“No, I’m not. I’m always open to things.”
“As you say, mistress.”
The look on his face somehow managed to be angelic and scream you fucking hypocrite all at the same time. “All right,” I said impatiently, “let’s hear it.”
“There is another king, Dorian, who rules the Oak Land. He and Aeson hate each other-in a polite-faced, political manner, of course.”
“No surprise there. I’m surprised they aren’t all turning on each other. That doesn’t mean he’d help me.”
“I believe Dorian would be very happy to see someone come and kill off Aeson. Especially if he did not have to actually do it himself. He might offer a great deal of assistance to see you do it.”
“‘Might’ being the operative word. So you’re suggesting I just show up at his door and ask for help?”
Volusian inclined his head in the affirmative.
“Have I ever killed or cast out any of his people?”
“Likely.”
“Then I think it’s ‘likely’ he’d kill me the moment I set foot on his land. I can’t imagine any gentry’s keen on letting their biggest assassin in the door.”
I wasn’t touting ego in that statement. Much like Volusian’s death threats, I simply stated a fact. I knew my own worth and reputation as far as the Otherworld was concerned. I mean, it wasn’t like I was reaching genocide levels or anything; I just had more notches on my belt than most.
“Dorian has…an odd sense of humor. It might amuse him to welcome an enemy like you. He would enjoy the sensation it would cause among others.”
“So he uses me for entertainment and then kills me.” I couldn’t believe Volusian was even suggesting a plan like this. He hated me, but he also knew me. If he hadn’t had such a stick up his ass, I would have sworn he was messing with me. Yet, his bindings forced him to sincerely give the best of his counsel if I asked it.
“If he gives you his word of hospitality, he is honor-bound to keep you safe.”
“Since when do gentry keep their word? Or have honor?”
Volusian regarded me carefully. “May I speak bluntly, mistress?”
“As opposed to usual?”
“Your hatred of the gentry blinds you to their true nature. You are also blind to the only thing that might let you escape this mad scheme alive-not that I would mind if you were torn to bloody shreds by Aeson’s people. But whatever else you believe, one of the gentry will stake his life on his word. They keep their oaths better than humans.”
I honestly didn’t believe that. No matter how much I might need help with this, it wasn’t worth it. I would not make a deal with the devil.
“No. I won’t do it.”
Volusian gave a small shrug. “As my mistress wishes. It makes no difference if you speed your own death. I cannot die, after all.”
I stared at him in exasperation. He stared back. Shaking my head, I stood up for another summoning.
“Okay, if that’s all, I’m gonna call the rest of the gang.”
He hesitated. “May I…ask my mistress a question first?”
I turned in surprise. Volusian was the epitome of don’t-speak-until-spoken-to. He only answered what was asked of him. He did not seek out other information. This was new. Wow. What a week of earth-shattering events.
“Sure, go ahead.”
“You do not trust me.”
“That’s not a question, but no, I don’t.”
“Yet…you came to me for advice first. Before you spoke to the others. Why?”
It was a good question. I was about to summon two other minions. I didn’t trust them either, but they had more reason to show loyalty than Volusian. They did not describe my graphic death on a regular basis.
“Because no matter what else you may be, you’re smarter than they are.” I could have elaborated on that, but I didn’t. That was really all there was to it.
He thought about this for a long time. “My mistress is less foolish than she normally appears.” I think it was the closest he could come to thanking me for a compliment-or giving one.
I took out the wand and summoned my other two spirits. I didn’t bother with candles or darkness because these ones were easier to call-especially since I was technically only “requesting” one to come, not ordering him.
The coldness and pressure came again, and then two other forms appeared. Volusian stepped back, arms crossed, not looking impressed. The two newcomers glanced around, taking note that I had gathered all of them. The three of them never interacted much in my viewing, but I always wondered if maybe they hung out for coffee or something in the Otherworld and made fun of me. Kind of like how people make fun of their boss after work during happy hour.
Still affecting unconcerned, lazy control, I unwrapped a Milky Way and sat back on my bed again. Leaning against the wall, I surveyed my team.
Nandi was less powerful than Volusian, so she had a less substantial form in this world. She appeared as a translucent, opalescent figure that seemed vaguely female in shape. Centuries ago, she had been a Zulu woman accused of witchcraft by her people. They had killed her and, like Volusian, cursed her from finding rest. Unlike Volusian’s, I could break this curse and send her on to the land of death. I had encountered her haunting this world, more frightening than harmful, and bound her in service to me in exchange for eventual peace. I had demanded three years of loyalty, one of which she had fulfilled. When the other two were up, I would let her pass on. Whereas Volusian always seemed sullen and sarcastic, Nandi was always sad. She was the poster child for a lost soul. A real downer.
Finn, however, was a different story. Of the three, only he looked happy to be here. He too was not powerful enough to have a solid form. He translated to this plane as small and glittering, barely there, much like how humans perceived Disney-type pixies. I had no claims on Finn. He had started hanging around because he found me entertaining. So he popped up from time to time, followed me, and would generally come when called. I had the power to force his service, but-even as much as I disliked all things from the Otherworld-I was hard-pressed to do so without provocation. I didn’t entirely trust anyone who offered help so freely, but he had never given me reason to doubt him either. Indeed, he’d always been very helpful. I had no idea what his story was, if he too was a cursed spirit. I’d never pressed for the details.
His shining body settled upon my dresser. “Hey, Odile, what’s new? Why do you smell like sex? Did you get some? Why are we all here?” Too much exposure to my world and television had given him a better grasp of our slang than the others.
I ignored the questions. “Hey, Finn, hey, Nandi.” The female spirit merely nodded in acknowledgment of the greeting. “So,” I said in my best boardroom voice, “I’m sure you’re all wondering why I called you here today.” None of them found that funny, so I just kept going. “Well, brace yourselves: I’m going to be paying you guys a visit. In the flesh. The real deal.”
Nandi showed no reaction whatsoever. Finn leapt up in excitement. “Really? Truly? When? Now?”
Nice to know someone appreciated me. I debriefed them, telling them the story. Volusian leaned against my wall, letting his body language convey to me what an utter waste of his time it was to have to hear this all again.
Finn’s enthusiasm diminished a little. “Oh. Well. That’s ballsy but also kind of…”
“Foolish,” said Nandi in her typically gloomy monotone. “It will end in despair. Dark, bitter despair. You will die, and I will never know peace. My suffering will be without end.”
“Never thought I’d hear you two agree with Volusian.”
Finn shrugged. “It is a good cause, honest. But you can’t really just walk into Aeson’s castle and take the girl. Not that I’m saying you aren’t tough enough or anything. You’ll just need a plan. A really good one. Yeah. What’s your plan?”
“Um, well…to walk into his castle and take the girl.”
Volusian sighed loudly. It was hard to tell with thos
e red slits, but I think he rolled his eyes.
I shot him an angry glance. “Hey, it’s a hell of a lot better than your plan. Would you like to share it with the rest of the class?”
He did.
When he finished, Finn said, “Now, that’s a good plan.”
I threw my hands up. “No, it’s not. It’s a horrible plan. I’m not asking one of the gentry for help.”
“King Dorian might help you,” offered Nandi, “although his help would most likely only offer a brief flaring of hope, which would then make our ultimate defeat that much more tragic.”
“Stop with the maudlin crap, Nandi.” I wished they made ghost Prozac. “Anyway, it’s a moot point. We’re taking on Aeson directly. End of discussion.”
I gave them the time and location of our meeting spot, binding them to silence about the plan. I had to take it on faith that Finn wouldn’t let the cat out of the bag, but once he’d reconciled himself to my possible demise, he seemed pretty stoked about the whole idea.
“I have one more question for all of you before I release you. In the last week, three denizens from the Otherworld knew my name. What’s going on? How many of them know who I am?”
None of the spirits answered right away. Finally, in a voice that sounded like he couldn’t believe I was asking, Finn said, “Why, everyone. Well, almost everyone. Everyone that counts. It’s all they’ve been talking about for the last couple of weeks. Odile Dark Swan is Eugenie Markham. Eugenie is Odile.”
I stared. “Everyone’s been talking about this?”
The three spirits nodded.
“And none of you-none of you!-thought this was worth bringing to my attention?”
More silence. Finally Nandi, compelled to answer any direct question, merely said, “You did not ask, mistress.”
“Yes,” agreed Volusian dryly. “Had you summoned us and asked, ‘Is my name known in the Otherworld?’ then we would have readily answered.”
“Smartass.”
“Thank you, mistress.”
“It wasn’t a compliment.” I ran a hand through my hair. “How did this happen?”
“Maybe someone guessed,” said Finn.
Volusian cut him a glance. “Do not be an even bigger fool than you already are.” The dark spirit turned back to me. “Not all creatures come to this world to fight you. Some may have spied. For someone quiet, discovering your identity would not have been so difficult.”
“What are they saying, then? Are they all going to try to kill me?”
“Some are,” said Finn. “But most of them are weak. You could probably take them in a fight.”
“Unfortunately,” added Volusian.
Great. This was not good news. Some part of me had been hoping only a few knew, but now it seemed my identity was the gossip du jour in the Otherworld. I wondered if it would be worthwhile to find a local witch and set wards around my house. I could also keep the spirits on permanent guard duty, but I didn’t really know if my patience was up for large doses of their idiosyncrasies.
“All right, then. Get out of here. Come back at the time we set up. Oh, and if any of you hear anything that might be useful about Aeson and the girl, come tell me. Do not wait until I explicitly ask you.” Those last words were a growl.
Finn vanished instantly, but Nandi and Volusian watched me expectantly.
I sighed. “By flesh and spirit, I release you from service until next I call. Depart to the next world in peace and do not return until my summons.”
The spirits faded into nothing, and I was left alone.
Chapter Seven
I couldn’t believe it when Wil told me he wanted to go too. Why did everyone suddenly want in on what was probably the most dangerous trip of a lifetime? I sure as hell didn’t want to go. Why did they? If only I could have given up my spot.
“No,” I told him. “You’ll get yourself killed.” I sounded just like Roland now.
“Yeah, but you said I wouldn’t actually go in body. Only my spirit would go.”
“Doesn’t matter. The spirit is still your essence, still tied to your being and body. Someone does enough damage to it, then your body’s toast too.”
He didn’t seem to care, which I found ironic for a guy who seemed to be so afraid of everything else. His final argument was that Jasmine would be scared and traumatized; his presence would comfort her in the face of being carted off by more strangers. He had a point, I supposed, but I warned him he would only be a reflection in that world, bearing little resemblance to his human self. She might not know him. Accepting this, he remained undaunted, and I decided if he wanted to get himself killed, that was his problem. So long as he didn’t drag me down in the process.
I also made sure he paid me beforehand. Best not to take chances.
When the appointed night came, I brought Tim with me. Since Wil would not be able to go physically, we’d need someone to watch his body. Tim treated it like going to summer camp, bringing a tent and a drum and everything. I told him he was an idiot, but he had grand plans for how he could later tell his groupies he went on a vision quest. The way he saw it, he would only be half-lying. I could have brought Roland and had a little less absurdity, but I didn’t trust him not to sneak in after me. So Tim it was.
We drove outside of town, traveling winding roads that snaked through the desert. Wil waited for us in a secluded spot, away from some of the more public access areas. It was a beautiful night, with the stars and moon crisp in the sky and saguaros standing watch. There were a few other thin spots between the worlds I could have used, but I chose this one because I liked the privacy and because it was one of the strongest. I wanted to waste as little power as possible in the transition over, particularly since I’d have to work to bring Wil along.
As it was, we had enough trouble even getting him into a trance.
“Jesus,” I said irritably, watching him in the dim lighting, “how much coffee did you drink today?” He probably didn’t even drink coffee. Too many carcinogens or something.
“I’m sorry.” He attempted to stay still. “I’m just so worried about her.”
He lay on a blanket near our small campfire, the smell of burning sage hanging in the air. Tim sat back near the tent with his iPod, smart enough to leave me alone and do my job. With the way Wil kept twitching, I doubted anything short of Valium would calm him down. Not that that ultimately would have done us any good.
“Are there coyotes out here?” he demanded. “Some have been known to attack humans. Even with a fire. They could have rabies. And snakes-”
“Wil! You’re wasting our time here. If you can’t calm down soon, I’m going without you.”
Already the crescent moon had reached its zenith; I didn’t want to transition too long after its descent. At my wits’ end, I produced the pendulum and hung it before Wil’s face. I didn’t really go for hypnosis, but I’d had good results with it in the past for clients needing soul retrieval. Hoping it would work on him, I began walking him through the stages of unconsciousness.
It worked. Or maybe just my threat to leave him behind did. Finally, I saw him fall into a waking sleep, the perfect time for his soul to loosen from his body. Holding out my wand, I drew his spirit to me so it clung like static, felt but not seen. Then, relaxing my own consciousness, I let my mind expand and touch the walls of this world, pushing its limits into the Otherworld as far as I could go. As I expanded out, I held on to an awareness of my body, working hard to bring it over in its entirety. Unlike so many others, I was even strong enough to bring other material things-my clothes, my weapons.
At first nothing seemed to happen, then the landscape around me shimmered, almost like we were trapped in a heat mirage. My senses blurred, making me feel disoriented, and then my surroundings clarified. I found myself breathless, a wave of dizziness sweeping me. The effects passed quickly. I was pretty good at crossing worlds.
“Oh my God,” breathed a voice that sounded vaguely like Wil’s.
Looking
to my side, I saw his Otherworldly representation. Not even powerful enough to come over in elemental form, he appeared beside me much like any spirit in my own world would have: vague shape, translucent, and smoky.
“You did it. You really brought us over.”
“Hey, I live to serve.”
“Actually, mistress, that is our job.”
I turned around and tried to hide my surprise. My minions stood before me but not as I knew them in the human world. In this world, the Otherworld, they were more corporeal, appearing in their natural forms and not as a projected sending.
Nandi stood tall and rigid, a black woman in her mid-forties. Her face had hard lines and angles, beautiful in a regal and hawklike way. Iron-gray waves of hair framed a face as bleak and expressionless as her spirit version’s.
As for Finn, I’d expected him to be small and spritelike. He, however, was almost as tall as me with shining, sun-bright hair that stuck up at odd angles. Freckles covered his face, and the grin he showed me mirrored the amusement I usually saw when we were together in my plane.
Volusian looked the same as always.
I didn’t exactly know what to say, seeing them like this. It was kind of startling. They watched me silently, waiting for orders. I cleared my throat, trying to appear haughty.
“All right, let’s get this moving. Who knows the way to this guy’s place?”
They all did, as it turned out. We stood at a crossroads, mirroring the one we’d left in my world. The country around us was beautiful, warm and balmy in the evening twilight, pleasant in a different way from Tucson. Cherry trees in full bloom lined the roads, shedding pink-white petals to the ground as the breeze rustled their leaves.
“We stand in the Rowan Land, mistress,” explained Nandi flatly. “If we follow this road, we will eventually reach the part of the Alder Land where King Aeson lives.”
I glanced at the road. “What, no yellow bricks?”
Nandi didn’t get the joke. “No. The path is dirt. The journey will be long and must be taken on foot. Likely you will find it tedious and wearying, plunging you into misery and making you wish you had never set out on this quest.”
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