tiny stars descended from the sky, forming an archway, pushing back the fire. Gavin pulled Chloe through and bounded for the bridge as Sigurd shot more flames at them. Gavin heard Cernunnos shout in fury as fire flicked up one of the wooden tresses and then he heard the dragon scream.
“Run!” he said to Chloe. “Before this bridge catches!”
As they raced through the bridge to the soft moonlight at the other end, total silence settled over them.