“Courage.” I heard Caimbeul whisper in my ear.
Fires burned in the hearths at either end of the hall. Oriental rugs were scattered over the inlaid wood floor. Oversized chairs and couches were arranged in comfortable groupings. That is, comfortable if you’re expecting a hundred or so of your closest personal friends.
At one end of the hall were a handful of the Council members. Lofwyr had changed from his black suit into a lurid peacock-blue satin that would have done a pimp proud. He smiled and bowed slightly at me. I knew he'd probably remain neutral, no matter what happened. Sometimes you just couldn’t depend on dragons.
Ehran was ensconced on one of the couches. He wore his usual black, a habit that I found a trifle annoying. As though wearing black made you somehow more imposing, or cool, or serious. Though it did contrast nicely with his white hair and cold blue eyes. We made eye contact, but I couldn’t tell what he was thinking. It was as though our meeting the other day had never taken place.
Sean Laverty was perched on the arm of one of the chairs. Unlike the other men, he was cleanshaven. His eyes were clear leaf-green, his hair auburn. I knew he was against the technological leanings of the Tir. Of the group, his garb was the simplest. A T-shirt and jeans with a jacket thrown on top. In one earlobe he wore a dangling silver dragon. I wondered what Lofwyr made of that.
Sitting in the chair was Jenna Ni-Fairra. She was whispering something to Laverty as I approached the group.
“Sean, Jenna.” I said.
“Aina.” they replied in unison. I wondered for a moment if they were joined at the hip.
“Did anyone miss me?” came a voice behind me. An all too familiar voice. I turned. Alachia. She glided over to Jenna and kissed her cheek. They were remarkably alike. Except for the coloring, they could have been twins. Where Alachia’s hair was deep red, Jenna’s was platinum blond. Alachia’s eyes were clear sapphire blue; Jenna’s emerald green. But the face was the same. Delicate and fey. Unearthly beauty. What a bore.
“Why must you wear these things?” asked Alachia, grabbing Jenna’s black leather jacket and giving it a shake. “Upstairs I know you have a closet full of . .
Jenna gave her a hard look, and Alachia laughed it off. “A mother’s prerogative.” she said lightly. She glanced around the room. “Well, it looks as if we’re almost all here.”
Just then there was the sound of raised voices coming down the hall. We all turned. In a moment, the doors flew open. Aithne burst in with the Paladin guard hot on his heels. They tried to slow him down, but he thrust one hand up behind him and they flew back into the hall.
“What the hell were you thinking of with those damn roses?” said Aithne. “Alachia, if this is your sick idea of a jok—”
Then he saw me.
His face had been flushed. Now it went white.
“What the frag is she doing here?” he asked. His voice was cold. Utterly devoid of emotion.
“Isn’t it the nicest surprise?” said Alachia, coming up next to him and tucking her arm in his. “Aina asked Lugh to call a meeting of the Council. And he agreed.” She leaned against Aithne and beamed at me.
I wanted to throttle her.
“I’m leaving.” he said. “There is nothing that woman can say that will interest me in the least.”
He swung around and headed toward the door. “You'd best not go.” said Surehand. “I would look unfavorably upon it.”
Aithne stopped, then turned again, slowly.
“And what is that supposed to be?” Aithne asked. “A threat?”
“No.” replied Surehand. “I don’t want you to let old personal matters hinder your judgment of these events. If you leave, you give tacit approval to anything we decide.”
“Not if I leave under protest.”
“The result will be the same. We will make a decision, and you will have to live with it.”
Aithne glared at Surehand for a long moment. “Very well. This woman,” he said, pointing at me, “is a treacherous bitch and nothing she says can be trusted.”
“So much for the impartial hearing.” murmured Caimbeul.
“Your taste in companions leaves much to be desired.” Aithne said to Caimbeul.
“People in glass houses.” replied Caimbeul, looking pointedly at Alachia. Aithne glanced down and saw she was still attached to his arm. He jerked his arm away and stalked to one of the large arm chairs, where he flung himself down.
“All right.” he said. “What’s this all about?”
“Aina.” said Lugh. “If you please.”
Caimbeul gave me a little pat on the back, then went and took a seat on the couch next to Ehran. They began a subtle war of who could sprawl on the couch most. Aithne refused to look at me, while Jenna and Sean whispered and giggled.
“As you all know,” I began, “the magical forces have been on an upsurge for the past fifty or so years. Many of the old ways have returned, though there have been some unforeseen changes due to the technological state of this cycle. But that is neither here nor there.
“In the past, great surges of magic have drawn the Enemy to this place. The Therans solved this by leading the world into the darkness of the kaers for five hundred years. But we all know the prices paid for those choices.”
I paused for a moment and glanced around the room. Ehran’s expression was carefully blank. Caimbeul gave me a little wink. Alachia yawned and looked bored.
“There have been two serious encounters with the Enemy in past months.” I said. “Caimbeul defeated them on the metaplanes. Then, more recently, he told me about the encounter on Maui where the Enemy actually managed to get through a portal opened by kahunas of a tribe there during one of their blood rituals.”
“Did he say he actually drove them back?” asked Ehran. “Aina, you know how he likes to take credit for things he had nothing to do with.”
“I don’t recall you being there.” said Caimbeul.
“News travels fast, Harlequin.” said Ehran. “You always were a braggart.”
“Would you both just stop.” I said. I paced a bit.
This was why I avoided them. All this petty bickering. We’d been in and out of each other’s lives for so long that everyone knew each other’s sore spots. Where to poke and prod. And yet, we still kept coming together again.
“Who did what isn’t important.” I said. “The point is, the Enemy is coming back. And they’re coming too soon. This world isn’t ready. Its people don’t understand a damn thing about what’s happening. And we certainly haven’t prepared them.”
“What do you think the Tir is?” asked Alachia. “We’re creating a place where the strong will survive.”
“You mean where the elves will survive and everyone else on the planet can shift for themselves.” I said.
“What’s wrong with that?” asked Jenna, ever her mother’s daughter.
“Well, if you don’t mind billions of innocent people suffering unimaginable deaths.” I said.
“Innocent blood has never bothered you before.” interjected Aithne.
I looked at him and narrowed my eyes. As though his loss had been greater than mine.
“Things change.” I said at last. “So do people. Most people. But this is all beside the point. This isn’t some academic discussion. I believe that one of the Enemy is already here. I don’t know how he managed to come across. Perhaps in Maui. Or maybe there is another point of entry. All I know is that he is here.”
There was a hush for a moment, then everyone began to ask questions. Lugh called for them to calm down.
“How do you know it’s the Enemy?” Lugh asked.
“He has contacted me.” I said. “First, there were dreams. Then I received a telecom communication. Two nights ago he attacked us in our hotel room here in Portland.”
“What do you know about this, Harlequin?” asked Surehand.
“Just what Aina has told you. You know about the events in Maui.” he said. This surprised me. I didn’t know he’d to
ld them about Maui. “I was there when the call came to Aina’s place in Scotland. And I was there when it attacked us in the hotel room.”
“Perhaps it’s just one.” said Sean. “It would be easy enough to deal with.”
“I don’t see what the big fuss is about.” said Alachia. “We’ve defeated them before. We’ll defeat them again.”
“Haven’t you heard a word I’ve said?” I asked. “It’s too early for them to be coming through. We’re not ready. The world isn’t ready. You’ve spent so much time playing at politics and nations that you’ve neglected the important things. It’s as though we’ve left nuclear weapons for cavemen to play with. These people don’t understand what’s at stake. And they certainly don’t comprehend the nature of the powers they’re dealing with.”
“Now we get down to it.” crowed Alachia. “All this time going on about how much more pure and noble you are than us. You just don’t want anyone using the power. What’s the matter, Aina, scared someone will tread on your magical toes?”
I glanced over at Caimbeul, but he was busy trying to annoy Ehran. “No.” I said. “But these magical spikes seem to be attracting the Enemy, As long as people capriciously use blood magic, the risk will grow.”
“You would know about blood magic.” said Aithne.
“Yes, and you should be smart enough to lay aside your hatred of me to see the larger issue at hand. We must stop this one and prevent the rest from coming through.”
“I think you’re overestimating the danger.” interjected Alachia. “Perhaps your experience is tinting your perspective.”
“Besides, we have plans.” said Laverty. “Now is not a good time to reveal such secrets.”
“Have I been shut up with a bunch of lunatics?” I shouted. “You don’t pick when the Enemy comes. They will come when the circumstances are right. The best we can do is slow that event down. Which means we must act now.”
I stopped then, realizing they weren’t listening to me. They were staring gape-mouthed at something behind me. Slowly, I turned.
A vortex of smoke was whirling up out of the floor in front of the fireplace. A shape uncoiled from inside the smoke and stepped forward. Ysrthgrathe. Hanging limply in his arms was Glasgian Oakforest.
“I do so love to make an entrance.” he said as he dropped Glasgian on the floor. “But I know better than to overstay my welcome. Aina, it is so good to see you again. See, I’ve brought you a little present. I shall see you soon, my dear. ’Til we meet again.”
Then he disappeared.
Lances of arcane fire cut through the space where he’d been a moment before. Aithne rushed to Glasgian’s side. Surehand called for his Paladins. Sean and Jenna hovered behind Aithne asking if they could help. Ehran and Caimbeul had that odd, distracted look in their eyes, the faintest traces of energy crackling around them.
I turned away from the sight of Aithne holding Glasgian’s limp body. It was then that I saw Alachia’s face. She had a small, knowing smirk on her face. And a notion so terrible filled my mind that I immediately pushed it away. I couldn’t think such a thing. Not even of her.
I spun away from the sight of her. Now Glasgian seemed to be coming around. When he saw that he was in his father’s arms, his face crumpled and he began to cry. Aithne cooed and cradled Glasgian in his arms until his sobs diminished into irregular hiccups. At last, Glasgian seemed to fall into another kind of stupor.
Surehand suggested that Aithne have Glasgian carried up to a room, but Aithne refused and hugged Glasgian tightly to him.
“This is all your doing.” he hissed at me. “This sort of thing follows wherever you go. I knew we shouldn't ever have anything to do with you again.”
“For heaven’s sake, Aithne.” said Lofwyr. “She didn’t bring it here.”
“Yes, she did.” he said. “That creature has followed her through space and time. It will destroy anyone around her. This isn't the Enemy. It’s her enemy. It has come for her and I say we let it have her. She seeks to divert the issue. But we must see it for what it is. This is Aina’s battle. Not ours. Let her deal with it.”
“I must agree with Aithne.” said Alachia. “Obviously, Aina wants us to become involved with this personal matter. We don’t know that she didn’t conjure it up herself. After all, that was a specialty of hers, as I recall. This isn’t about the world—it’s about her.
“She has turned her back on us. I say we let her shift for herself.”
I had my back to her, but I knew she had plastered a noble, righteously dignified expression on her face.
Now they all would agree with her.
“This is a terrible mistake.” I said. “If I cannot stop him, he will bring them all across. He has the power to do so.”
“Get her out of here.” snarled Aithne. “If she says one more word I think I’ll . ; .”
Caimbeul came and wrapped his jacket around me. I hadn’t realized I'd been shivering.
“Let’s go.” he said.
“But . . .”
“You’ve done all you could.” he said.
I let him lead me from the room. Our footsteps echoed down the long hallway as we left.
25
“What am I going to do?” I asked.
I was huddled in the back of the limo. Caimbeul gave the driver instructions to take us straight to the airport.
“We’d best get out of here as quickly as possible.” he said.
“What about our things at the hotel?” I asked.
“Leave them.” he replied. “It’s just clothes.”
“Where are we going?”
“I don’t know. The next possible flight out. I don’t want Aithne or Alachia thinking they might want to have us arrested.”
“Arrested? What could they possibly arrest us for?”
“You name it. All they have to do is convince Lugh to send out the order. They could lock us up and keep us locked up for a long time. Have you forgotten when Alachia kept you imprisoned before? They would be able to justify it.”
I shoved my hands into the pockets of my jacket. I’d failed, I thought. They’d rejected me and my warnings. Now I would have to face Ysrthgrathe by myself. I didn’t know if I had the strength to fight him again.
The limo’s headlights illuminated row after row of dormant rose bushes.
Thorns.
So many thorns.
* * *
The first flight we could book passage on was a small tour plane. They were doing a hop from Portland to Eugene, then on to a small airstrip near Crater Lake. After refueling there, the next leg was to Eureka.
I hated small planes even more than large ones. So many things to go wrong, none of which I had any control over. How loathsome.
Luckily, the leg from Portland to Eugene was quiet. While Caimbeul and I stretched our legs, they took on more passengers. Lots of back-to-nature types. A couple of humans who said they were going to Crater Lake to perform research. The rest were elves. Judging from their totems and tattoos, they all appeared to be involved with some kind of shamanistic magic.
This annoyed me. These shamans.
“Do you see?” I asked Caimbeul in a low whisper. “They just don’t see the large way of things. With them it’s all power conferred through something else. They don’t see that the power is in them.”
“You can’t make them other than what they are.” Caimbeul said. “They were shaped by a world where magic didn’t exist. Their understanding of it will always be limited. Maybe the next generation . .
I frowned. “If we don’t stop Ysrthgrathe, there might not be another generation.”
* * *
The plane circled over Crater Lake before landing on the small airstrip about five miles away. The shamans and the humans all filed off with their backpacks. I knew that Crater Lake had been sealed off for some time by the military. It amazed me that anyone would try to get close to it without some sort of clearance.
Then it occurred to me—how stupid I was—that
they just might have clearance. If what Dunkelzahn had told me about Crater Lake was true, then the Tir could very well be pulling in magicians here and there to help them.
Caimbeul and I also got out at this stop. There was a two-hour layover. We followed the others into the tiny terminal. It was just one large room with a few benches. Through the plate glass window I saw two army jeeps with soldiers waiting outside. The shamans and the humans went immediately to them, gave some papers to the soldiers, then piled into the jeeps.
“How much do you know about what’s happening down there at Crater Lake?” I asked Caimbeul.
“Enough to know it would only upset you.” he replied. “Are you hungry?”
I nodded. “Starved.” I said. “But it looks like there are only those vending machines over there.
Stale, dried miso soup, dehydrated beans and rice, maybe an old candy bar.”
“Have no fear, madam.” he said. “We have two hours, and I happen to know of a place nearby that has fabulous food and a hell of a view.”
He led me outside and hailed what had to be the only taxi for five counties. The driver actually agreed to let us hire him for the next two hours. Caimbeul gave him the name of the restaurant, and we were off.
* * *
He hadn’t lied about the view. We were at the top of one of the higher peaks in the area. From this vantage we could see the surrounding countryside. Off in the distance was a blue glow that made me very nervous.
“Is that what I think it is?” I asked Caimbeul. “Shhh, no questions now.” he said. “Just have something to eat and think about getting out of here after dinner. We’ll talk later.”
It annoyed me, but perhaps he was right. No matter what was happening, I couldn’t stop it. Not now, at any rate.
Slowly, I began to relax. There were mostly military types in the restaurant. Some civilians, but they looked to be locals. It was an old-fashioned Mom and Pop kind of place. Mostly vegan dishes, with one or two meat entrees for the non-elven types. Given the makeup of the crowd, I suspected they didn’t do a lot of business with the beef.
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