Double Alchemy: Climax Read Free Page A

him.”
    His words triggered a wash of dread in Cade. “Quinn, you don’t think—”
    Quinn forestalled him, shaking his head. “No, it won’t be Percy that’s died. If it was I’d feel much worse, believe me.” His tone was grim. “Percy and I have shared blood, sweat and tears and I’d definitely know if something happened to him.”
    He reached up and removed the washcloth, lifting his head upright and gazing at Cade with shiny, black eyes. Cade gasped in awe. Quinn’s pupils were so large the iris could hardly be seen, like someone in a vampire movie when their eyes became completely obsidian. It was an incredible sight, sexy but disturbing. Cade chided himself for having that thought even as he saw his lover suffering in front of him.
    “What is it? You have a really strange look on your face.” Quinn was looking at him with a worried expression.
    “Your eyes, they’ve gone almost completely black again, like they did when I found you in the kitchen that time being hexed. You look demonic.”
    Quinn looked in the mirror and sighed. “I haven’t seen this much reaction since the last incident in the kitchen. It makes everything look different for me, as if it’s all lit up, like auras. It’s been a lot more prevalent since the Unity with Taliesin.”
    He stood up, a little shaky, and threw the washcloth into the basin. “Don’t worry, they’ll go back to normal within a while. I’m not possessed or anything,” He smiled tiredly. “Well, I am but it’s only Taliesin. I promise my head won’t go spinning around in the middle of the night.”
    He chuckled at Cade’s apprehensive expression.
    “I promise you I’m fine. I need to get upstairs and call Percy, see what’s happening.” Quinn shook his head as if trying to clear his thoughts and made his way out of the bathroom.
    Cade picked up the blood-sodden washcloth, rinsed it out and popped it in the laundry hamper. He followed Quinn up the stairs, looking at his watch. Eight o’clock. He supposed that sexy get together they’d been planning on the couch was now a thing of the past. In truth, all he now wanted to do was get into bed and hope this day would never be revisited. God, what with friends shooting themselves and Quinn having a turn, it was turning out to be a really eventful evening. Probably best to just get into bed and read if he could concentrate. Quinn certainly wouldn’t be coming to bed anytime soon. Once he got in his study talking to Percy, Cade would be lucky to see him before midnight.

Chapter 2
    Quinn frowned as Percy’s phone went to voice mail for the third time. He’d been calling every half an hour and still no word from his Marshall. That was very unlike him. The first tingling of dread caressed the back of Quinn’s neck like the slow stroke of a lover. He’d even tried getting hold of Magnus, his other senior Marshall, as the two of them were often together, but Magnus’s phone simply rang with no message. Quinn regarded his phone in frustration as he looked at his computer screen, the winking cursor seeming to mock him as it stayed put in place. Even his instant messaging service was having no success connecting to his team. He rubbed his eyes in exhaustion and took off his glasses to look at his watch. It was midnight so there was nothing much more he could do now—he might as well go to bed.
    Quinn yawned, locking his computer screen, and stood up, stretching his tired limbs. As he looked out of the study window into the darkness outside, he saw a faint shadow by the lamppost directly across the street. Although he saw no one physical, he distinctly felt the presence of someone standing there. He blinked his eyes and rubbed them again. The shadow was still there and he got the eerie impression it was looking directly at him. It was very tall and thin. Quinn stood completely still, his eyes narrowed as he watched for any signs of movement. A car slowly drove past, obscuring his vision for a moment and