Julian looked to Quinn; she nodded to let him know she was ready for the next step. “Most, if not all of you, have heard the prophecy about a vampire who will become your greatest ally and savior,” Julian said. “It’s time you met her.”
Excited whispers swirled through the crowd when he lifted her hand into the air. Many of them stepped forward, some stretched their hands toward her as if she were some sort of god. Disquiet churned within her belly at the bizarre sight and the realization many saw her as a lifeline. She’d underestimated how much some of them believed in this prophecy though, which she shouldn’t have done after what had occurred in the hotel.
It took all she had not to move away from them. They couldn’t know how much their belief in her overwhelmed her. This meeting would disintegrate into chaos if they did. Swallowing, Quinn kept her shoulders back as she surveyed the crowd. She’d kill them if she had to, but she’d much prefer not to. They wanted to believe in her because they didn’t have much to believe in, not anymore.
“Stay back!” Julian snapped at them. “If one of you lays a hand on her, I’ll tear it off before I rip off your head.”
***
Julian’s lips skimmed back as he bared his fangs at the vampires closest to them. Those vamps were trying to shove back against the mass pushing them forward in order to get closer to Quinn. The ones in the front stumbled back a few more feet before the crowd settled down enough that the closest vamps didn’t have to fear accidentally being shoved into Quinn.
Quinn lifted her chin as she gazed at the vampires before them. No one would ever guess from the pride blazing in her eyes that her hand trembled within his, or that her power had begun to ebb and flow between them like the sea at high tide instead of being its normal steady stream.
“The vampires in this hotel tried to capture her and bend her to their will. You can see the consequences of those actions. She is still standing. They are not,” Julian said and paused to let his words sink in. “The prophecy states that if used correctly, she will become our greatest ally, our savior. She will never be used by anyone, but she will be your ally.”
“I will stand with you.” Quinn’s voice rose to carry over the crowd. “I will be your ally in this, and I will be theirs.” She gestured toward their friends gathered around them. “We can all work together to obtain an alliance that will benefit us all.”
The crowd shuffled uneasily. Some of them moved further toward the shadows. “How do we know she is the vampire of the prophecy?” a woman demanded.
“I can prove it if one of you will let me use my ability on you,” Quinn said.
Most of them shook their heads no. A few looked as if they were considering coming forward, but none of them budged.
Clint swore as he strolled over and held his arm out to Quinn. “I was also born a Guardian,” he said to the crowd. “My grandparents fled The Commission before I was born because they knew some vampires didn’t kill, and they believed those vamps deserved to be treated with respect. They disagreed with The Commission’s policies toward vamps, and so do I. When I first met Quinn, I didn’t know she was a vampire. When I realized it, I let her live in peace. For three years, she worked for me and had no idea about my heritage, until recently.” He turned back to Quinn. “Use your ability on me.”
“Clint—”
“Go on, Quinn. I trust you completely,” he added with a pointed look at the crowd.
Julian gave her a brisk nod when she glanced at him. “You can do this,” he whispered so low he knew no one else heard him.
Quinn released his hand and took a reluctant step toward Clint. The idea of turning her into a show pony didn’t sit well with Julian, but it was necessary these vamps saw what she was capable of if they were going to believe in them and fall in line.
“The prophecy states that a vampire, not born of vampire blood, will burn like the sun the life from anyone she touches,” Quinn said as she clasped Clint’s arm.
Clint’s brown eyes didn’t waver from hers. Julian’s fingers twitched with the urge to touch her, to give her encouragement and strength, but she had to do this on her own. He just wasn’t sure if she would be able to drain the life from her friend in order to get her point across.
As soon as he thought it, Julian noticed Clint’s cheeks sagging inward, his belly shrinking, and his eyes taking on a jaundiced hue. When sparks danced across Quinn’s fingertips, Clint’s legs wobbled. Julian felt the enthusiasm growing in the crowd while they waited for Clint to collapse.
Then Clint’s eyes cleared, his cheeks puffed back out, and his belly drooped over his belt once more as Quinn switched the flow and started to pump Clint’s life back into him. Clint smiled at her when she released his arm, but Julian saw the apprehension in his eyes as he stepped away from her.
Voices swelled throughout the crowd. He didn’t try to quiet them this time, but let them discuss what they had seen between themselves first.