I sat back down in my yoga meditation position and closed my eyes, trying to relax my brain. Maybe some brilliant option would come to me and help me make it out of this thing alive. At least till sunrise. All bets were off after that. If I won this race to dawn, I figured my life wouldn't be worth a plug nickel in Faerie. No way would the Erlking let me live. But as long as he honored his pledge, my work would be done. I was okay with that.
I just wished I'd gotten a chance to say goodbye to Jed one last time.
The guards started making a lot of noise. Figuring that they were just trying to break my meditation, I kept my eyes closed.
When they started screaming, I peeked.
There was a girl in the room now, human as far as I could tell, and totally kicking faerie butt. So much for this realm not knowing about Martial Arts. She was a pro. The guards were big, muscular men, old-time blacksmith big, and she was a slender girl that looked to be in her late teens.
I watched as she stalked the last guard. Three were down before I looked, obviously the source of the screams I had heard. One wasn't moving, and I really didn't think it was a Fae sleeping spell either. The other two were moving, but I didn't think they would serve as a problem for her. Something about their limbs and all the blood coming from them made me pretty certain.
The girl tilted her head looking at the guard and motioned to the box. "You have two choices." Her voice was soft but very, very firm. "You can open the box and switch places with her, or you can go the way of him." She jerked her head toward the Fae on the floor. The one that wasn’t moving.
She turned and for the first time, I noticed the long dagger she was holding. Gulping, I realized the red stuff dripping from the blade must have come from the first Fae to drop.
"I-I can't," the guard gushed, pure panic making him stutter. "He's got it rigged so's only he can open it." The big man was shaking, staring at the lethal blade. "Please don't kill me, Steele. I mean, we've always been friends, right?"
She laughed. A high sweet laugh totally out of place in this situation. "When was the last time a Seelie Royal Guard had a friend in the Unseelie Court?"
He gulped. "Okay, so not friends. But I've done no harm to you or yours." He glanced frantically at me as if I would intervene on his behalf. He was out of luck there. I was backing Steele, whoever the hell she was. All I knew was that she wanted me out of the box, and that sounded good to me.
Wait a minute, she had said Seelie Royal Guard? I smiled. Looked like Titania, for all her manipulations, was still pulling for me. I would have felt better if she'd sent her army, but then again maybe this girl was her army.
As I watched, the last guard backed into a steel cage in the far corner of the room, begging the whole way. "He'll torture me for letting you take her."
All I could see was her back as she backed him into the cage and slammed the door shut. "Die now or torture later. Your choice."
The guard hesitated but sat down in the middle of the cell. She glanced once around at the other guards to make sure they were adequately out of commission, then headed toward me. As she walked, she drew the sword that was sheathed at her belt. An honest to goodness sword. I gulped when she raised it over her head and brought it down against the glass.
I really, really hoped she was on my side.
When the steel blade hit the spelled cell, the glass shattered into a thousand pieces. Maybe more, but I wasn't stopping to count them. I felt so much better once she'd sheathed the sword. She kept the dagger in her hand, though.
"Have they seen you in wolf form yet?" she asked.
"Just the Erlking."
She nodded. "Then change. I've been known to befriend a wolf or two, so it shouldn't cause too much of a stir if I'm seen with one. Especially once we get out of the courtyard."
I had a million and one questions for her, but the look she was giving me said that now wasn't the time. I agreed. Later would be better. Maybe over coffee back in my realm. Yeah, that sounded about right. I shucked my jeans and under clothes, planning to leave the shirt on.
"Shirt off."
I looked at her and she snarled. "I'm no lover of women, but wolves in Faerie don't wear clothes."
Oh yeah, good point. The shirt came off, easier to do before the change, and I went furry.
I started for the door, but she grabbed my fur as I passed her. "No. Follow me."
She loped past the caged guard and pushed a trunk under a window. Then reached up and opened it. She looked back at me with a question in her eyes.
Even if we were in the upper dungeon level, that window was pretty high. I swallowed, then gave a doggy nod. She levered herself through it, and I leaped. Using the trunk as a springboard, I made it. At least my front paws did. Luckily, she was ready for me and helped pull me through.
I thought we would take off running, so I bunched my muscles to dart to the nearby woods. Once again, a hand in my fur stopped me. I twisted my neck to see her face. When you're a wolf even an average size person is tall.
She knelt beside me and spoke softly in my ear. "We don't want to draw attention. I'm good, but even I can't fight off the entire Unseelie Court. There are nasty things here." She looked deep into my eyes. "Do you understand?"
I chuffed. If she's used to wolves, she would know that means yes.
"Good. Just follow my lead, and we might make it out of this alive yet." Sounded good to me.
The window had opened to the back part of the castle. Luckily it wasn't populated at the time we popped out the window. We were a good walking distance to the woods, but she didn't take a straight path. Instead, she actually headed out into the main courtyard. I was beginning to have doubts about the wisdom of following her. Every fiber of my being screamed to run for the woods.
And yet I followed her. Just your average faerie butt kicking Royal Guard and her wolf. That was us.
In the middle of the Seelie courtyard, there had been the graceful, if imposing, mermaid fountain. Here the flair was definitely more masculine. Neptune himself reared from the water, trident raised as if to strike those passing by. In his other hand, he held a staff leveled out to cover his other side, much like he was in the midst of a fierce battle. The fear-inspiring expression on the statue's face echoed that conclusion.
The girl led me past the fountain. I was amazed they couldn't hear my heart beating its frantic rhythm. If we didn't get to those trees soon, it just might burst from over exertion. Especially when the girl stopped and actually talked with someone. Hello, wolf with a price on her head here.
I settled for a whine, which got me a sharp look.
"We'll go hunting later for your supper, you can't be that hungry yet." She glanced back to the person she had stopped for. "Tell his Majesty I regretfully decline his offer to join the Hunt tonight. Queen Titania has me and Bess here on an urgent errand for her."
The man laughed. "The queen has a taste for rabbit, does she?"
The girl grinned. "Something like that."
"It's not like you've ever taken him up on the offer before."
"But it still doesn't stop him from asking now does it?" she asked.
"He's determined to win you to the Unseelie side sooner or later. You impress him. And that is a feat not many can boast of."
"I am honored," the girl said. "But my loyalty lies with Queen Titania as yet." She shrugged. "Who knows what the future may bring?"
"Times are a changing. That is for certain."
She turned from the man and spoke over her shoulder. "A good day to you and yours, Tingle."
He nodded. "And to you and Bess there. Happy hunting."
I've never been so glad to be moving again in my life. My ears were perked listening for shouts of outrage, but they hadn't noticed I was missing yet. I wanted to be far, far away when they did.
We finally reached the trees and with a few steps more, were cut off from the sight of the courtyard. The girl looked down at me and gave me the nod.
"Try to keep up," she s
aid, and then she started running.
At first, I thought she was just spouting bravado, but then I realized she meant it. I'm faster on four legs than two, but this girl was outdistancing me. Pulling away even. My wolfy pride at stake, I pulled speed from my sadly lacking energy reserve. I was really grateful for the time I'd spent limbering up. Still, it was all I could do just to keep up with her. Which was okay.
After all, of the two of us, she was the only one who knew where we were going.
Chapter 22
WE HAD RUN ABOUT TWO miles on a zigzag pathway when the air seemed to flash around us. I hesitated, and she pulled away again, still running. I followed.
It wasn't long before I started noticing the differences. The air was much cooler, and the grass wasn't nearly so green. Even the breeze had a different feel to it. Another half mile and the girl stepped off the pathway we had been running and stopped in a small clearing.
Pulling my discarded clothes from her pack, she threw them at me. Hey, wolf here. No hands.
"Change back," she said. "I'm going to go cover our trail." She pulled a pouch out of her pack and took off back the way we had come.
Once I was in my clothes, I started noticing other things as well. We weren't in Faerie anymore.
I was home.
Of course, I hadn't had my cell phone on me when the Erlking had pulled me through to his world, so I had no way of letting the pack know. I planned to rectify that as soon as I found a phone booth. If they even still had them around. Thinking about it, I couldn't remember the last time I'd seen one.
Which really didn't matter, since I didn't know precisely where we were. I mean with the loopy loop time and space thing we could be in California for all I knew.
Not long after I changed, she returned. "Good, I really didn't want to see you naked for the second time today. It just doesn't do anything for me."
Good thing. I'm not sure I could fend her off. And how would I explain that one to Jed?
I smiled at her. "Thank you," I said.
"Thank the queen. She's the one who sent me."
"Maybe you could thank her for me? I don't plan on going back to the land of Fae. Ever." Of course, there were still days left to my pledge, so I could thank her in my dreams.
"Here is hoping your plans work out," she said. "By the way, I am called Steele. I command the humans in Queen Titania's Royal Guard."
"Well, thank you, Steele. The queen may have ordered it, but you are the one who got me out." I grinned. "You totally kicked faerie ass back there. Impressive."
Her head tilted as she looked at me. "I don't recall kicking them in their posteriors."
"It's a figure of speech. It means you... well, you were very good at beating them."
She gave a silent nod.
"Can you tell me where we are?" I asked.
"Not far from your mate's home. We used the same gate you entered Faerie by." She picked up her pack. "Come."
I was following her again. Now that I knew the area, I started seeing things I recognized. We were in a park on the outskirts of town. Probably two miles from Jed's. A glance at my watch told me it was mid-afternoon. A busy day. I wasn't sure I was up to another two-mile run.
"Look, if I remember right, there's a building over there." I pointed. "With a telephone. I can call my pack and they will come for us."
She looked at me with her eyebrow raised. Probably saw my request as a weakness, but so be it. If it got me in a car, or better yet back in the haven of Jed's arms sooner, that was fine by me. Finally, she nodded.
"You need to be on the move. Prepare for the Hunt," she said.
"The Hunt?" I swallowed. "It's still on? But I'm home."
"That matters not to the Erlking. I heard he made a wager with you." Steele smiled. "A pretty impressive feat in itself, getting the Erlking to make such a bet."
"The Hunt will come here?"
She nodded. "Oh yes. Your realm used to be the king's favorite place to hunt. That has changed in the last few generations. But this last week the king has revisited your world and greatly admired what he found. Your wager was a good one. I wish you luck and Godspeed."
She turned to go.
"We could use you, you know." There, I said it. It's not easy for me to ask for help.
Steele looked over her shoulder at me. "I know, but I am bound by the queen's orders." She paused. "For the time."
There was so much I wanted to ask her, but my time was running short. Only a few hours of daylight left. The Wild Hunt would start at sunset. It always did.
"Any hints for surviving the night?" I asked.
She turned to face me again. "Run. Run fast." She hesitated a moment then pulled her dagger and handed it to me. I was glad to see she had at least wiped the blade. "And be sure to carry iron. Lots of iron."
I made my way to the phone and called Jed's cell phone. Within minutes of my call, his Nova pulled up beside me.
He jumped out and ran over, lifting me off the ground in a fierce hug.
"Never, ever, scare me like that again." Gee, did that mean I shouldn't tell him I was the prey for tonight's Wild Hunt?
He finally eased up, and I could breathe again. "He took you to Faerie, didn't he?"
I nodded. All the day's events past, present, and future came crashing down on me. I wasn't capable of talking.
He took a close look at my face and loaded me into the car. Once he was settled behind the wheel, he glanced over at me. "I've got the others checked into a hotel, the biggest one in the area. I'm hoping for safety by numbers." He hesitated. "If I don't take you there for a pack meeting, we'll never hear the end of it, you know."
All I could do was nod. There was a lot I had to tell them. But first I wanted time with Jed. Alone.
"Wherever it is, take the long way, okay?" I asked, scooting across the bench seat to snuggle into his side. There was something to be said for good old-fashioned bench seats. He took one hand off the wheel and put his arm around my shoulders. I was grateful the Nova was an automatic. It meant the arm could stay there all the way.
We drew up in front of the Holiday Inn and Jed found a parking space. I took a deep breath and got out. I really wasn't looking forward to telling the pack about my plans for the evening.
When we walked into the room, everyone had to hug me. Even the pups needed to touch me, to feel me there and safe. I should have known my mate would not have forgotten them. It made my news even harder to bear. In the end, I just told them.
Maybe I'd expected clothes rending and gnashing of teeth, but what I got was calmness. It was refreshing but totally weird.
"You all did hear what I said, right? The Wild Hunt. Lead by the freak known as the Erlking?"
Rose seemed almost distracted. "Yes dear, we all know about the legendary hunt." She paused. "Did the Erlking honestly swear to stay out of our realm if you lived until sunrise?"
That was the part she was focusing on?
"Yes, but it's that IF part that has me worried," I said.
She smiled at me. "Well, whatever happens, we'll face it together. Like a pack should."
Huh? No way. I shook my head. "Absolutely not. The Erlking's hunt is coming for me, not any of you. I want you as far away from me as possible tonight."
Jed looked up from the map that he and MacDougal were pouring over. "Sorry, love, but that's not going to happen. Think about it. All the Erlking would have to do to get you to surrender to him would be to find any one of us and offer a trade. You'd come running to give yourself up."
I stared at him. He was right. My whole pack was in grave danger because of me. I shouldn't have goaded the Erlking. If he hadn't made the wager, he might have called off the Hunt. I could handle the thought of me not surviving the night. I couldn't handle the thought of the Erlking wiping out my entire pack just to get to me.
"So, what do we do?" I asked, deliberately not looking at Rose. Of all of us, she was the least able to run.
"We survive until dawn. Together,"
he said. "MacDougal and I have a plan."
Heaven help us. The fate of the pack rested on a leprechaun's plan.
Chapter 23
THE PLAN WAS SIMPLE and consisted of three basic parts. Part one was run. Part two was hide. And part three was to carry lots of iron in case parts one and two failed. For once we were glad that Jed was still technically an agent of the Luparii. That meant he could cover our scent. According to MacDougal, that was how the Hunt found its prey. In theory, if he couldn't smell us, he wouldn't be able to find us.
Also, since my grand escape back to my home dimension, he would be looking for us here. So, aided with the map and the help of our two resident faeries, we were crossing the gate back to Faerie when the sun set. If our plan worked, not only would the king not be able to sniff us out, he'd be looking in entirely the wrong world altogether. As desperate plans go, it was a good one.
We decided to leave the dogs with our friendly emergency vet. Turned out he also ran a kennel. That gave us a little easier feeling about leaving them. If the worst happened and we didn't make it back, we knew he would find good homes for all of them. Rebel wasn't at all happy about being left behind, but Jed had a long man to man-wolf talk with him.
The primary point of the talk was that the male's utmost priority was to his mate and children. Seems like I'd heard that before. Rebel still wasn't happy, but at least he understood.
After packing, we all took naps—or at least tried to. I, for one, couldn't sleep to save my soul. I just wished I could move the clock ahead about fourteen hours and see how the story ended. Leaving out the middle sounded like a really good idea.
MacDougal had suggested using the gate we'd closed by my cabin. The Erlking knew we had closed it, so for sure, it wouldn't be the one he planned to come through. Our plan—and lives—would be over if we passed him on the way to Faerie. Jed and I dug up the iron bars and as the sun lowered past the horizon, Shaylee opened the gate. A shimmer of light was all that told us we had passed into the Faerie Realm.
Sister's Keepers Page 14
