First Draft

Fiona's POV

Our driver, James, pulled into the circular drive in front of the massive manor house that had been my home all my life. I looked up at its imposing frame and shuddered, amazed at how quickly I loathed the place. What was my haven was now a place of disgust, and I dreaded getting out of the car. Kat was watching me, and I could tell she felt the same.

"Let's get this over with," she whispered. "I'm really frightened."

"I know me too. But we will go to my room and get that blasted chain around your neck." When James got out, I said, "If he sees the bandage and asks about the necklace, I'll tell him it's in my purse." James opened the door, and we exited. "Thank you, James. Where's Father?" I had to be careful around him because he told my father everything. They were thick as thieves or thick as killers, more like. I didn't doubt for a moment that James knew it all-every dirty detail about my father and his repulsive conduct.

"He's in his lab, not to be disturbed, Miss Quinn. He says he will speak to you in the morning." I let out a breath of relief and smiled at Kat. "Thank you, James."

We rushed into the house, ran up the staircase, threw open my bedroom door, and locked it. "Lay down, Kat. You look pale." I made a B-Line for my jewelry armoire, jerking the drawers open, and looking for the necklace. Of course, it was in the very bottom drawer. "Should we put it on you?" Kat looked at me while I glanced at the bandage on her neck, and I asked, "How does it feel?"

"Like a fucking vampire bit me-a blood-sucking bastard."

"I'm sorry, Kat. We should put it on you to be safe, but I'll change the dressing and try to find a smaller bandage first. And I know we've been through a lot, but once we get out of here, I want to know everything about what that bastard's been doing to you and why you have kept it from me."

Kat nodded as tears formed in her eyes, and I hugged her. "I'm so sorry for upsetting you, Kitty Kat. Let me go find a better bandage." As I glanced back, I noticed how small she looked on the King sized bed, and I felt rage at my father's sins. I wasn't sure I could be civil to him, but I would try because I had to, but not until I'd asked him some questions burning in my mind.

I re-bandaged Kat's wound, placed my silver chain around her neck, grabbed us some food from the kitchen, and gathered some clean clothes. We both needed food and a shower in a big way. After pulling off Kyra's clothes as the shower heated, I realized Kat's necklace was still in my bra and I giggled at the memory.

"Whew," I said to the empty bathroom. Kat was worried my father would somehow know the difference. I placed the chain around my neck to keep it safe and climbed inside the shower, letting the hot water wash away the grime and shock of the last twenty-four hours.

When I finished, Kat was already asleep, and I crawled in beside her, vowing to tell her about the necklace first thing in the morning. Right now, we both needed a good night's sleep.

***

My bastard of a father looked the same to me. He didn't look like a dangerous killer, just a short, unassuming man with a receding hairline, a slight gut hanging over his belt, gray-streaked faded red hair, and a receding hairline. The only thing remarkable about him was the old septagram tattoo on his arm that he kept hidden unless he was at home. I now knew it was called a fairy star and wondered why he would have such a thing imprinted on his body forever, especially after finding out he hunted down supernatural creatures.

But then again, I wasn't sure if fairies were real. I only had Kyra and Rowan's word they were, but I saw the proof that vampires and werewolves walked among us.

"Where's Kat?" My father sat behind his desk, reading something without looking at me. He had summoned us both, but I told Kat to stay behind. I wanted a private word with Cormac Quinn. I looked around his office with fresh eyes, but nothing jumped out at me. Although uncomfortable now that I knew the truth, this room looked like a typical office. He had books and medical journals piled on every surface, newspaper clippings, science and medical degrees hanging up, and bookshelves along an entire wall.

"We need to talk first, so I told her to stay behind." I cleared my throat to gain his attention, standing with my arms crossed, glaring at him.

"Sit down," he barked. Cormac had always been an arse, but I figured it was his personality. He is a man of science, not emotion, but a good father was the excuse I always told myself. Now I realized he was just a horrible person, but I sat down just the same. I wanted answers but had to play it cool for the long game.

Before I could start, he said, "So, I hear you and Kat ran into some trouble at a club..." Cormac lifted his head and stared at me, and I saw a muscle in his jaw twitch-a sure sign he was angry, but I didn't give a feck!

"Trouble?" I threw my head back and laughed. "That's an understatement!"

"How's Kat?" he asked, disregarding me.

"A blood-thirsty monster attacked her after giving her a pill called Sexflex, for God's sake!" I watched him and noticed his eyes widen a bit. He was trying to act calm. "But she is fine, just tired, and that's why I told her to stay in bed, and I wanted to ask you some questions."

"How do you feel after the unfortunate experience of finding yourself surrounded by a pack of mangy werewolves?" He shuddered in disgust, and my hatred for him grew. Those 'mangy wolves' had more compassion and honor than he had in his pinky toe, but I had to keep my feelings to myself on the subject.

"They told me all about you, Father. It turns out I have lived my whole life with a bloody stranger," I said as my voice rose with every word.

"I'm not the bad guy here, Fiona! I'm the guy protecting innocent people from the monsters." He was leaning across his desk, his tone passionate, and I noticed the vein in his forehead throbbing. "Something I'd think my daughter would be proud of."

"Oh, I'm your daughter again? You didn't want me back yesterday and told them to keep me," I yelled and leaned forward, too.

He sat back in his chair and sighed. "I am sorry about that, but I was shocked and worried about Kat. I have... um... researched this nasty Sexflex drug and was concerned for Katrina! Surely you can understand that! She doesn't have parents to protect her, and you were unharmed." He shrugged and threw me a tight smile.

I wasn't ready to let it go, but I needed to rein in my anger. "They told me you are renowned for hunting these supernatural creatures and that you-"

"They are called 'Creatures of Primordial,' and my family has hunted them for years. It's my birthright and yours, Fiona. I realize you are a woman, but there are many female hunters now."

My mouth fell open. "I'm not interested in hunting down supernatural creatures." I held back what I really want to say. "They also told me you do experiments on them and innocent children." I kept my face impassive as my blood boiled in rage thinking about the people and children, including Kat, subjected to his sick mind and torture.

I almost lost my composure when he nodded, his disinterest clear, verifying everything I'd been told. "Why?" I was on the verge of crying. "Why do you do it?" I yelled.

He stood, towering over me, punching his finger at me. "Because I'm a bloody scientist and somebody has to keep us humans safe. There's much you don't know, and they have not given you the whole truth!" He walked to a bookshelf, pulled down a thick volume, wiped the dust from the front, and approached me. He held the book out to me, and I took it. "The Creatures of Primordial have been around forever, mingling among humans. However, they are not friendly beasts, but dangerous ones. They hunted and enslaved humans for hundreds of generations. After years of abuse, the humans had had enough and revolted against them. It took centuries, but the roles reversed, and we are now the hunters."

I looked down at the book in my lap. "If it was wrong to treat us like that, why is it okay for you to do the same?"

"It was kill or be killed, Fiona. Only the strongest survive."

"Yeah, whatever." I rolled my eyes and knew I was doing a poor job of acting like I was cool with everything and looked down at the leather-bound tomb he'd given me. I wanted to read it, but not for the reasons my father would appreciate.

He laughed, and I whipped my head up from the book. "You are not only the spitting image of your mother, but you are like her in every way," he said, smiling and shaking his head.

Rarely did he speak of my mother, and I held my breath, hoping to hear more. Besides telling me she died in childbirth having me, I knew little else. Judging from the small photo he gave me that sat on my bedside table, I looked like her.

"You are too tenderhearted, just like her, and you have pity for those guys, the werewolves, that helped you last night."

"They saved us! And even knowing who I was, they were still kind!" I didn't want to give him too much information to use against them, so I changed the subject. "Unlike that vampire that offered the drugs to us and attacked Kat! I have no sympathy for him."

"Ah, the vampires..." Cormac smiled and shook his head. "Don't be too hard on Kat. We know vampires for their beauty, which makes it easy for them to find prey. They are all gorgeous, and people flock to them, making it simpler for them than any other creature."

"You act like they all just run around looking for people to kill or maim."

"Because that's what they do, Fiona. They may appear normal, but they are the same creatures of time gone by and wouldn't hesitate to take over the world again, and I won't allow it! They would kill us off! Don't you understand?" he said, raising his voice.

"And that's how you justify killing, kidnapping, and experimenting on them? They said you even use children," I said again, snarling my lips in disgust.

"So they told you about the kids." He looked unashamed like it was normal, and I felt sick. "I will experiment on any creature I find, regardless of age. They are like animals to me-animals who carry magic in their bodies and other amazing secrets. I've cured many diseases because of my experiments on them and saved countless lives, Fiona."

Shaking my head, I frowned. "What you say makes sense, and I understand," I lied. "I get it, but I don't like it." Next, I wanted to ask him about doing experiments on Kat, but I couldn't because I'd pushed him far enough, and I had to be civil.

"Good girl." He beamed at me, and I felt bile rise in my throat. "I might make a hunter out of you yet."

I rushed from the room and made it to the half bath on the ground floor and heaved my guts up. He was a vile man. Rowan had told me as much, but something about my father admitting it with a smile and pride in his voice turned my stomach, making it so much worse.

***

Cormac Quinn is a nasty piece of work and I hope the girls can escape without any problems. Please vote if you enjoyed the chapter and like the story so far.

Lisa xxxooo