by Ally Shields
“No one’s happy about any of this.” Kam got up from her seat on the couch and walked over to stare out the window. “Most of us can’t go home to Elvenrude. And Cyrilia is still withering away.”
Rhyden slumped in his chair. “I guess things can’t get any worse.”
“I’m afraid they can.” Kam turned to look at her friends. “Andolf is going to tell them there’s a thriving elven world beyond our portal. They may try to take it by force.”
* * *
But for the next twenty-four hours it remained quiet. The king and his advisors believed the crisis was over and ordered the Lormarc and Ryndel Guilds to resume their normal business. Kam and Seth took care of executive guild decisions by phone, while Rhyden and Caleb did their best to entertain Bria and Esty. Thom Barrott called to say Sawyer Ryndel had sent word it was safe for Esty to come home. She made a quick trip to assure her mother she was fine but came back two hours later after obtaining permission to keep Bria company for a few more days. Her parents weren’t very hopeful Bria would ever be allowed to return.
After the fifth poker game at their suite that evening, Kam threw in her hand, stood, and stretched. Many more days of this, and she’d go crazy. There was little privacy in shared rooms—and a lot of boredom from inactivity. Thank the gods it was nearly midnight. She and Seth had decided earlier to take a night tour of the city’s rooftops in case the Cyrilians were back in town.
She went to her bedroom and changed into her black outfit and tucked the Sig Sauer into an inside belt holster. When she returned to the main room, someone had switched on the television—probably Caleb, since Bria seemed fascinated by it. They were watching a late-night comedian. Rhyden was trying to explain some of the jokes.
Kam caught Seth’s gaze and motioned toward the door. He got up to follow, but they both stopped and turned to look as the sound of local breaking news blared from the TV.
“We’re interrupting programming to alert viewers to a dangerous situation in the Lower Garden District where multiple shots have been fired. Residents are advised by authorities to stay in their homes with their doors locked. An active shooter or shooters may be in that area. We have a reporter near the scene. As soon as he’s ready, we’ll bring you further details.”
By the time the announcement had been repeated, the screen switched to a live feed focused on a male reporter in his mid-twenties. “Authorities have locked down the area for several blocks. All we can see are the flashing lights that appear over my left shoulder. We have very little information, but it was just confirmed there are casualties, and no one is yet in custody.”
Without additional information to give viewers, the reporter again repeated law enforcement’s warning and then described the surrounding area, which was mostly one-story warehouses. The camera panned to the right.
Seth swore. “Doesn’t that warehouse belong to the cartel?”
Before Kam could respond, the reporter was handed a slip of paper and his voice cut across the room. “We’ve just learned four victims have been taken to the hospital. Two were pronounced dead upon arrival, and two are in critical condition. I repeat. Two dead, two critical. One of victims was…” He paused and looked off camera as if seeking confirmation. He cleared his throat. “One of the fatalities was shot with an arrow.”
Kam and Seth raced toward the door without waiting to hear the rest. Her phone buzzed before they’d reached the rooftop. Had to be Crain. She tapped the screen, and he came on.
“Do you have the TV on?” he barked.
“Already saw it. We’re on our way to the scene,” she said. “Do you have any details?”
“Nothing. Just what the news is reporting. I’m still at home. I knew we were pushing our luck,” he muttered. “How long before you get there?”
“A few minutes. I’ll call when we know something.” She clicked off and stuffed the phone back in her pocket. He sounded like he wanted to unload his temper on someone. She couldn’t blame him, but she wasn’t willing to be the recipient.
As they reached the first street with news vans parked below, Seth and Kam invoked the cloaking magic and moved closer to the primary crime scene. She looked around. Where were the shooters? The streets were deserted except for armed officers, emergency vehicles, and a SWAT unit going from building to building. There was no gunfire. The gunmen must be inside or blocks away by now. Or invisible.
Kam stood on the rooftop across from the main police presence and searched for the telltale shadows that would betray the Cyrilians. She motioned to Seth, and they dropped to the ground and raced across the street, returning to the safety of the rooftop. She waited for furtive movements or hushed voices, human or otherwise, but the gang members had disappeared—and so had the elven archers.
“Where’d they go?” Seth asked. “All I see are police and reporters.”
“Beats me. Try the seeker charm. You know Trystan well enough to picture his face. See if you can find him.”
A few moments passed. “Not here,” Seth said. “If he was in the group, they’ve gotten beyond the half-mile range of the charm’s magic.”
Kam’s phone buzzed. Crain again. She had nothing to tell him, but on the off chance he was calling with information, she answered.
“Report.”
Kam bristled at his tone. “How about changing that to report, please?”
“Dammit, Kam. I’m at the office now, and everyone’s getting screamed at over this one. Tell me something useful.”
“I don’t know anything except everyone’s gone. No gangs, no…um, intruders.”
“You mean the Cyrilians?”
“Who?” she asked cautiously.
“Don’t play dumb. Seth told me that much—and that they have a means to become invisible.”
Her eyes flicked to Seth. “When did he tell you this?”
“The night I showed him the first arrow. Don’t you two talk to one another?”
“Apparently not enough.” She sighed. So much had happened so quickly, it wasn’t a surprise there was information they’d forgotten to share—or thought they’d already shared. “OK, yes. The arrow makes me think it was them, but I haven’t found anything to prove it.”
“It’s time you leveled with me about these guys. I warned Seth we couldn’t keep this under wraps if anyone else died. I can’t conceal this kind of threat.”
Except…having the information wouldn’t help him. The only ones with any chance of stopping the Cyrilians were the dark elves of Elvenrude, and the king had decided to stay out of it.
“Meet us at the boat in an hour. We have something to show you. I think it will answer most of your questions.”
At least it would answer hers. If Crain couldn’t see the Cyrilians’ portal, the humans hadn’t a chance to stop a constant war of attrition.
That left her, Seth, and Rhyden—and maybe Caleb, standing alone. Bria and Esty would want to help, but they weren’t trained in combat. Esty could shoot a bow, because Kam had taught her, but there was no way she wanted her baby sister involved in such a lopsided battle. Three, even four, against hundreds was really insane odds.
* * *
Kam and Seth had almost reached the swamp boat when shadowy figures appeared behind them. She nudged Seth and whispered, “Do you have your pistol?”
“Yes. They came out of the last clump of trees.”
“Are they tracking us? Or did we somehow get ahead of them?”
“I’d say we were spotted, and they’ve been waiting. There’s one way to find out.” Seth had his phone out and was talking to someone while he pushed her through the tall grass. “This way.”
They made a sharp turn and took off running, both of them cloaking to make it harder to follow. Kam heard running feet behind them and the swish of grasses, the occasional splash as someone made a misstep. Seth pulled her behind a tree, and they held their breath while the shadows ran past. Seth turned left. He seemed to be going in a circle, and Kam wasn’t sure where they were heade
d. For a minute or two they were free of pursuit, and then the Cyrilians picked up their trail again.
They played a game of hide and seek through the swamp for more than twenty minutes before Seth made a swift right turn and entered a familiar clearing—the spot where the men had been when she’d escaped from Cyrilia. Rhyden and Caleb stood next to the fishing dock; Bria and Esty were beside them.
Kam’s stomach clenched, and she released the amulet. “Why is Esty here?”
Seth materialized beside her, threw Rhyden a dark look, and hustled them all behind the shack. “I told you to come alone.”
“They insisted, and I didn’t have time to argue.”
Bria stared at the guns Seth, Kam, and Rhyden held in their hands. “Are you going to shoot them?”
The sound of voices speaking in Elfish carried on the night air. The Cyrilians had entered the clearing.
“Shh.” Seth stepped around the corner and showered the pursuers with citerin dust then ducked for cover. He fired at the man in front, winging him in the arm, and switched to shooting near their feet as the others scattered. Kam sprinted around the building to fire from a different position, attempting to rattle their attackers rather than kill them. No way guns against bows and arrows was a fair fight.
Rhyden took over Seth’s firing position while his cousin reloaded, but the Cyrilians had retreated. Seth, Rhyden, and Kam chased them all the way to the portal. Most of them had already disappeared into the shimmering curtain. The lone straggler was the wounded man. He was just about to step through.
“Jacobe! Wait. What are you doing?” Bria’s shrill shout nearly made Kam jump. She hadn’t realized Bria and Esty had kept up with them.
Jacobe scowled. “Following royal orders.” Then he vanished.
“I don’t believe it,” Bria said, a hand on her hip. “Jacobe is my neighbor. I’ve known him all my life, but he’s lying. I heard Dreysel shouting orders, and Tryst would never, ever, put him in charge.”
Dreysel again. Kam lifted a brow at Seth. Little doubt he was part of this, but was he really a rogue leader…or was Trystan’s cousin also his right-hand man?
“Why don’t we talk about this later?” Seth suggested. “We still have an appointment to keep.”
“I know, but Esty and Bria shouldn’t be here.” Kam scowled at Rhyden and Caleb. “They need to go back to New Orleans. Now.”
“I agree.” Seth turned to Rhyden with an edge in his voice. “Can you manage to get them home?”
“Hey, don’t give me the stink eye. I tried. One of them is a Ryndel, and the other is just as stubborn.”
“Quit talking about us as if we weren’t here,” Esty snapped, glaring at all of them. “None of you is in charge of me.”
Rhyden gave Seth a look. “See what I mean?”
Despite this dissension in the ranks, Caleb, Rhyden, and the two younger women were soon on their way back to New Orleans, and Seth and Kam backtracked to meet with the CIA agent. On the way, they weighed their options on how much to disclose. Maybe they were short-changing Crain by hiding the truth. They still hadn’t decided by the time they arrived at the swamp boat.
He was waiting on the deck. “I’d almost given up on you.”
“We were followed,” Kam said. “It took a little time to get rid of them, but we’re here now. And we want to show you something.”
The agent had a dozen questions, but Seth and Kam kept it vague until they reached the Cyrilian portal, standing in full view between two cypress trees. The silver and gold doorway glowed and swirled in the dark.
Kam turned to Crain. “What do you see?”
He frowned. “Is this a joke? Not much in the dark. Swamp, swamp grass, trees. What do you see?”
“A portal. A doorway between two dimensions.”
“You’re making this up,” he blurted. He cut himself off and blew out his cheeks. “Describe it.”
She did, and he scrutinized the area intensely as if the description might help him find it. “These portals are how you get around?”
“This portal isn’t ours. It belongs to the Cyrilians. Their homeland is on the other side.”
Crain rubbed the back of his neck. “People I can’t see. A world I can’t see. It’s unbelievable. I can barely believe you exist, and yet you’re here. I think I need a drink.”
“We brought you here so you’d understand the problem. You can’t fight these people without our help. You need to give us some time. We thought we had it resolved, but their leader lied to us or someone lied to him. Now that we know, we’ll find a way to deal with it.”
“What if you don’t? What if you can’t?”
“Then we’re all in big trouble,” Kam said. “But we will. The one thing you can’t do is reveal our existence to the rest of your world.” She took a deep breath. “We’ll vanish if you do, and you’ll have to fight the Cyrilians alone. We’ll do whatever it takes to protect our own people. No more idle threats between us.”
Crain straightened. “I’ll try to give you another forty-eight hours. But if you fail or the situation escalates into another shootout, I’ll have to warn my government what we’re facing.”
For all the good it would do.
* * *
After parting from Crain on the edge of town, Seth suggested they stop for a drink at their favorite pub. And to talk things over before meeting with the others. The Wharf was busy with its usual local patrons. The few tourists stood out with their oversize backpacks, cameras, and water bottles.
He chose a back booth. They ordered, and he studied Kam’s pensive face. She’d been unusually quiet. Now she was twisting the pager ring on her third finger. “Has Brunic been bothering you?” he finally asked with a nod toward her hand.
She looked down as if she hadn’t realized she’d touched it. “No. He does that early in the morning. He knows I won’t answer, so I think he’s hoping to wake me just to be annoying. But I’ve been wondering if we should contact him.” She leaned forward and met his gaze. “If we have to fight the Cyrilians, we need more archers. It might be worth another shot at convincing Brunic and Seliwyn that confronting them now would be in Elvenrude’s long-term interests.”
“They think the risk is over,” Seth said. “Trystan agreed to a truce, and the guilds haven’t been bothered.”
“How long will that last?” Kam set down her glass of wine. “Someone from Cyrilia is trying to take over the gangs. Elvenrude could be next on the list. We’re dealing with a proven killer or killers.”
“And Trystan is still the most likely suspect.” Seth finished his beer and considered ordering another. “Dreysel is a possibility—Bria certainly thinks so—but Jacobe put the blame directly on Trystan. Royal orders seemed pretty clear. The younger brother is a real smartass if not worse, but as far as I can tell, Trystan is the only one with the authority to act on behalf of their dying king.”
“Unless Jacobe lied…for whatever reason. I hope he did. Bria grew up thinking of Trystan as a brother. She’s struggling with all of this.”
“Yeah, I know. It has to be hard on her. One thing’s certain, whoever’s in charge, there’s more of them than of us. Which brings us back to Brunic. Let’s talk it over with the others, but I’m in favor of setting up a meeting. We need allies.”
CHAPTER TWENTY
“Barrott can set up the meeting for us.” Seeing the hope on their friends’ faces, Kam hid her own doubts. They’d jumped on the idea of contacting Captain Brunic. Down deep, each was counting on King Seliwyn to change his mind and make their troubles in Elvenrude go away. She wasn’t sure that would happen—at least not soon—but was trying to stay positive. She’d love to get Esty and Bria out of the open conflict simmering in New Orleans.
She picked up her phone and talked with the Ryndel Guild Master.
His reaction was enthusiastic. “First thing in the morning. It wouldn’t do any good for me to go now. Everyone’s asleep. With any luck, I’ll catch Brunic in a good mood right after his mor
ning tea.”
Since Kam had had enough for today, that worked out fine. She said good night to everyone, went to bed, and slept soundly until Brunic gave his usual early page the next morning. She sat up in bed and buzzed him back indicating contact was imminent. She quickly showered and was ready to leave by the time Barrott called.
“What did he say?” she asked. “Is he coming this morning?”
“No. He doesn’t have time to meet. At least that’s what he said. He was rather short-tempered.”
Kam’s mood plummeted. “Is that all?”
“He advised you to be patient and stay out of Elvenrude for a few more days or weeks.” Barrott cleared his throat. “And he grumbled that you never listen to him. But I think he’s right about staying away. It was a strange visit. Brunic was distracted during our talk, and the community felt…restless, out of balance. It’s hard to explain.”
Days or weeks? Kam leaned against the bedroom wall, staring at the floor. She hadn’t expected to be welcomed with open arms but had hoped the worst was behind them. “The captain’s always been overly cautious,” she finally said. “What did my father say?”
“I didn’t see him. He was out of the guild.”
That was unusual. “Is something wrong?”
“I don’t think so. He may have stayed at home with your mother. This isn’t easy on your parents.”
No. Of course it wouldn’t be. Separation in elven families actually took a physical and emotional toll on all its members. She’d give a lot to see them, if only for a few minutes.
They talked a little longer before she thanked Barrott for trying, disconnected, and went in search of Seth to tell him the news. She found Caleb in the kitchen drinking tea. He reported the Lormarc cousins had just taken the portal to their office building. Kam grabbed a mug of coffee and followed.
Stepping into Seth’s elegant private office, she found him already on the phone with overseas buyers. Rhyden wasn’t around; presumably, he’d gone to his own office.
