Armed with her approval, I stood and waited while she opened the door and called for Zed and Elan. Following them, I headed down the hall, toward the throne room.
THE THRONE ROOM of UnderBarrow hadn’t changed much since it had first been built, from what Tam told me. So large you couldn’t see from one end to another, the ceiling was so high that it was out of sight at the top of the dome. The walls were illuminated with flickering lights that emanated from behind the crystal-like surfaces. Benches and tables had been artfully scattered around the chamber, never impeding sightlines to the throne, and no chair sat higher than either throne at the center of the room.
Our thrones had been carved out of black marble, every square inch etched with intricate carvings. Ivy and holly grew up around the thrones, trimmed back to allow access to the steps leading up to them. Around my throne, crimson roses grew as well, with wicked thorns that drew blood at the slightest touch. The backs of both thrones rose well overhead, and crystals that looked very much like icicles interspersed with silver spines to form a halo that stretched in a semi-circle over the top of both seats.
Tam was already seated on his throne, dressed in the colors of UnderBarrow. With his tumbling hair and his piercing gaze, he cut a fine figure and if I hadn’t already been married to him, I would have fallen in love all over again.
Zed and Elan walked a step behind me, their hands on their blades, always prepared. As I approached my throne—which sat next to Tam’s—he stood, waiting for me. I knelt briefly in front of him before he held out his hand and guided me as I ascended the stairs to my seat. I sat down and he followed.
Once I was seated, Tam looked over at me. “Are you ready, love?”
I situated myself, making sure I was comfortable.
“As ready as I ever am,” I said, smiling.
The first couple years, learning how to greet and receive visitors with just the right balance of friendliness and regality had stymied me, but I had it down now, and the sense that I belonged in Tam’s world had grown. Fewer complaints were heard about the “upstart queen,” and Tam assured me in another twenty or thirty years, people would rail behind me, not because it was their duty, but out of love. I wasn’t exactly betting against him, but I’d believe it when I saw it.
When we were properly situated, Tam signaled to Zed, who motioned to the Herald-in-Arms, whose job it was to announce everyone who entered the throne room for an audience. A side door opened and in walked a scruffy band of travelers. They had cleaned up, that much I could tell, but they looked weary and out of hope.
They approached the throne. There were five of them, two men, two women, and a teenaged girl. By their looks, I guessed they were a family. The older man and woman looked about the same age, and the younger woman looked a lot like them. The girl, however, looked like the younger man.
They knelt and I could almost hear their sighs.
“His Majesty, Lord Tam of UnderBarrow of the Winter Court, and Her Majesty, Lady Kaeleen the Fury of UnderBarrow of the Winter Court, may I present Elizabeth and Argent Kenner, their daughter Maribel and her husband Shaun, and their daughter, Trina. They have come from the ghost city.”
They waited, still kneeling, till Tam leaned forward.
“You may rise.”
As they stood, looking up at us, I could see the dust in their eyes, the wariness that seemed to be permanently affixed to their faces. I wondered how long they had been on the road, and how they had managed to survive in Seattle for the eight years since the city fell.
“What brings you to Willow Wood?” Tam asked, motioning to one of the servants. “Bring them something to sit on.”
As soon as they were seated on a long bench, the man—Argent—spoke first.
“Your Majesty…Majesties, thank you for receiving us.” He looked anything but grateful, but I attributed that to a hard journey. “We’ve come from Seattle, yes. We were living there but it’s grown so dangerous that we finally decided to leave. But I have news for you, if you would let us stay here and see how we get on.”
Bargaining. It was a common tactic. The exchange of information to secure a place to stay, for at least a few nights. We had seen many come through trying the same. Some we allowed to stay—for good or for a rest. Others we passed on, immediately escorting them outside of our borders. Those were usually the ones who felt dangerous or sketchy.
Tam stared at Argent for a moment, then he said, “We will hear what you have to say. You may stay on a trial basis for two weeks. If you get along and agree to the rules, then we’ll see about adding you permanently to our village. If not, then we’ll send you on your way with a few days’ rations.”
I trusted Tam’s judgment. He was exceptionally good at reading people.
Argent took a deep breath and let it out slowly. I could hear the whistle of air from where I sat. It looked like a hundred pounds just fell off his shoulders.
“Thank you. We appreciate it. I’m leery of traveling through the woods, and none of us know how to fight effectively.”
That I didn’t believe, but shook it off. We heard the same from just about anybody who had come to stay. They didn’t want us to know they could fight, probably out of self-preservation. But it didn’t matter. If they messed up, we had the guards to take care of them.
“What information do you bring us, then?”
Argent nodded to Elizabeth, who gave him a firm smile. She turned to us.
“We were on our way out of Seattle when a group of zombies attacked us. We hid in a staircase that led into a basement. It must have belonged to an old pharmacy, because there was a treasure trove of medications there. Bandages, pills, liquids, just about everything you could want for. I had a padlock with me, so when we managed to escape, I locked the door and marked it with my symbol. It’s on the northern side, near the Tremble. I can’t guarantee anybody else hasn’t found it, but it’s in a heavily infested part of the city so I doubt many people are looking around there.”
I blinked. We could stand to stockpile medical supplies, especially as we were still trying to get our hospital up and running. The healers had worked overtime on developing enough salves and tinctures and powders to cope with the most common afflictions, but we were still a ways from feeling secure in our ability to treat a number of conditions.
But I had learned. I didn’t display any feelings one way or another, simply nodded to her and asked, “You say the zombie hordes are still running through the city?”
Elizabeth nodded, shuddering. “It’s bad. Disease is rampant. For those who live, there aren’t any medics or health clinics to go to. So if somebody catches something infectious, it will spread. The ghosts are thick, and they manifest day and night. And at night, the ghouls come out in packs. Bog-dogs have bred themselves silly, and are found in all parts of the city now. I gather down by the actual Bogs it’s even worse.” She paused, then added, “You might as well know now—you’ll find out soon enough. My granddaughter is a Theosian.”
My gaze flickered to the girl. The teen looked just as weary as the adults, if not worse. In her eyes I saw despair, and that she was so young and feeling so hopeless made my heart ache.
“Are you bound to a god?” I asked.
She shook her head. “No, I was supposed to go before the gods when I was five, but the tsunami came and the world changed.”
I glanced at her mother, Maribel. “You realize if you stay, you’ll be required to submit her to Gudarheim for testing, to discover which god she’s to be bound with? I’m Theosian. I’m bound to Hecate.”
Maribel, the mother of the teenager, nodded. “That’s why we came here. Before Seattle fell, I heard of you. Fury, the Abomination chaser. When we learned that you were ruling over Willow Wood, we decided to come here. There are a number of people blaming the Theosians for causing the second World Shift, and we were afraid of ending up in a place where they might try to take her from us and…” She stopped, biting her tongue as she
held my gaze.
I could read the unspoken words on her face. If people were blaming Theosians for the World Shift, chances were they’d be looking for a sacrificial goat. And a young teen not bound to any god or goddess yet made an easy target and an even easier victim.
Turning to Tam, I whispered, “Call Jeffie. She can take them to clean up and rest, and ask her to set up an appointment for them at Gudarheim for the girl.”
He nodded. “Yes, they need food and rest and some peace.”
Straightening up, Tam motioned to Zed. “Call for Jeffie.”
He turned to our visitors. “We’ll provide you lodgings where you can rest and eat. We’ll contact the gods who are living near UnderBarrow and they will send for your daughter and test her. Rest your fears for now. You are safe here. But,” he said sternly, leaning forward again. “Make sure you follow the rules. Do not break them. We are friendly and generous to our people and our guests, but one step over the line—especially deliberate—and we won’t hesitate to send you packing. Understand?”
It sounded harsh, but the world was a harsh place and growing more so, and we had dealt with would-be upstarts in the past who had tried to test our patience and our hospitality.
But if our guests took offense, they showed no sign. Argent simply bowed his head and said, “As you will, Your Majesty. We’ll do our best to fit in and mind our manners.”
Zed returned with Jeffie, a lovely Fae woman who looked like a summer maid, but fought like a seasoned warrior. She led them out, chatting with them brightly. As soon as they were gone, Tam motioned to Zed.
“Is there anything urgent on the calendar today? If nothing requires immediate attention, we’ll dismiss court and meet you in the Council Chambers.”
Zed shook his head. “No, Your Majesty. A few cases, but they aren’t immediate.”
“Then summon Damh Varias and the Sea-Council to meet in the Blue room in an hour’s time. Her Majesty and I will be there in a while.” Tam rose, and held out his hand to me. As I took it, standing, the guards left in the room knelt. Followed by Elan and a couple of the other guards, we headed back to our chambers, remaining silent until we were behind closed doors.
As Elan left, shutting the door behind us, I turned to Tam.
“What do you think? Is it worth a trip to Seattle? We could use the supplies. We’re badly in need of some of the things we still haven’t managed to formulate yet.”
We had lost several patients due to our inability to process certain medications and treatments. So much had been interwoven with the big corporations who manufactured necessities of life. We could grow our own food and make our own tools and clothing, but there were some things that required functioning technology, and the techno-mages hadn’t been able to figure out how to compensate for those things yet. Open heart surgery was once again a dangerous procedure, though Tam’s healers were helping the medics who had joined us from Seattle to learn new ways of operating.
“I don’t like the idea of going. The city has fallen so far, so fast, that I consider it more dangerous than the Tremble.” Tam paced the length of the room, looking grave. “I won’t argue that we don’t need those supplies, but at what cost? We haven’t been to Seattle in over a year and the last time we lost two people.”
He was right on that count. The last time we sent a scouting expedition to Seattle, they had come home broken and bruised, missing two of the party. Unfortunately, there was no chance of rescuing the two who were left behind. They had gone down under a horde of zombies and if they hadn’t been lost in a carnivorous binge, they would have been turned. But if we went in knowing exactly what we were facing, it might actually be worth the chance.
“Last time, we just sent a regular salvage party.” I sat down at the table, leaning on my elbows as I thought it through. “What if we went in fully prepared?”
“Fully prepared as in how?” Tam cocked his head.
“Remember when we first arrived here? We went back there for a major salvage and Thor took us in his chariot. What better way to return than to do that again? If Thor were to accompany us, we’d all be much safer. We could take warriors. The last scouting party we sent was made up of a small group of salvage hunters with a few guards. Plus, this time, we’d go in knowing what we were looking for and where the supplies were, so we wouldn’t have to worry about hunting around the city. If we go fully armed and convince Thor to go with us, I think we stand a damn good chance of coming out of it unscathed. Also, since the ghouls are running in packs, we go in at dawn and get out before dusk.” I was getting more excited by the moment. “It would work. I know it.”
Tam worried his lip. “It makes sense. But you said ‘we.’ Surely you aren’t thinking of going?”
I knew I had an argument ahead of me. “Listen. I know I’m the queen, but I’m also the best Abomination hunter out there. And chances are, in addition to the zombies and ghouls, Seattle’s overrun with Aboms since I haven’t been down there to stop them for the past eight years. They’re going to need for me to come along.” I paused, then added, “Besides, I want to see… I had a dream about the Tremble last night.”
“Oh no, you’re not going to the Tremble!” Tam’s eyes flashed. “I will not allow it.”
I twisted my lips, wondering how much to fight him on this. I didn’t think he was going to budge but merely said, “Let’s wait till the Sea-Council meets and see what they think.”
He sputtered, but then moodily shrugged off the conversation when Zed entered the room again.
“Your Majesties, we have more visitors.” The look on his face alarmed me.
“What’s wrong?”
“It’s…Tigra, Your Majesty. Tigra and a few of her party have returned from their journey. They’re back.”
I stared at him. Tigra was back? After five years, she had returned. Tam sat down beside me, looking as astonished as I felt.
“Show her in, please,” I said, hoping that the answers to a lot of our questions would be laid to rest now that the weretiger had returned home.
Chapter 4
TIGRA WAS A weretiger. Before the second World Shift, she had worked as a member of Lightning Strikes, a multi-governmental organization aimed at monitoring the weather for any indications of magical meddling.
After the tsunami had wiped out Seattle, she had set off with a group of explorers to find out exactly what was left of the American Corporatocracy. As the years passed and we heard no word from them, I had reluctantly assumed they had been waylaid and killed. I liked Tigra and had tried not to dwell on the idea that she was gone forever. Her brother Carson lived in UnderBarrow, working with the techno-mages.
I slowly stood up, pressing my hand to my stomach. What would she be like now, after all this time? What would she have found out there?
“I’ll bring them in after they’ve had a chance to clean up. But the other members of the council are here.” Zed opened the door to usher them in. Other than Tam, Elan, and me, the Sea-Council consisted of Jason, Laren, Elan’s twin brother; Hans and Greta; Kendall, a Theosian pledged to Athena; Tyrell, a Theosian bound to the Dagda; and Sarinka, a healer. Damh Varias joined us, as well.
As they entered the room and took their places, Jason was looking gloomy. He went into periods where he was withdrawn and quiet. Elan and I both knew it was from his time lost in the realm of Chaos, but he wasn’t always easy to deal with during these times. As the years passed, though, he seemed to experience them less and less and I hoped that one day they’d fully go away. His hair was drawn back in a neat braid now, and he was neatly dressed, so at least it wasn’t bad. He took a chair next to Elan.
When everybody was in place, Zed closed the door behind him, and we were alone.
Tam motioned to me.
“We have two big items on the agenda today,” I said. “First, we’ve procured information about a large store of medical supplies in Seattle. We have the location, and there’s a pretty good chance that the
y’re still untouched.” I told them about our visitors and what they had said.
“So, we have to decide whether to mount a salvage operation. I vote yes, that we ask Thor if he’ll take us in his chariot like he did once before. We go heavily armed, and we make certain to get our asses out of the city before dusk. While the zombies will still be a problem, that would curtail our chances of running into any ghouls.” I turned to Hans. “What do you think he would say if we asked?”
Hans arched his eyebrows, then shrugged. He was a Theosian, bound to Thor, and had recently become a priest of the thunder god. “I think he might go for it. He’s pretty easygoing and he likes mortals. And offering him the chance to crush a few zombies? Thor’s a god of battle as well as agriculture. He might well be spoiling for a good fight.”
“All right. What about the rest of you? What say you?”
Jason stared at the table. “Do you know these people are telling the truth? What if they’re making it all up?”
“Then we come back with nothing.” I shook my head. “And we kick them out. Why would they lie, though, knowing that they wouldn’t be allowed to stay?”
Again, Jason shrugged. “What if this is a setup? A trap?”
I blinked. That thought had never occurred to me. “Lyon’s long gone into the realm of Chaos. The Order of the Black Mist has disbanded, as far as we know. Who would have a grudge against us except for him?”
Elan cleared her throat. “I agree with Fury on that count. My father might begrudge us success, but he isn’t stupid enough to break the alliance that our villages have. As far as anybody else…well…there isn’t anybody else. Not in any organized fashion. And the zombies can’t rationalize, or even really think.”
“I was just suggesting a possibility. But fine, if you choose not to follow up on it.” Jason looked cross, but he kept his voice soft, and went back to staring at the table. I wondered what the hell was up.
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