Chapter 10: 10: An Unholy Home

Fiona

James, our driver, pulled into the circular driveway in front of the vast manor house I had lived in my entire life. I stared at its imposing frame and shuddered, amazed at how quick I was to loathe the place. What had been 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 so 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 stopped whispering but spoke fast. “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 behind us. “Lay down, Kat. You look pale.” I made a B-Line for my jewelry armoire, jerking open the drawers 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? Are you sore?”

“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 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 pure 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 food from the kitchen, and gathered some clean clothes. We were both starving and in desperate need of a shower. Once Kat was clean and changed, I entered the bathroom and turned the water on hot. After taking off Kyra’s clothes, 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, and the necklace was in my bra the whole time. Why didn’t anyone remember Rowan had demanded I flush the silver chain, and with defiance, I shoved it inside my bra. Too much had happened, I supposed, and my brain was overloaded and foggy. I placed the chain around my neck to keep it safe and climbed inside the shower, letting the heated water wash away the grime and shock of the last twenty-four hours.

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

***

My bastard of a father seemed the same to me. He didn’t look like a dangerous killer, just a short, unassuming man with a slight gut hanging over his belt, faded, gray-streaked 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 had seen 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 peered around his office with fresh eyes, but nothing jumped out at me. Although uncomfortable now that I knew the truth, this room seemed 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 just 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 last night…” Cormac lifted his head, studying me, and I saw a muscle in his jaw twitch—a sure sign of anger, 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 saw his eyes widen, but 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 in their pinky toe than him, but I had to keep my feelings to myself.

“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 man protecting innocent people from those monsters.” He was leaning across the desk, his tone passionate, but 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 when you told those ’mangy werewolves’ to keep me,” I yelled and leaned forward, too, my face inches from his.

He sat back in his chair and sighed. “I am sorry about that, but it was a shock, and I was concerned about Kat. I have… um… researched this nasty Sexflex drug and was worried! One would think you could understand that! She doesn’t have parents to protect her, and you were unharmed.” He shrugged and threw me a fake 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 nowadays.”

My mouth dropped open. “I’m not interested in hunting down supernatural creatures.” I held back what I really wanted 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 screamed.

He stood, towering over me, jabbing his finger at me. “Because I’m a bloody scientist. And somebody must keep us safe. There’s so 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 us 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?”

“The choice was between killing or being killed, Fiona. Only the strongest survive.”

“Yeah, whatever.” I rolled my eyes and knew I wasn’t doing a satisfactory job of acting like everything was fine. Rowan had implored me to play nice. The heavy leather-bound tomb he’d given me looked interesting, and 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.

Cormac rarely spoke 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, Cormac was right… I looked just like her.

“You are too tenderhearted, just like her, and you pity 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.” I shook my head and gritted my teeth, thinking about that beast.

“Ah, the vampires…” Cormac smiled and then chuckled. “Don’t be too hard on Kat. Everyone knows vampires for their beauty, which makes it simple for them to find prey. They are all gorgeous, and people flock to them, making it easier for them than any other creature.”

I threw my arms up. “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 asked in a raised voice while slamming his hands on the desk.

“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 standard routine, 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 and saved countless lives, Fiona. And I will never be sorry!”

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 experimenting with Kat, but I couldn’t because I’d pushed him far enough and needed to remain 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.