"Now you try and burn it."
Shrugging, Crwys dropped the lighter on the side table, tossed the paper into the air, and ignited it by blowing on it. The paper disappeared into a puff of ash.
"So what was that?" Crwys said as everyone made startled noises.
Arden held up her hand. "That was the contract Sam signed with Brahms. My understanding is he's no longer with us?"
Crwys gave a sideways smile. "That would be a yes."
Tas spoke up. "You co-signed with Samantha so you could get the place repaired. That makes you part owner, but not enough to stop the Risi from transforming most of it. Your signature on that document is what prevented them from actually getting to the basement. It couldn’t be touched by Risi magic so the King was safe. And because Brahms is dead, you could destroy the contract."
"What exactly does that mean?" he asked.
Arden continued. "It means the thicket is gone. Though, I'm pretty sure you're all going to have to clean the place thoroughly to get the smell out, and there will be some pretty stubborn moss and lichens around for a while. But it's yours again. The remaining Risi have retreated back into the Greater Kingdom, and King Satar will be returning to his people."
"You opened the basement?" Kyle said.
"No…not exactly." She looked at Riven.
Riven looked like he was going to fold into the seat. Dags lowered the phone and finished his sandwich, obviously not really paying attention to the conversation. But Kyle moved forward and looked at Riven. "You're King Satar?"
Riven quickly held up his hands. "No. I'm not. It's just…" He winced. "There is no King Satar."
Everyone's jaw dropped except Arden's. Crwys noticed this. "So you didn’t rescue King Satar from the Cairn?"
"I did. But he never told me he was a king, he just said there were enemies chasing him. And I did take him to Sam's to hide in the basement where he proceeded to create that wall we all couldn’t destroy."
Crwys held up a hand. "I'm not following any of this. Are you saying there's no King of the Risi…but you did rescue someone?"
“I did.” Arden pointed at Riven. “And it wasn’t him.”
Riven stood and moved to stand next to Arden’s chair. He still looked weak and pale, and a bit out of place in the jeans and lose button down shirt he’d been given. His hair was so white it was blinding. "Satar died a long time ago, and the Quest never triggered. So as his son, I kept up the ruse for a while with one of my dad’s trusted friends, my godfather. He would be King Satar, since no one really knew what he looked like, and I was the Chevalier. We lived in peace since the title was just that. A title. So when there was trouble in the Greater Kingdom we did our duty, but we were attacked. My godfather isn’t much of a fighter but he’s good with magic. When he was hit with an arrow I gated him out of there." Riven's expression fell. "Making the gate weakened me and I was taken by Brahms and Yolyn. Once they knew where the fake King had gone, they made Brahms a plant to get into that basement."
“Damn,” Levi said.
“What Miss Vervain concluded about my blood is the truth. Yolyn knew this about me because she knew my heritage and used me to keep her army healthy. She never knew the real king had died.”
"So…" Levi held out hand. "If there is no Quest…what Crwys guessed was true? It was all Lethe?"
Crwys said. "She wanted Yolyn to think the Quest was happening so she could get to the king’s blood." He turned to Tas. "Whose blood did you use to create the arrow that struck Lethe?"
"A Purs by the name of Giddyman." She shrugged. "I didn't think I would fail. So when it did, I generated a few rumors out there so Lethe would think she needed the King’s blood. But even I didn’t know Satar had passed."
Riven said. "Right now, our priority is getting Samantha Hawthorne from Lethe. Miss Vervain and I have an idea."
"Oh no—"
"Quiet, Holliard," Arden said. "It’s technically your idea to begin with. Lethe wants the king’s blood to heal herself. Riven is going to give you a vial of his blood to trade for Samantha's safe return."
"Bullshit," Crwys nearly spat out. "You know as well as I do that she's not going to give Sam back that easy. Not until she's fully healed."
"I know that. And she will heal before she comes to her end. And this is where Mr. McConnell comes in."
Dags's eyes widened when everyone looked at him. "What? Where I come in to do what?"
"You will be the only one to know where Sam is," Tas said as she put her hands on the back of one of the sofas. "And when you know where she is, you'll have to be the one to free her. This is why I told them to summon you."
"Oh? So I don't have this Elemental Blood."
"Oh, you have it," Arden snorted. "In spades. Do you understand what we're talking about?"
Dags shook his head. "Not really? It all seems kind of vague?"
"It's vague because it has to be," Tas said. "Lethe is a Dream Dragon. She can peer into your thoughts when you sleep. This is why I haven't told anyone about what I was doing because I can resist her." She looked at Crwys. "And he can't."
He nodded. She was right. Lethe had entered his mind and taken control centuries ago, which made it easier for her to latch on now. "I'm pretty sure she hasn't done this because she's weak. But the moment she's well enough, she's going to try and see into all of our thoughts. Vague is how you protect yourself from her."
"Mr. McConnell," Arden said. "Just be ready when the time comes. You're going to have to use your magic."
“My own magic?”
Riven moved to Dags and looked down at him where he sat on the sofa. “My blood was used for something terrible, Darren McConnell. I didn’t cast the spell, so I can’t break it. Only you can.”
“Uh huh…that’s this vague thing again, isn’t it?”
“Yes.”
"I'm ready, if it helps Sam."
"I hope so," Tas said. "Because if you fail, we lose her and we will more than likely die under Lethe's crushing need for revenge."
"Way to give a pep talk there," Dags quipped. "I'll do what I can. But when I use the Grimoire—"
"Oh, this won't be the Grimoire's magic, Darren," Arden said. "This will be that of your own…Goblin."
TWENTY FIVE
Contacting Lethe proved to be much easier than Crwys expected. Apparently, she'd been listening and waiting. At first, she didn't believe he had the blood and demanded he give her the King. When he refused, he knew he was taking a risk with Sam's life.
Midnight. The place of my greatest work of art. And don't betray me, Azazel. Or your little Witch burns.
"She means that hideous sculpture of bodies that burned," Arden said. "This chick's seriously sick."
Levi sighed. "You don't know the half of it."
Anxiety burned a hole in the pit of Crwys's stomach as they made their plans to stop Lethe. He wasn't sure how they were going to do this, seeing as no one knew where Sam was, nor could they sense her location. All he could hold onto was the knowledge she wasn't dead. He would know if she left him.
And his heart would break.
Arden's plan included a perimeter of Aces in the area. Hidden, but all linked to Kyle and Jack so they could hear and see what was happening and know when to strike if they were needed. Bastien attended the meeting, agreed, and then left. Crwys sensed the Wolf's own worry, and for once, he felt a kinship with him.
Ivan and Dharma returned with news that Solomon had fallen off the grid. No one knew where he was. Arden assured them they didn't fail, that Solomon was a resourceful Conjurer, but right now, they had something a bit more important. She had Ivan scour the traffic and security cameras set up around the park and inside the golf course so they would know if there was movement.
Crwys doubted they would be able to see Lethe no matter what, but Arden wanted to make sure the Dragon came alone.
Arden rode in her van with a contingent of coven fighters, those who were good with their Elementals at fighting. Riven remained at Gypsy
Gardens, still recovering.
Dharma drove Ivan and Levi to a spot overlooking the disaster in the center of the park, far enough away so that they weren't noticed, but close enough for them to see the area. Tas had disappeared earlier with Bastien, offering to help him coordinate his pack. She and Crwys would know when Lethe was nearby, so it made sense.
And Crwys drove his Mustang to the designated place with Dags in the passenger seat beside him. The two were quiet for a while, each staring out the windshield, until Crwys glanced over at him. "You're awfully non-commentary."
Dags lifted his shoulders. He wore a dark blue t-shirt, jeans, and sneakers. As always, he looked young and vulnerable. Crwys wondered if that was the Faerie blood in his veins. "What's there to comment on? I'm still trying to figure out why I'm here. Detective Damali’s, Arden’s and Riven’s cryptic comments aren't helping. And my girlfriend…" He rolled his eyes. "We were in the middle of a romantic dinner when I got summoned like a Faerie. It was the first one we've been able to have in months. What the hell?" He looked at Crwys and held out his hands.
"Hey, bringing you here wasn't my idea. It was the God Mother’s. She's certain you're the one to unlock my heart's desire."
Dags frowned. "And that would be…? ‘Cause right now that sounds pretty uncomfortable."
"You're telling me." Crwys shrugged. "I don't know. My guess is she means Sam. But honestly…I don't know what it is you can do."
"Yeah. And nobody's filled me in either."
Crwys licked his lips. "Can…can you sense her, Dags?"
"Who, Sam? Yeah. I can. And wherever it is we're going, the feeling's getting stronger. So we're heading in the right direction."
"Is she okay?"
When Dags didn't answer, Crwys looked over. The darker-haired man looked at his hands. "No."
Shit!
Crwys pulled the Mustang into the parking lot and led the two of them into the now cordoned off area. Instead of going under the police tape, Crwys went through it and continued on across the scorched earth to the blackened remains of what had been a sculpture of stone and flesh.
Dags had his hand to his face. "What in the hell? It smells like…"
"Burned flesh," Crwys said as they neared the place where he'd found Sam's keys beside the blackened willow and tugged at the necklace around his neck. "Just be glad you didn't see what was here before it burned."
Dags moved to stand beside Crwys and then froze.
"Dags?"
"She's here…" He pivoted on his heels and looked around.
"Lethe?" Crwys's hand went to his gun.
"No…Sam. She's here but…" He narrowed his eyes as he scanned the area under the moonlight. "I just can't…pinpoint her." Then he straightened and opened his mouth to ask a question.
"So who's the boy?" Lethe said behind them. "Is he for me?"
Both men turned to face the feared Dragon. She looked the same as she had on their previous meeting. Same clothing. Same pained expression. "Does it hurt, Lethe?"
"Answer me. Who is he?"
Dags shoved his hands into his jeans. "Take a look." Then he smiled and his voice dropped. "I dare you."
Lethe must have taken Dags up on that because she narrowed her eyes for a few seconds and then widened them. She looked visibly shaken. She took a step back and pointed at Dags. "What…what are you?"
Crwys wasn't sure what it was Lethe saw. He didn't have the same ability she did, that of looking into someone's soul to manipulate their dreams. He could only guess that when she peered in, she found the Grand Grimoire peering back. "Someone who’s going to make sure you hold up your end of the bargain." He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the vial of blood. Riven's blood. He held it up for her to see. "This is what you're looking for."
Lethe's obvious distress at whatever Dags showed her was instantly put aside when she saw the vial in Crwys's hand. She narrowed her eyes. "How do I know that's the King's blood?"
"You don't." Crwys shrugged. "But you can test it if you want. If it doesn't do what you think it'll do, then you'll know it wasn't his."
"Do you think I'm a fool, Azazel?" She hissed at him. He could see where the stone had crept up her neck. If it kept going, she wouldn't be able to breathe soon. "I take that and you poison me?"
"Your choice, Lethe. Or"—he held it up—"I could drop it." And he let it go.
Even half turned to stone, Lethe was fast as she reached out for the vial and caught it in her working hand. She stepped back like a kitten that just snagged a prize and couldn't wait to play with it. She looked at the vial and then smiled. "I don't have to ingest it."
"No," Crwys said. "But you'll heal better if you do." He didn't know this for sure, but it was something he and Kyle had guessed at.
Lethe pulled the top off and dabbed a bit of the blood on her finger then moved it over her stone forearm in its sling.
Dags moved then, pivoting in place as he looked around. "What is it?" Crwys asked in a low voice.
"She's here…" And then he pulled his hands from his pockets and wrapped his arms around himself.
"You okay?" Crwys divided his attention between watching what Lethe was doing and the odd behavior Dags was displaying.
"Cold…" Dags said in a small voice. "It's so cold…and dark…"
Lethe made a screech that was something between a laugh and a scream. Crwys turned and instantly ignited his internal furnace at the noise when he faced Lethe. But she wasn't coming at him. No, she was dancing around on one leg and pointing at her arm.
Her quickly healing arm.
Now it was time to act. "Where's Samantha, Lethe? You see the blood's real."
"Yes! Yes!" the Dream Dragon sang as she held the vial against her stone chest. Then she stopped and looked at Crwys. "Where is the King?"
"You're not going to touch him," Crwys said. Which was a truth in case she tried to read his mind. Since the man was long dead, Lethe could never touch him.
"Give him to me. I have to make sure Artemis never fashions another arrow like that again."
"Samantha!" Dags suddenly bellowed out as he stumbled away from them. "She's here…I can smell her…"
"Ah…so this creature thinks he can find my treat?" Lethe said as she held up the vial, and in one motion, downed the contents.
Crwys finished igniting his power and held his Dragon's Fury in check. If things went the way Arden assumed they would, there wouldn't be just one Dragon in the sky. Exposure was forbidden and punishable by the God Mother. But if it helped distract Lethe long enough for Dags to find Samantha—
Dags let out a yell as he stood in front of the scorched willow. Crwys narrowed his eyes as the kid reached out and touched the darkened bark and ran his hands along the sides. "The tree…oh my god…I remember…the tree…"
Another scream and a blast of wind caught Crwys off guard as Lethe's Dragon's Fury shattered. She burst forth in her full form as she beat her wings in all directions, and yet somehow, climbed into the sky. Crwys shook his head and spit ash and dirt from his mouth as he stood and raised his hand to look up at the moonlit sky.
She was there, fully restored to her full Dragon form, and a bigger threat than ever before.
"Crwys!" Arden yelled out behind them as she and the other coven members, including Ivan, Kyle, Jack and Dharma, came running up. She looked at Dags hugging the tree. "What—"
"The tree!" Dags started yelling at them as he backed away. "She's in the tree!"
Crwys's heart sank. In…the tree? Transfiguration wasn't part of a Dragon's magic. How had she…how was this possible? He looked at Arden. "Is she alive?"
"I don't know. That kind of magic is Faerie Magic, or Jötunn. I don't even know how to—"
"Look out!" Ivan screamed just as a burst of flame and ash, heat and wind exploded around them.
Crwys felt himself go flying, but he righted himself, regaining his balance as his wings unfurled. He looked around for everyone through the smoke. He spotted Arden being helped b
y her people, Jack and Kyle, and Ivan and Dharma getting to their feet, dim shadows in aftermath.
And then he saw the tree.
Engulfed in flames.
"Dharma!" Arden yelled as she summoned her Water Elemental and began a spell. Dharma joined her and the two of them worked together to encase the tree in water as they pulled it from the Earth itself. The fire was instantly snuffed out, then their Elementals parted the dome like a flower, and the petals of water lay out to the sides and cooled the ground around the tree.
That's when Crwys spotted Dags to the right. He'd been at ground zero when Lethe fired on the tree. Arden got to him first, trudging through the now muddy ash and soot and put her hand on his chest. Dharma joined them, as did Kyle and Ivan. Jack shifted abruptly and ran off into the dark.
Seeing the smoldering tree and knowing his love was inside of it…something very primordial snapped inside of him. He and Sam had been through so much to be together, namely his past. And now to have this bitch step in and try to destroy what he believed could be the key to his happiness?
Hell the fuck no.
"Arden—" he called out.
She turned from Dags and nodded. "Go. He'll be fine. We'll do what we can."
With that nod, he released the last of the spell and threw his head back as his human form dissolved and he was reborn into his Dragon. Power coursed through his veins, singing the song of the wind as his insides burned and churned and he twisted his long neck around to see Lethe in the sky.
Come to me, Azazel! she taunted him. Come to me and die!
Without a word, he launched himself into the sky, bent on one thing.
Killing.
TWENTY SIX
Arden shielded Dags from the storm Crwys's transformation created. She turned and could see his enormous form through the smoke and haze seconds before he launched himself in the air with an ear-splitting cry.
She turned to see Dharma watching, her mouth open as her gaze tracked the Dragons in the sky overhead. Though Arden could understand the girl's awe, this wasn't a good thing. Hardly. She sensed they were visible in their true forms to those who were magic sensitive, but if they dropped their outer glamour and let the world see two Dragons battling in the sky over New Orleans…
eldritch files 07 - elemental blood Page 18
