Title: Save a Horse, Chapter Seven

Author: Maggie

Archived: www.geocities.com/Margaret_Mary69 and www.taintedfiction.com

E-mail: [email protected]

Feedback: Welcome if Constructive or at least not too mean, LOL

Genre: Dark Hunter… for info on Cannon Characters go to www.Dark-Hunter.com

Rating: PG (for now)

Disclaimer: Any characters you recognize are the property of Sherrilyn Kenyon. She retains all rights to the characters and does not authorize this work. This is solely for mine and hopefully my friends’ amusement. No money is being made off of this story.

Notes: A Dorian Squire goes on an adventure. It might be more than she planned on. This may contain spoilers through Unleash the Night.

Anything Else: I intend to beg my favorite beta to start giving this the once over but since she’s getting ready to escape town this week I didn’t want to add to her load so I apologize for any typos in this chapter. I tried to catch them with a couple proof readings.

 

Save a Horse… Chapter Seven

 

Jenny’s heart skipped a beat as she heard the door close behind the man standing in front of her. Otto certainly did not look amused. Well, she thought, at least Jean Luc drew off Valerius and whoever the woman with him was. The odds were at least better now.

 

The Blood Rites Squire motioned to towards the living room on his left. “We might as well get comfortable. This may take a while.” He noticed the girl look from him to the doorknob and added, “don’t even think about it. You won’t get past the gates without getting caught.”

 

Sighing, the young woman turned and walked into the spacious living room. She turned to watch Otto close the hallway door behind him before turning to motion her over to the sofa.

 

Sitting down across from her he asked, “I’m familiar with your family name Miss Hearson but I wasn’t aware you lived in the area.”

”Well actually I’ve never been to New Orleans before. I’m just here on a business trip.”

 

“A business trip to investigate Nick’s disappearance?” He raised an eyebrow.

 

“Not exactly,” she hedged. “I’m here on other business but I thought as long as I was in the area…”

 

“You would snoop around?”

 

The young woman stammered. “That’s not fair. Nick’s my friend and I haven’t heard from him for months, not since his mom’s death. Something might have happened to him.”

 

He sighed. “And you think that you, who admittedly has no knowledge of the area, are better qualified to find Nick than his local friends are?”

 

Jenny blushed. “Well when you put it that way… I guess I might have been a bit overconfident of my abilities. But Jean Luc is local and he had a solid lead that led us here.”

 

“What exactly was that lead? Did someone actually say that Valerius was responsible for Nick’s disappearance?” The man asked.

 

A door creaked as a voice rumbled from the entry way, “I’d like an answer to that myself.”

 

The young archaeologist looked from the Blood Rites Squire sitting across from her to Valerius and his female companion entering the room close behind. As they sat down, she bit her lip trying to remember exactly what Jean Luc had said. “Well I don’t think they said they had any direct evidence. They might not even know you’re a Dark Hunter. It was more of a case of knowing that you and Nick didn’t like each other very much.”

The ancient hunter sighed. “So of course with Nick missing, I must have done something to him. After all, most hunters kill squires that annoy them.” He looked over at Otto who tried very hard to smother a grin.

 

The young woman frowned. “I guess from that perspective, it doesn’t seem the most likely possibility does it?”

 

The woman by Val’s side interrupted at that point. “No it doesn’t. Do you make a habit of breaking into people’s homes based on hearsay or is this a special case?”

 

Jenny sputtered. “This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this. I was worried about Nick and I just…” she blushed before continuing, “ended up inside before I had really thought out what was I doing.”

 

“I can vouch for the fact she’s a novice. She was way too easy to catch.” Otto told the pair before turning to the young girl. “By the way, I make a habit of annoying his pompousness and I’m still breathing.”

 

“So far.” Val warned him.

 

The other woman grinned at the men before turning to their intruder. “I don’t think we’ve been introduced. I’m Tabitha and I can promise Val had nothing to do with Nick’s disappearance.”

 

The girl sighed. “I guess I might as well tell you who I am before you call the police to arrest me. I’m Jennifer Hearson.”

 

The Blood Rites Squire grinned a bit devilishly. “We aren’t going to call the cops. You know the Squires Council takes care of it’s own business.”

 

The blood drained from the young girl’s face at the thought of being reprimanded by the Council, and worse yet, her brothers finding out what she had been up to. “Could you just kill me now?”

 

“Otto, enough. I would probably have done the same Jenny. Nick is a good friend of mine. If I had any idea how to find him, I would have done it myself. The truth is that Nick disappeared around the time of his Mother’s death. He didn’t even come to her funeral. That alone tells us all that he’s unreachable. I would like to know who is spreading lies about Valerius though so I can give them a piece of my mind.”

 

“I don’t know who it was but maybe Jean Luc does. Isn’t it possible that whoever murdered his mother is holding him captive?” The young woman asked.

 

Val firmly told the girl. “No, we can tell you that the one responsible for Mrs. Gautier’s murder will not be hurting anyone else.”

 

The cold tone of his voice more than the words told her that whoever was responsible for Cherise’s death had met with Dark Hunter justice. She opened her mouth to ask another question when they heard someone in the entryway. Before anyone could rise to check, Jean Luc stalked into the room brandishing a sword.

 

He pointed it at the woman seated across from the archaeologist while keeping an eye on the two other men in the room. “Don’t make any sudden moves. I happen to like this shirt so I would really prefer not to be stabbed by you again.”

 

Jenny looked from the pirate to the woman across from her who just rolled her eyes. “For heaven’s sake, I told Ash that was a mistake. I can’t help it if you look like a Daimon on first glance.”

 

Something clicked in Jenny’s memory at that comment but her companion’s voice distracted her before she had time to pursue it. “A likely excuse. Maybe Val has gone rogue and you’re helping him get rid of the competition.”

 

The Roman general’s face went cold. “I have never been a… Rogue.”

 

Tabby patted his hand, “Of course you haven’t dear.” She turned to Jean Luc and added, “And you have obviously seen Blade too many times. If we were killing people, why would we be politely sitting here chatting with a woman who has figured out our nefarious deeds?”

 

The sword brandishing hunter frowned. “To pump her for information on her accomplices before you kill…”

 

Jenny, rather embarrassed, realized this was a big mistake and cut off the pirate’s accusation. “Jean Luc, I think they’ve made their point, not that I don’t appreciate you risking life and limb to come save me,” She paused for a moment, thinking. “Speaking of which, how is it you both seem fine to be in the same room? I thought Dark Hunters had proximity issues.”

 

The pirate thought about that for a moment. He frowned as he assessed himself. He didn’t feel any different. That was impossible. Valerius was a legend among Dark Hunters. Surely his power would affect him. Realization dawned as he looked from Valerius to the woman sitting nearby. A slight nod of his head was the only answer Jean Luc got from his elder to the unanswered question.

 

The pirate sighed, lowering his sword. “Because he’s out of the business, Jenny.”

 

The confused blonde massaged her temples for a minute, muttering, “This is enough to give me a migraine.” She looked up at the others. “What does that mean exactly? Is Jean Luc more powerful than you now?”

 

The Roman gave her a rare grin, “I wouldn’t go that far but he knows I have nothing to gain and everything to lose if I tangled with Dark Hunter business at this point.”

 

She looked over at the pirate who nodded. “Which means I need to have a chat with the sources that pointed us here.”

 

Tabby rose, “I’d like to help you with that little project if you don’t mind.”

 

He shook his head, “I said talk not stake them, Buffy. Besides I’m not going to be able to find them until tomorrow. It’s late and I should escort Ms. Hearson back to her hotel.” He looked from Otto to Valerius questioningly.

 

The adrenaline rush fading, Jenny barely heard what was said. Valerius looked from her to Tabby who he pulled to his side as he stood. “I don’t think it’s a good night for hunting. We’ve all had enough excitement.” He nodded at the young girl in front of them.

 

Otto shrugged then turned to Jean Luc. “I guess you better see the lady home before she decides to become a full time house burglar.”

 

Realizing they were talking about her, Jenny stood, pulling a card out of her pocket. “I really am sorry for…” she blushed, not sure what to apologize for first, “everything.” Handing the card to Tabby she told the woman, “If you hear from Nick, will you give me a call? I really am worried about him.”

 

Tabitha nodded as Jean Luc took the archaeologist’s arm, leading her toward the door. “I’ll be in touch Valerius.”

 

“You better,” his female companion answered for him as the pair exited the house.

 

Otto looked at the pair then sighed. “Never a dull moment eh boss?”

 

Val, for his part was already focused on the woman before him. “No never…”

The squire realizing they wanted some privacy grabbed the business card of out Tabby’s hand as he headed out the door. “I have a few calls to make.”

 

Jean Luc managed to get Jenny back to the hotel without incident. Neither one of them was anxious to talk about the evening. The pirate felt foolish for not checking his sources better. The young woman was embarrassed that she acted so rashly and very disappointed their one lead turned out to be a dead end. Well, not completely dead. At least she knew that Cherise’s murderer wasn’t on the loose.

 

Telling her new friend goodnight, she headed into the hotel. The woman headed straight up to her room, too exhausted to check for messages. Entering the dark room, she noticed that the light on her phone was lit as she kicked off her shoes. She walked over to the hall entry to put the “Do Not Disturb” sign on the doorknob then threw her jacket over the phone as she got undressed and climbed into bed.

 

Fourteen hours later Jenny awoke to the sound of her room phone ringing. Groggily she looked over at the clock to see it was late afternoon. Her stomach grumbled reminding her she hadn’t eaten much in the past day and half. Deciding she couldn’t talk to anyone without some coffee or at least a shower to wake her up, she let it ring.

 

Rolling over in bed, she noticed her bag where she’d dropped on the floor on her way in. She went over to pick it up and thought to check her cell phone. Sure enough, the battery was all but dead. She turned it off and plugged it in to recharge before heading into the bathroom.

 

A long shower helped the young woman feel more human but she was still dragging a bit. Stepping out of the shower, she got dressed. Perhaps a walk would wake her up. She grabbed her bag and headed out into the sunshine in search of food.

 

A late lunch and three cups of coffee later, she was feeling more like her old self. Not wanting to allow her thoughts to linger on her failed investigation she decided to go for a stroll. She had been here for days. It was hard to believe she hadn’t so much as given a decent glance to the beautiful old homes that surrounded the hotel. The history of the area visible in the architecture was really amazing.

 

Wandering back to the hotel near twilight, she noticed there was a long line at the front desk. Opting to check her messages later, she headed back upstairs to her room. She headed over to the desk to grab her now recharged cell phone, dreading the thought of checking the messages.

 

It rang as she opened it. Seeing it was the Museum on the Caller ID, she answered. “Jennifer Hearson. May I help you?”

 

“What the hell is going on Jenny? I’ve been trying to reach you for an update all day,” her boss’ voice boomed from the other end.

 

She grimaced. “Sorry. I was out and my cell phone was dead.” Pulling out her planner, she told the man, “the pieces you wanted for the new display should be on the way though.”

 

“Good. Then we can expect you home soon.”

 

She sighed, “Yeah I guess so. I’m not doing much good here.”

 

Hearing the dejected tone her voice, the man softened a bit. “I’m glad you were able to acquire the pieces. You might want to check your messages though. I’m not the only one that is looking for you.” He added before telling her goodbye.

 

She hung up the phone telling it, “I just bet. What if I don’t want to be found?”

 

As if answering her, the phone rang again. Her grimace as she turned the phone to look at the display quickly turned to a look of confusion. She didn’t recognize the number and wasn’t sure if she should answer the call.

 

Finally tired of listening to it ring, she relented. “Hello,” she cautiously answered, not wanting to give the stranger too much information.

 

“Is this Ms. Hearson,” the voice on the other end inquired.

 

Suddenly recognizing the lilt of his voice, she smiled. “Mr. O’Donnell. What can I do for you?”

 

“You can start by calling me Sean like I told you to,” he teasingly scolded her.

 

“Yes but we agreed I was Jenny in that same conversation.”

The man chuckled. “Yes we did, Jenny. My apologies. You may recall, I mentioned I might have something else for you before you left. Are you still in New Orleans?”

 

“Yes, though I am going home soon. Is it another artifact?”

”In a way. It’s something that is best discussed in person. I’m in the city. How about I come to you? Where are you staying?” The older gentleman asked.

 

“The Portchartrain hotel in the Garden District. It’s just off…”

 

“Perfect. I know where it is. Have you had dinner yet? They have an excellent hotel restaurant. I could be there in about twenty minutes.”

Grinning at the prospect of having an extra surprise for her boss when she got home, the young woman readily agreed. Hanging up the cell phone, she tidied up and headed down to secure a table for the pair. Luckily it was still early enough that the place was mostly deserted when she walked in. Most of the guests didn’t seem to trickle into the hotel for food until later in the evening from what she’d seen this week.

 

Sean arrived a short time later and walked over to join the young archaeologist. They ordered drinks then waved their waiter off, not ready to order yet.

 

Jenny smiled at the man, “It’s great to see you again. I admit you have my curiosity peeked. What do you have for me?”

”It’s not so much a what as a whom my dear,” he began but didn’t get much further as a stranger approached their table.

 

The young man looked dangerous despite his three hundred dollar suit as he sat down next to them. He bore a striking resemblance to the lady he sat next to. He eyes narrowed he looked from the older man to the girl as he barely growled, “Jennifer.”

 

The blood had drained from her face but she put on her best smile none the less. “Jonathan. It’s so nice to see you. This is Sean, a business associate of mine. Sean this is one of my brothers, Johnny.”

 

“Ah, that explains the resemblance. A pleasure,” The man smiled.

 

“Don’t Johnny me, Jennifer Elizabeth,” the younger man growled, ignoring everyone else in the room. “You haven’t picked up messages or answered your phone in over twenty four hours. What the hell have you been doing?”

 

The young girl looked from one to the other and sighed. “As you can see I’m conducting a business meeting. Sean has something else for the Museum to handle.”

”Well actually, it wasn’t for the museum…” The man began.

 

Jon grabbed Jenny’s arm, pulling her with him as he stood. “She doesn’t need anything else from you Mr. O’Donnell.”

 

The young woman jerked her arm out of her brother’s hand as she hissed. “You’re making a scene. How do you know his last name anyway? I didn’t tell you?”

 

A voice came from behind her Blood Rites squire sibling. “Are you okay Jenny?”

She moved to side step her brother enough to see that Jean Luc had walked up with Tabby in close pursuit. “Yeah his bark is much worse than his bite.”

Her sibling glared at her. “I wouldn’t be so sure of that.”

 

“What are you doing here anyway?” The girl asked, grateful that the dinner rush was still some time off.

 

Tabby explained. “He wanted to make sure you were okay and not doing any more Nancy Drew stuff before we went to find out who started the rumors about Valerius.”

 

“That won’t be necessary.” Another strange voice said from nearby. The mysterious stranger from Sanctuary, still wearing his dark sunglasses strode up to join the group. He had traded his Metallica shirt for a simple black tee, but was wearing the same tight fitting leather pants.

 

Jenny gaped as the other woman smiled and greeted the newcomer. “Hey Babe. Long time no see. Seen any good movies lately?”

 

He grinned at her. “No, I can’t find anyone else that Simi will share her popcorn with.”

Jean Luc was totally baffled by the exchange so he latched on to the first thing the man had said. “Ash, why won’t it be necessary?”

 

“Because I know who started the rumors, I did,” He shrugged.

 

“Why the hell would you do that,” Tabby screeched.

 

“For a very good reason. First off, Jennifer here needed a little testing…”

He didn’t get any further as Jenny interrupted. “I knew it. I knew there was something fishy about you that first time you talked to me in the bar. Who do you think you are messing with people’s lives and emotions? You think you’re a god or something? You should be ashamed of yourself for leading us on a wild goose chase, besmirching an innocent man’s name and…”

 

At that point Jonathan clamped a hand over Jenny’s mouth as the rest looked on in shock. Ash merely looked amused. When her brother was sure she wouldn’t speak he removed his hand and asked her a question. “Jenny. Do you remember ever hearing me and Andrew talk about the leader of the dark hunters?”

 

Totally confused about the change of topics she waved him off. “Yeah, yeah. He is the big bad. Nobody is stupid enough to mess with him. Nobody knows how old he is or what limits there are if any to his powers. He has spooky swirling silver eyes.  You couldn’t scare me with the boogeyman when I was a kid so I don’t know why you think I’m going to believe in him now.”

 

Jonathan turned her back to face Ash, formally known as Acheron Parthenopaeus. The eleven thousand year old leader of the hunters lowered his sunglasses enough for the girl to see silver of his ever-changing eyes. “I think we should go someplace a little more quiet to talk children.”

 

Jon while not happy with this turn of events wasn’t stupid enough to argue with the man. Jenny, in a daze, only now realized who she had been insulting. How was she supposed to know though? She couldn’t see those eyes with his sunglasses on and he looked younger than her, not to mention the fact he looked more like a playgirl cover model than a deadly predator.

 

Sean laid enough money on the table to cover their drinks as well as a generous tip. He headed out into the lobby with Jenny and her brother close beside him. Jean Luc and Tabby followed after them when Ash motioned them out. Scanning the room, the ancient realized only one stray human had managed to hear enough of their conversation to be curious. He gently altered the waiter’s memory so the man thought he had simply heard Jon run into Jenny and invite her companion and her out on the town.

 

Satisfied that was taken care of he headed past the group in the lobby to the front desk. He waved over a clerk who seemed to recognize him. “Is my private conference room available?”

The man grinned. “Of course.” He handed Ash a key card and went back to what he was doing. The ancient waved for Jenny and her motley crew to follow him then headed down the hallway.

 

As the door of the conference room closed behind them, Jenny bit her lip wondering what she had stirred up and how much trouble she had really gotten herself into. Little did she know; this was only the beginning.