Tsura took her hand again and gazed at Riley’s palm. “When I first met you, there were so many lines. It is the same now.” She touched her own palm to Riley’s.
Tsura jerked back, her eyes suddenly clouded over white. “He is coming, the hellhound of the traitorous Daughter of Fate. And more will follow. It is the beginning of war.”
Riley tried to free her hand, but it was as though it was stuck to Tsura’s with an unyielding glue.
Tsura’s voice rang out. “Bind to your fate, daughter, or all is lost.”
“Tsura!”
The clouds rolled out of Tsura’s eyes and she blinked. Her pupils had almost overtaken the irises. Tsura steadied herself and lifted her palm from Riley’s.
Riley rubbed her hand. It tingled still. “What was that?”
“A message. What did it say?” Tsura passed her hand over her eyes and massaged her temples.
“That he’s coming. But I’m not ready. Not even close.”
“I know.” Tsura’s voice was low. “What else?”
“That there was a traitor among the Daughters of Fate, and war was coming. And then …”
“What?”
“Bind to your fate.”
Tsura looked down at her hands. Riley followed her gaze to the hamsa. The design shifted, and she stood. “I must go. I will find out what I can, but I know no other way. Believe me, I’ve looked.” She held up her palm. It blinked again, and Tsura smiled. “Promise me you’ll cloak yourself, something more. My ring is powerful, but your power exceeds what I’ve known. It cannot be contained. And that is dangerous for everyone, especially you.”
Riley nodded. “Has no one ever survived their powers without immortality?”
Tsura shrugged. “No one has ever tried that I know. Farewell. Consider the second chance the Mórrígan gave you. It’s more than she’s ever offered.”
“How do you know?”
The whirlwind began. Tsura’s face was one of pain and sorrow that pricked at Riley’s heart. She caught the scent of orchids growing stronger in the purple and white vortex. Tsura stood in the middle of it and held up her hand.
“Because I too once had to answer her. Long ago.”
* * *
Riley stood there still and silent in her room.
Tsura had accepted immortality. But she may have wished otherwise. She must have. Riley thought of her family and friends. No, there was no way she could do that. But if it could save them?
A noise in the hall had her hurrying to the door, carrying both objects. Had he come?
Her heart was beating faster than she thought possible. A slight sheen of sweat came over her as a wave of nausea struck. She was going to be sick. She heard it again and swallowed back her fear and whatever her stomach wanted to push out. She had to be strong and smart if she was going to survive.
She eased open the door. Belle met her in the hall and followed after her, burping small bubbles of white light behind her.
With Belle’s bursts of light, Riley could see her mom standing in the hall with a piece of pipe clutched to her.
“Mom? What are you doing?” she hissed.
“I’m going down to check on the noise I heard.” Her mom didn’t seem to notice Belle.
“Me, too.” Riley held up the chisel. “You get behind me.”
“No, I’m the mother. You get behind me.” Her mom walked swiftly to the stairs and descended on tip toe, holding the pipe in one hand and gripping the railing in the other.
Riley located to the kitchen and stifled back a curse when her knee hit the dining table. She heard her mother drop the pipe in the hallway. Quickly, Riley raised the chisel above her head and hit the lights.
“Sam!” Her mom raced to him. “Thank God.”
Riley watched her parents embrace and looked away at the kiss.
“Riley.” Her father’s voice broke. “Come here.”
“Dad, what are you doing here?” Riley asked, after catching her breath and breaking away from her parents. She had been caught in a tight hug that her mom was still wrapping around her dad.
“Brown. I barely escaped him in the in-between at the apartment. I slowed him down, some. A day, maybe two, and he’ll come for you. I’ve done all I can do. Now it is up to us here.” He kissed the top of Riley’s head and rested his forehead against hers. “There’s little time. We have to gather the Order.”
Her dad saw the chisel and met Riley’s eyes.
“Where did you find the chisel of the gods?”
19
Her dad let the subject drop when she told him she and her grandpa found it in the library but promised they’d work with it after some rest. She didn’t mention Tsura or the Mórrígan. It would only worry him more. She had to take matters into her own hands.
He gave her a knowing look. “I’ll be back to talk to you and then go warn the Order. First, I need to explain some things to your mother.”
Riley’s anxiety rose. He was going to remove the spell. She knew that was what he meant. He looked pained. What her mother would do when she found out, Riley didn’t know.
Her dad looked haggard and exhausted. He took a deep breath and left with her mom.
Riley shimmered to the library as soon as they were gone. It was now or never to try and get Sean free.
The darkness was oppressive. She reached out, knowing her hand was shaking badly and felt for the dogs’ heads. Her fingers balked at the freezing metal, but she forced herself to find their open mouths. The purple stones of her ring sprang to life as soon as her hand found the teeth. Riley kept her left hand there and reared back with her right, gripping the chisel.
“Open to me,” she said and plunged the chisel in between the snarling teeth. The metal veneer boiled away as if acid were eating it. Underneath, misshapen stone bubbled out and fell to the floor. It shattered at her feet, separating into black grains of sand.
Riley pushed through the naked and scarred door. It must have been some black magic of Brown’s. She felt her way past the bookcases and the couch to the light switch. The lights sizzled to life, and Riley strained to see the wall where she had found Sean earlier.
She pressed her hand to the wall. Her fingers merged with the stone and she felt a faint pulsing.
Riley repeated the verse she’d used before, saying the last line loudly a second time. “When blood and wine run red.”
The wall opened, shifting into a corridor, and she stepped in. She walked toward the lights, following them to an alcove. Sean stood there, eyes closed. He looked the same as he had on the balcony, except the blood on his head was dried and his chest was bruised. She reached out to touch him and recoiled at the coldness of his skin. His eyes barely opened.
“Riley,” he whispered, “you should not have come here again. He’ll be here soon. I barely escaped him.”
“You are coming with me this time, Sean, whether you want to or not.”
Riley flattened herself to him, flinching at the cold that penetrated through her clothes. She willed herself calm and composed and eased her hands under his back. She fastened her hands together behind him and shimmered, locating to Aileen’s shop while concentrating on his body with all her mind.
She almost buckled under his weight. As they landed, she strained to keep upright and groped behind her in the darkness, feeling for the counter at Aileen’s shop.
“Aileen!” Riley screamed as loud as she could. Silence. She shimmered again and stumbled, keeping her arms locked around Sean’s body. He slipped down, and Riley struggled to stand as she was dragged forward with him. She screamed for Aileen and caught Sean’s head before it hit the cobbled floor of the kitchen. She lowered him gently down the rest of the way and kneeled beside him.
“Sean, say something!” Riley felt his forehead and his eyes fluttered at her touch.
“My love.” He groaned, and his eyes rolled back.
“Sean!”
Her heart was racing. It took all her strength to stay steady on her knees. S
omeone’s hands gripped her arms and hauled her to her feet. There were brilliantly colored lights all around her and deep blue rays shining on Sean’s pale chest.
“She’s near gone herself.”
Riley heard Aileen’s voice and smiled.
“I’m not gone, not near. I am just tired is all, tired and so thirsty.”
“Here you go.” She felt the cool glass at her lips. She drank and asked for more.
Aileen pressed the glass to her mouth again, and Riley took it in her hands. She drained it and handed it back.
Eric put his hand on her shoulder. “You’ve done well, Miss.”
“I’m glad you’re here,” she said. “I’m so tired.”
“Come on, Miss. It’s to the couch for you.”
“What about poor Sean? Is he dead?” Riley tried to concentrate on the blue light and winced at its brilliance. “I don’t want him to be dead.”
“He’s not dead,” Eric said, and Riley saw him grimace. “Yet,” he added and guided her to the living room.
She could smell something that reminded her of burnt stuffing. “What is that scent? Mom is upset.”
“Sage. Mum burns it in here sometimes.” Eric pushed her down on the couch and lifted her legs.
“I know. Mom too.” She lay unmoving, wondering how she would tell her grandpa that she had found Sean and let him die.
“I’m a bad granddaughter, Eric.” She sniffed and looked up at him looming over her.
“Now, that isn’t true.” He nudged her head onto the pillow.
“It is true. I’ve let him down.” She closed her eyes, giving in to their pull, and felt Eric brush her hair off her face. “I should have chosen differently.”
“Quite the opposite, Miss. You’re amazing.” He patted her shoulder. “And you always will choose what is best.”
Riley smiled and snuggled into the warmth of a thick blanket. “You’re so good, Eric. So good.”
She couldn’t keep her eyes from closing. It was too hard. She just needed a little rest.
When she woke, the sun was streaming weakly in from high windows. Eric was asleep in front of her, sitting on the floor with his back against the couch and his arms crossed. She blinked and rubbed at her eyes.
“Oh, my gosh!” Riley bolted into sitting position, jarring Eric awake.
“What is it?”
“What time is it?” Riley threw the blanket off and plunged against the couch when the blanket tripped her. “Oof. I have to meet the Order. Dad went to gather them all.”
Eric pointed to the clock on the brocaded wall to their left. “It’s only seven. Most of the Order is here with you anyway.”
“I’ve got to get back.” Memories of the night before flooded in. “Brown is coming. Where’s Sean? Is he …”
“No, not dead.” Eric got up and held out his hand to her. “He’s in my room upstairs. Do you want to go see him?”
Riley double-checked the clock. “Yes.”
“What do you plan to do with him now?” Eric put his arm around her as she teetered near the doorway.
“I have to show Grandpa that I found him.” She put a hand out against the framing and waited for the slight blurring to pass. “It’s weird, isn’t it? He’s still young, and Grandpa’s old. I mean, how does that work?”
“Remember how I told you stone was slow? I would guess that he’s aged very little since Carter last saw him, in body that is. I don’t know what being held in such stasis would do to the mind.”
Riley wondered that herself.
“He recognized me.” She felt herself blushing.
“I know. Yours is a face not soon forgotten.” He cleared his throat. “To him it’s probably like yesterday when you were together.”
Eric dropped his arm from her waist. She remembered what he had said in the hospital.
“Eric, I ...”
“You will kiss him.” He flexed his fingers. “I knew that yesterday just as I knew I would kiss you in the car. It’s an inevitability, really.”
“Is it?”
“Yes, and then you must choose. I refuse to look for that. I find that I don’t want to inquire that far, for fear of the outcome.” Eric brought his fist to his heart. “Poor constitution, you know.”
“Oh, Eric.” Riley clutched at her own heart.
“I’m going to kiss you now. Just in case. I’m a bird in the hand kind of guy.” He closed the distance between them.
His head bent, and he grazed her lips with a feathery touch. He whispered her name and pressed himself to her. She could feel the chair railing as her back met the wall beside the door. Her mouth opened against the pressure, and she tasted salt as warm tears stole in between their lips.
“Choose me, Riley.” Eric ran a hand through her hair and down her neck. His fingertips brushed across her shoulder, and he gripped the back of her head, tilting her mouth and teasing his lips across hers. “I’ll not let you regret it.”
He broke away from her, holding her hand, and led her up the stairs to his room. The door was ajar. He knocked, rapping his knuckles on the interior frame. William looked up from the bedside where his hands hovered over Sean’s face.
“Morning, girl. That’s some powerful magic you worked last night, or rather this morning.” He continued to move his hands over Sean. “How do you feel?”
“Fine. How is he?” Riley’s eyes rested on the two bright spots on Sean’s cheeks.
“Can’t tell. He won’t respond to me.” William picked up Sean’s left wrist and checked the pulse with his watch. “Aileen thought you could try.”
A look passed between father and son, and Eric sighed.
“Give it a go. It can’t hurt,” he said and passed a hand over his own chest.
Riley perched on the bed and leaned over Sean. “Sean, can you hear me?”
“I think I saw his eyes move under there.” William pointed to the purple lids. “Try again.”
What could she say? Riley thought back to the journal and the stories her grandpa had told her. She twisted her hands in her lap. “Finan the Brave would not sleep when his keep was in danger.”
“What are you on about, girl?” William looked puzzled.
“Sean.” Riley took his hand. “Finan, I need you to wake up. Smaed is waiting for you to wake up.”
She didn’t know why she’d said it, but she smiled as his eyelids fluttered. William gestured for her to continue.
“Smaed needs your help, Finan. It’s been a long time.” Riley felt his fingers wiggle in her hand. “Sean, Sean.”
His lips parted and his voice came out low and grave. “Maiden.”
“Get your mother, son. Tell her to bring some broth and whiskey.” William put his hands back over Sean’s chest. and Riley saw the blue light radiating from them.
Sean’s eyes opened slowly. “My maiden of mist. I knew you would free me.”
He licked his lips and tried to sit up.
“Just lie there, son,” William said. “The maiden’s not going. You need to rest. Doesn’t he, Riley?”
“Let him help you, Sean.” Riley bit her lip. “You need to rest now.”
“I’m going to get Smaed,” he said and propped up on his elbows.
William pushed him back down, and Riley noticed the flare of darkened colors that lifted off Sean’s body.
“Sean, he’s helping you,” Riley said. She watched the prism subside into a weak glimmer. Sean’s eyes closed, and he fell back against the pillow.
“He’s as powerful as your dad, this one. Old magic in his veins.” William picked up a bottle on the nightstand and took out a dropper of liquid. He let it drip slowly onto Sean’s chest and gave her a sideways glance, “Though not near as powerful as you are, nor half what you will become.”
“What do you mean?” Did he know something? Riley shifted on the bed, releasing Sean’s hand. He moaned and reached out.
“He seems to need you. Take his hand. He’s too restless otherwise.” William put a cool hand
over hers. “I have an idea.”
He lifted their hands over Sean’s chest with his on top. “Concentrate with me, girl. Think of helping Sean, inside out. Can you think it?”
“Yes, now what?” Out of the corner of her eye, Riley saw Aileen and Eric come in. Eric was carrying a crystal bottle of deep amber liquid. Aileen brought over a tray of steaming broth and set it on the nightstand beside the various bottles.
William didn’t seem to notice that they’d come in. His stare was fixed on Sean’s face.
“Send him your energy to be well. Fill up his chest and mind with it.” William’s eyes didn’t waver or blink.
Riley watched the steady stream of blue emanating from Williams hands and tried to conjure the same light. She looked at her hands, the one caught in between Sean’s and William’s and the one unsteadily hovering over Sean’s body. She could feel her palms warming, a pleasant heat flowing to and through her fingertips and down as she directed her energy to Sean.
“That’s it, girl. Think him well.”
Eric crossed his arms and then came up behind her and added his hands over her arms. Riley relaxed her back against Eric’s chest. His heart’s steady rhythm pounded into her. Aileen fixed her eyes on Riley’s face and placed her own bejeweled fingers on William’s hand.
Aileen’s voice floated to Riley as though from a long distance. “As it should, so mote it be.”
20
Her father had not come back as promised. Riley located to the hospital, looking for him, but her mom was there alone with her grandpa. Riley felt a growing anxiety, wishing she knew where her dad was. Could she find him now? Should she, with Brown seeking them out?
“He’s waking up.” Her mom’s voice startled her out of her thoughts.
“Riley, darling.” Her grandpa held out his hand to her. The oxygen in his nose made him sound strange.
“Grandpa, are you okay?”
The tubes and lines hooked to him moved with him as he patted her hand.
“Old physician here has me eating wafers and water, but other than an empty belly, I’m fair enough.”
Shadows and Sorcery: A Collection of Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance Novels Page 252
