Essence of Quinn Parts 3 & 4 (MxM)

Don't You Forget About Your Friend Death

As soon as Quinn rounded the corner to Terzo’s ghouls’ lair, he scented blood and bourbon.

The shadow ghoul was unconscious on the ground, head in Sunshine’s lap, scalp bleeding. The floor was littered with broken glass and what smelled like Jack Daniels. Aether must have smashed the bottle onto his head to knock him out. Quinn was impressed with his quick thinking to neutralise the threat.

Sunshine was distraught and her fear and sorrow lashed at Quinn along with a volcanic anger emanating from Alpha. The fire ghoul was being held back by Omega who was trying his best to calm him down.

“What happened?” Fire snarled.

Omega met his eyes.

“Santos had him. He wasn’t himself. He was trying to take Sunshine but she managed to make it here before he got to her. We held him off and Aether managed to sneak behind him and knock him out.”

Quinn glanced at Aether and frowned. He was hurt, his nose was bleeding and he looked dazed. Quinn put a hand on his cheek and forced him to meet his eyes.

“You okay?” he said, sending a strong wave of healing quintessence to him, sensing he’d had a punch or a head-butt or something that had momentarily knocked him unconscious.

Aether nodded slowly and winced.

“Fucker head-butted me. Didn’t even stop to think about it. It was freaky. Not like him at all,” he said.

Quinn had seen slave ghouls in action before. He knew how deadly they were when they were subject to their master’s instruction. However much Itzal had tried not to follow orders, there was nothing he could have done to resist.

Fire relayed it all to Secondo on the phone before agreeing to something and ending the call.

“Secondo wants him in the chapel. The plan has been moved forwards to right now. He wants it finished,” Fire said.

Omega whined and Secondo’s ghouls went to move him.

Quinn crouched down next to Sunshine and gently put his hands on her shoulders.

“Sunshine, we need to take him now.”

She was trembling and he didn’t think she heard him. She was too focused on the downed ghoul. Quinn looked up at Omega for help.

“Are you going to stay calm now, Alpha?” he said to the ghoul he was still holding onto.

Alpha nodded and took a deep breath. He was still pissed, but with Secondo’s ghouls there, he wasn’t going to try anything.

“I’m fine, Meg,” he snarled.

Omega carefully took hold of Sunshine and guided her to her feet. She didn’t protest, just numbly stood.

Quinn and Air grabbed Itzal and lifted him, draping his arms over each of their shoulders. His head flopped around as they moved and he groaned, eyes rolling back in his head.

“Is he waking up?” Water asked.

Quinn concentrated and shook his head.

“No, not properly. His skull is fractured and I think his brain is bleeding.”

That’s what he got from a very quick assessment of his injuries.

“His aura is doing something weird too, it keeps flickering in and out,” Air said.

That wasn’t good at all. Quinn sent him some healing quintessence, but also used it to try and keep him asleep. He felt that part of the magic sliding off of him, though. It must have been because he was under Santos’ control now. It was acting as a kind of shield around his consciousness.