Penelope shook her head, wincing a little. “No, no,” she said. “Maya was there when I got home from doing the shopping with Petey. She said we’d had a major flood in the basement and Peter had asked her to take Petey out of the way while we dealt with it.” She looked indignant, as if insulted by the suggestion that she couldn’t cope with a household emergency and a four-year-old at the same time.
“I said no, of course,” she went on, speaking in the rapid breathy tones of the truly frantic. “But she just took him anyway, and Peter didn’t do a thing. She didn’t even have a car seat!” Panic rose up in her eyes and Liam took one of her hands in his.
“I’m sure that Maya is a very safe driver,” he said soothingly. “Now, you said Maya didn’t give you those bruises. Can you tell us who did?”
Tears sprang into Penelope’s blue eyes, but to Baba, they looked more like tears of anger than the fearful ones she’d been shedding a minute ago.
“I confronted Peter when he tried to stop me from going after Maya. Hell, I knew that she was lying when she said all those horrid things about you, so that meant she had to be involved somehow. But Peter just stared at me like a zombie.”
Penelope pulled herself up straight. “When I told him I was going after Maya by myself, he hit me.” She touched one trembling hand lightly to the side of her face. “So I knocked him over with the car and followed Maya anyway.” She glanced at Liam. “I didn’t really hurt him; he was already getting up as I drove away.”
Baba let out a choked laugh and looked at the prim and proper Mrs. Callahan with newfound respect. “You ran him over with the car? That’s fabulous!”
Penelope sniffed back tears and gave Baba a tiny nod and a lopsided smile, wincing when the action pulled at the bruise. “I know, isn’t it? I should have done it years ago.” She sobered quickly. “If I had, my son wouldn’t be in the hands of that woman now.”
She looked from Baba to Liam. “I didn’t know what to do. I followed her to a cave, and when she dragged Petey in there, I wanted to follow, but something kept me from going in. I know it sounds crazy, but I tried and tried, and I just couldn’t get through!” The last bit was said in a rising wail.
Magic, Baba thought. And could see from Liam’s face that he’d realized it too.
Liam patted Penelope’s hand again. “It’s probably just as well,” he said. “That woman is more dangerous than you can imagine. But she’s not going to harm Petey. I’m not going to let her.”
Penelope nodded damply, and Baba said, “Can you lead us to where you saw her last?” Her heart raced at the thought of finally getting her hands on the woman who had caused her so much trouble. Visions of cracking bones and freely flowing blood filled her mind for one gleeful moment before she pulled herself back to the situation at hand. I am finally going to get to kick someone’s ass. About freaking time!
Liam and Baba followed Penelope’s car about a mile down a back road that led to a barely visible path into thick woods filled with pine and oak and a few spindly birches. The trail was too narrow for vehicles, so they left the cruiser and the Volvo by the side of the road. Birds chirped merrily as they passed by Maya’s car, already parked on the practically nonexistent verge. They glanced inside as they passed; the keys still dangled from the ignition, as clear a sign as any that Maya had no intention of coming back.
Baba spotted something long and shining on the driver’s seat and crowed with glee, sticking her hand inside the open window to pick it up. “How careless,” she said, giving Liam a grin that clearly baffled him. “This should come in handy.”
“It’s a hair,” he said. “It’s not even evidence of anything.”
She tucked her find carefully into one pants pocket and followed the others down the dusty trail. “You’ll see.”
Penelope led Liam and Baba to the dark, shadowy entrance of a cave so well hidden by prickly shrubs and spindly young saplings, it would have been almost impossible to spot if you didn’t already know of its existence. The opening seemed to shiver and twitch, radiating wrongness like a misplucked violin string.
Penelope nodded at the entrance, which was little more than a slit in the hillside, and said in a tremulous voice, arms wrapped around herself for comfort, “There. She took my son in there.”
TWENTY-EIGHT
BABA AND LIAM looked at the mouth of the cave, and then at each other. Baba felt a frisson of excitement—clearly, the door she’d been seeking lay within that cavern. Somewhere. But first they had to figure out a way to keep Penelope from insisting on accompanying them when they went in after her son. They couldn’t risk her following them into the Otherworld. Baba was going to be in enough trouble with the queen for bringing Liam through. And there was no telling what Otherworld creatures Maya might have lined up as a greeting committee on the other side.
“You should wait by the cars, Mrs. Callahan,” Liam said, echoing her thought. “That way, if there is a problem, you can radio for help.”
“Hmmm,” Baba said. “And I have some friends I can call in. They might come in handy if we run into trouble.”
“Friends?” Penelope said doubtfully. “Are you sure you can trust them? Peter always said he had half the town in his pocket.”
Baba snorted. “Not these guys. They’re not from around here. Besides, they’re not the ‘in someone’s pocket’ type.” She gave the woman what was supposed to be a reassuring smile, although from Penelope’s reaction, it might have shown a few too many teeth. “They may look a little rough around the edges, but they’re really . . . oh, hell, they’re rough around the edges. But they’re on our side; you can trust them.”
Penelope’s eyes opened wide. “You’re not talking about those three strange men who showed up recently, are you? Someone at Bertie’s told me they’d been seen all over town; one of them started a huge fight at The Roadhouse, and I heard that another one swept that shy Lindy Cornwall off her feet and had her walking around smiling like the cat that ate the canary. They’re friends of yours?”
Baba ducked her head, hiding a smile. “I’m afraid so. But don’t worry; they’re even better at cleaning up messes than they are at making them.”
Liam added, “I know you want to come with us, but it could be dangerous—you need to stay safe for your son’s sake. Please go back to the car and wait for us. If we’re not back in two hours, you can contact Nina and tell her where we went.”
“Well, okay,” Penelope said, casting a reluctant look at the entrance of the cave. “I trust you, Sheriff McClellan.” She turned to Liam and gave him a tearful hug. “Bring my son back to me, please.” She walked back down the path, head held high.
“That’s one tough lady,” Baba said with respect in her voice. “She’s holding it together under some pretty terrifying circumstances. And she ran Peter Callahan over with her car. You’ve got to like her for that, all by itself.” She grinned at Liam.
He shook his head. “You’re a scary woman, you know that?”
She gave him her who me? look, which earned her a dubious headshake in return.
“So, do you have another magical medallion you can use to summon your friends Day, Sun, and Knight?” He stopped for a second, listening to the sound of their names spoken all together. “Hey—”
“It’s tradition,” Baba said. “I’ll explain when we have more time. In the meanwhile, I’ve got something better than a medallion. And a lot more dependable than your silly cell phones.” She pulled off her leather jacket and whipped her tee shirt off over her head, handing them both to a stunned Liam. “Here, hold these, will you?”
She bit back a laugh at Liam’s startled expression.
“You’re getting undressed now?” Liam said. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you. I’m not usually a fan of tattoos, but those are damned sexy on you.”
Baba flushed a little at Liam’s comment. He thought she was sexy. But she just sa
id, a touch more acerbically than usual, “Don’t be silly—they’re magic.”
She rubbed each tattoo in turn, reciting the Russian phrase that would summon the Rider attached to it. “There. Each Rider has his own symbol, and each Baba has a matching one she can use to summon them when they’re needed.”
Liam looked intrigued as he tried not to stare. “So all the other Babas have tattoos like yours?”
“Oh, no,” Baba said. “Beka has hers set into a necklace and a pair of earrings, and others use much smaller markings or even sets of decorated rocks. I just happen to like tattoos. And dragons, of course.”
“Ah,” Liam said, trying to hand her back her tee shirt. “Do we have to wait for the guys to show up? I’m assuming you can get us through whatever barrier stopped Penelope. Maya already has a serious head start on us. If this cavern is anything like the others in the area, it’s riddled with twists and turns and dead ends. We could have a tough time finding which way she went; we need to hurry if we’re going to have any chance of catching up with her.”
Baba shook her head, backing away from him. “The Riders will be here soon. Besides, I know there’s no time to waste, but I can’t go into the Otherworld unarmed and dressed like this.”
She snapped her fingers, and her formal court attire appeared, along with the silver sword and bejeweled knife she usually carried. There was no way she was going to face Maya without some kind of weapon. And if, heaven forefend, they couldn’t find her, there was no way she was going to face the queen and tell her so wearing a pair of dusty black leather pants.
“Okay,” Baba said to Liam. “You want to turn around so I can change my clothes?” Liam raised his eyebrows questioningly, but obliged. Despite all they’d been through, she suddenly felt self-conscious about having him watch her disrobe. It was disconcerting, the strange way she felt around him, as though the once solid land had turned to quicksand. Lust and longing she understood—this odd push and pull of emotion just confused her. But there was no time to worry about it now.
She shimmied out of her everyday clothes and into her Otherworld garb, then slid her boots up over her calves and fastened the belt around her waist, muttering under her breath as she struggled to tuck her long hair up and pin it into place.
“You can turn around now.” She loved the way his eyes widened with admiration when he saw her all dressed up. There was something about the way he looked at her that made her feel all odd and shivery, like she’d swallowed a rainbow sideways. “I’m ready,” she said, trying to ignore the bizarre sensation in her gut. What a time to discover that perhaps she knew what love was after all.
Liam took a step closer, dropping her jacket and shirt onto the ground so he could put one hand on either side of her face. He was so close, she could see the tiny flecks of green in among the brown and hazel lights of his irises.
“I’m not,” Liam said. “If we’re walking into the unknown, there’s something I need to do first.”
He leaned in and kissed her soundly, his calloused hands gentle on her skin, the sweet taste of his lips the most intoxicating nectar she’d ever had in this world or any other. Around her, the air trembled with joy; underneath her feet, the ground shook. When he finally stopped, it took a second before Baba could remember how to breathe.
“What was that for?” she asked, her voice a little ragged.
“Luck,” Liam said, and kissed her one more time.
“Well, we’re going to need plenty of that,” Baba said. And thought to herself: And if we make it back, I’m going to need plenty more of those kisses. Who knew something so simple could be so entrancing? It made the magic she did seem like nothing.
The sound of laughter heralded the arrival of the Riders, and she tried to wipe the giddy smile off her face before she turned around to greet them and say, “Ready to kick some ass, boys?” A wave of her hand easily dissipated the enchanted barrier Maya had used to block off the entrance, and they were on their way.
* * *
THE INSIDE OF the cave was as black as the bottom of a well; a miniscule slice of light trailed them inside from the slit they’d passed through sideways and contorted. Liam sucked on a gashed knuckle as he peered around in the Stygian darkness.
“Shit,” he said, voice echoing off the walls he couldn’t see. “I’m an idiot.”
Next to him, Baba let out a snort down that long nose he found so entrancing. “Not news to me,” she said. “Any reason in particular you mention it now?”
“I left my flashlight in the cruiser,” he said glumly. “I’d better go back and get it.”
A silvery laugh prompted rustling sounds from the direction of the ceiling as bats chased the arcing notes into unseen spaces. Light sprang into existence, emanating in an eerie glow from the center of Baba’s outstretched palm.
“Oh, right,” Liam said, mentally kicking himself. “I forgot about that.”
“Don’t worry,” Alexei said, patting him on the shoulder so hard it almost knocked him over. “You get used to the magic after a while. If it doesn’t kill you first, of course. I can’t wait to see what the queen has to say about Baba letting you in on all our secrets.” His deep chuckle made Liam’s bones vibrate.
As they entered the main passageway, the shimmer of light revealed low, uneven ceilings and cold, dank walls that dripped with slimy water, creating an obstacle course of murky puddles underfoot. Mold spotted the walls, and shards of jagged stones marked old rock falls, hinting at treacherous possibility.
Occasional squeaks and rustling noises made it clear that the place had its own inhabitants, although none of them came out to greet the intruders to their underground home.
“Um, Barbara?” he said after they’d been walking for a few minutes. “What did Alexei mean about the queen? I thought you worked in the human world; she’s not your boss or anything, is she?”
Baba ducked under a stalactite. “Not technically,” she said.
Mikhail rolled his eyes, the gesture barely visible in the darkness. “As if the queen cares about technicalities.” He eeled gracefully around an outcropping that nearly took off Liam’s arm. “The Babas’ power is primarily tied to the mundane world, and that is where most of their responsibilities lie. They aren’t even allowed to use magic in the Otherworld, since that would throw off the balance between the planes as much as Maya’s use of magic on your side has. But their power and longevity is aided by the use of the Water of Life and Death, which is a gift from the queen.”
“And the queen never gives gifts without expecting something in return,” Gregori added in his usual calm tone. “In this case, the expectation is that while on the other side, the Baba Yagas will follow the queen’s laws, and when the Otherworld needs to call on a Baba for help with a Human problem, that Baba will do whatever is necessary.”
“Or else,” Baba grumbled. “It’s always fucking ‘or else.’”
Liam shut up and kept walking.
Eventually, the main passage widened out into a small circular antechamber where Liam could straighten up. His neck and back ached from walking crouched over, and his knees protested the uneven ground. Baba, although almost his height, seemed completely unaffected, although a few cobwebs hung from the jeweled net that temporarily restrained her floating cloud of hair. The Riders all looked a little battered, especially the very large Alexei.
They stood there for a moment, catching their breath and staring at two identical tunnels that meandered off in opposite directions. There was nothing to indicate which one Maya had taken. Liam scanned the ground, hoping for a handy clue, like a tiny sneaker or maybe a pointing arrow marked “this way.” There was nothing.
“Well, crap,” he muttered. “Now what? Do we split up?”
Baba moved from one opening to the other, then pointed decisively down the tunnel that veered off to the left. “This one,” she said.
Liam mad
e a face. “More magic?” he asked.
She shook her head, the corner of her mouth twitching up in her trademark almost smile. She rooted herself in front of the opening on the right. “Come here and tell me what you smell.”
Baffled, he followed her instructions, thinking she’d spent too much time living with a dog. Dragon. Whatever.
“It smells like cave,” he said, wrinkling up his nose in distaste. “Wet, dirt, bat guano.”
“Fine.” Baba moved to the other opening. “And this one?”
Liam sniffed. “Wet, dirt . . . spring.” His eyes widened as he caught a whiff of what smelled like flowers and sun and growing things.
“Exactly,” Baba nodded. “That’s the Otherworld. The door must be close. Come on.” She hurried down the passage, leaving Liam and the others racing to catch up before the light vanished.
A few minutes later, musty dirt walls gave way to an archway that shimmered and shivered, filled with a mist that looked like moonlight swirled with a foggy morning’s first rays of sunlight. It made his skin crawl and called to his psyche at the same time, in siren tones that would have made him long to walk into it even if Maya hadn’t waited on the other side.
“Gotcha,” Baba whispered, and took hold of his hand so they walked through together, coming out the other side into an impossible land where everything looked the same, and yet indescribably different.
For starters, the sky was wrong. Three moons hung overhead, one of them slightly crooked as though it had fallen down and been put back up in a hurry. A light too dim to be sunlight but the wrong shade for night illuminated a stunning landscape of blue and purple trees; crimson grasses waving in a nonexistent breeze and dotted with flowers in colors he didn’t even have names for. Unusually shaped birds flung themselves through the tinted sky, eerie and beautiful, as if carving dusk out of day.
“Welcome to the Otherworld,” Baba said, letting go of his hand so she could pull her sword out of its scabbard. The long silvery length of it glittered dangerously in the moons’ cold radiance, and Baba herself suddenly looked like something out of a fairy tale; both more beautiful and more deadly than she had ever seemed on the other side.
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