“Good. I’m glad you have help. I’ll tell Ernie as soon as we get off the phone. Wish me luck tomorrow night.”
Roman’s irritation seemed to drain out of his voice. “Of course I do. You and Nerissa be careful. Come back in one piece. It’s important. I mean it.”
“Your mother agrees with you there. We’ll do whatever we can to stay as safe as we can. I’ll call you when it’s over. Or…on the outside chance something happens, I’ll ask somebody to call you for me.” We murmured our good-byes and then hung up. As I went to find Ernie—Roman’s chief of communications—it occurred to me that maybe Blood Wyne had a psychic bone to her. Things were changing—I could feel them in the wind. Maybe things would work out for the best, after all.
NERISSA AND I hadn’t been out on a date in ages, just the two of us, so I rescued her from her desk after I talked to Ernie, and we went to the Wayfarer, more out of a need to touch a piece of our past rather than anything else. Derrick set us up in the best booth, and we ordered a steak and lobster dinner for Nerissa and a bottle of flavored blood for me. Apparently, Morio’s trick had caught on in the magical community and now was spreading as a business.
“Morio should have patented this spell. He could have made a fortune,” I said, staring at the bottle.
“I think he’d see it as a form of open-source magic, rather than proprietary,” Nerissa said, leaning back in the booth. She was wearing a gorgeous hot pink mini-dress, and her hair shimmered, hanging down around her shoulders. She was hot beyond hot, and every time I looked at her, I was reminded of why I had fallen in love.
“I’ve got some news for you. How would you like to go on a trip around the country with me? We’ll stop in a major city in every state.” I took a long sip of my blood, relishing the taste of clam chowder. It was a small bottle, appetizer size, and I was looking forward to the fish-and-chips flavor for dinner.
Nerissa blinked. “You’re kidding? I think that would be a blast. But we’ll never be able to get away.”
“Au contraire, my dear. Blood Wyne herself suggested it. She wants me to speak before Congress at the end of the month on the Vampire Rights Act. While neither she nor I expect it to pass this time, we discussed what might help for next year, and to that end, she plans on sending us out as goodwill ambassadors around the country to stir up support for it. She thinks by seeing you—a werepuma, alive and breathing, with me—a vampire, not so alive and breathing—that people will feel more at ease and provide a groundswell of support for the next election.”
Nerissa’s eyes flashed, and her lips spread into a wide grin. “What if, by some miracle, the bill does pass this year?”
“Then we can just strengthen it with a tour like that. I thought you might like it, and since Blood Wyne thought of it, there’s really no way to say no.” I paused, hoping she would jump aboard the idea. I hated trying to convince her to do something she wasn’t thrilled with. Nerissa had already compromised so much for me.
She clapped her hands. “I can hardly wait. I’ve always loved traveling, and this way we’ll be able to really see the country. Can we stay for a few days in each city?”
“I’m sure we can,” I said, relief pouring through me. “I’m so glad you like the idea.”
She paused. “What about Roman, though? Will he be coming?”
“Blood Wyne said he could fly out for several of the actual meetings—we’ll be giving speeches and hosting events for notables who support our cause. But he won’t be coming on the actual tour. So it will be like an extended honeymoon. Fifty cities, if we spend two or three days in each city—that’s four or five months of travel. You’re sure you don’t mind being away that long?” I suddenly realized just how long that was, and how much I’d miss my sisters, but I pushed aside the thought. This was a chance we might not have again.
Nerissa shook her head, her cheeks flushed. She reached across the table, taking my hand. “I don’t mind. Not at all. In fact, it sounds like a dream. I’m so excited.” She suddenly stopped, staring down at her plate. “First, we have to make sure…” Her words drifted off.
“Shadow Wing?” I asked.
She nodded. “Yes.”
“Tomorrow night decides it. But for tonight, let’s just hold onto the thought that we get a trip around the country. You know Blood Wyne will spring for the best accommodations. Where should we start? Blood Wyne is going to leave it up to us to decide the itinerary, as long as it coincides with cities that have a high vampire population.”
And so we pushed aside the worries over Shadow Wing as we made plans for the trip. We sat in the booth for three hours, nibbling on our food, chatting with Derrick, and looking toward a future that seemed brighter than it had for a long time.
Chapter 11
Delilah
TRENYTH WAS THERE to greet us when we shifted through the portals shortly after dusk, with a surprise by his side. Standing next to him was Feddrah-Dahns, the prince of the Dahns Unicorns. Mistletoe, his pixie servant, was straddling his horn.
We were standing on the northern border of Thistlewyd Deep, on the outskirts of the Windwillow Valley. The grass plains spread out behind us, the knee-high blades whispering in the constant susurration of wind that played through the area. Travelers could take days on end to plow through the never-ending grasslands.
We were probably one of the largest groups that had ever gated over together from Earthside. Besides my sisters and Nerissa, we had all the men with us, the nine Keraastar Knights, and twenty of Joreal’s daemon soldiers.
Wilbur looked around, his eyes wide. “What the hell…” The look on his face said it all: for once, we had shocked him speechless. He just kept turning, looking in all directions.
The sky was clear, which meant it would be cold tonight. The moon wasn’t showing—she was at her darkest tonight, and our only light at the moment was the glimmer of the unveiling stars. I closed my eyes, drifting in the quietude. Even with a party as large as ours, the lack of noise from traffic and appliances and the hurried scuffle of human interaction was calming. As nervous as I was, I also felt a sense of peace surround me.
The thicket that spread for hundreds of miles was made up of mostly conifers, very much like at home, dark and overgrown with vegetation. To the northeast was Dahnsburg, home of the Dahns unicorns, and the westernmost port on the edge of the Wyvern Ocean. To the west and southwest, the Deep spread out, buttressed along the way by Dahnsberry Lake and Willowyrd Glen. Eventually, Thistlewyd Deep blended into the forests of Darkynwyrd, where Raven Mother also roamed, and then out into the Ranakwa Fens—dangerous marshes that spread on for hundreds of miles. Over to the west of the Deep, the Tygerian Mountains split through the world, a long, trundling mountain range that was impossible to cross other than through the high mountain passes that were covered with mist and fog, and during the winter, with snow.
Camille ran over to Feddrah-Dahns. The two were good friends, and she threw her arms around the unicorn’s neck, hugging him tightly. I looked around, hoping to see Sharah. Chase was looking too.
“Well met,” Trenyth said, stepping forward to greet us. “Although I can’t say that I’m glad for the circumstances bringing us together this evening.”
Camille turned around, her face taut. “We feel the same way, trust me. But circumstances are pointing toward now and we can’t wait any longer. Joreal predicts that Shadow Wing may be able to break through the worlds within a month’s time, possibly sooner.”
That brought a resounding frown to Trenyth’s face. The elf had been Queen Asteria’s advisor when she was alive, and now he played the same role for Sharah.
“Then we’d best move forward with the plan.”
“Trenyth, excuse me, but is Sharah here?” I didn’t want to interrupt, but I knew Chase was champing at the bit to see her.
But Trenyth shook his head. “No, she was required back in Elqaneve. Official business. She sends her best blessings to you.” He paused, turning to Chase. “And her love.”
<
br /> Chase acknowledged the message with a brief nod. “Understood. It’s just as well. All our focus must be on the mission.”
I glanced at him. He sounded different—a little stilted. But he saw me looking and gave me a faint smile, and I turned my attention back to Trenyth. “Raven Mother was supposed to meet us. Do you know if she’ll be here?”
I knew just what Trenyth thought of Raven Mother, but he had centuries of practice and he didn’t even bat an eye as he said, “She’ll meet us as we enter the woodland.”
“We?” Camille asked. “You’re coming with us?”
He nodded. “Sharah asked me to attend. Queen Asteria was there at the beginning of this journey. Sharah and I felt that she would have wanted me to join you, to bear witness. You are about to make history—either way the cards fall. The elves will be there to watch.”
I caught my breath as a shimmering form rose up behind him. Queen Asteria was there, watching over her unrequited love. She had fallen hard for him, and it had been equally apparent how much he loved her, but her position stood in their way. They had never come together. I wanted to tell him that she was there—she was with him—but stopped myself. Sometimes, there were reasons people didn’t know the dead followed them. If she wanted him to know, she’d find a way. Nobody had been more stubborn than the Elfin queen.
“Derisa and some of the priestesses from the Moon Mother’s Grove are supposed to be here, too, but they seem to have been detained,” he added.
“We can’t wait for them, they’ll have to catch up,” Camille said. She turned to Feddrah-Dahns.
“I, too, shall come with you. My father gave me leave to come witness and do whatever I can to help.” Feddrah-Dahns hoofed the ground, shaking his silky white mane. It shimmered under the darkening evening.
I shivered, zipping up my jacket as Shade handed me my cloak. I had brought it in case the night proved too cold, and now the temperature began to plunge as the skies darkened overhead, clear and panoramic.
Camille and her men took the lead, followed by four of her guards from the Barrow. Then came the Keraastar Knights. Menolly and Nerissa, with Wilbur between them, swung in beside the ninth Knight—Lisa. Then Roz and Vanzir and Shade and I fell in behind them. Trenyth, Feddrah-Dahns, and Mistletoe followed us. The daemon guards closed in behind and we set off, into the woods, toward the final showdown.
THE DEEP CLOSED in around us almost immediately, and the woods were alive with the scuffle of animals, the rustle of tree and branch and bush and plant. The smell in these woods was pungent, thick with old magic and mushrooms and mildew and the tang of soil, sour from the decay of the detritus. The ground vibrated with the heartbeat of the Deep, a resonance so ancient it predated everyone and everything. It was feral, wild and untamed, and filled with the magic of the Fae and of Elementals and all things living between worlds. It made me uneasy, but I noticed that Luke and Amber didn’t seem fazed by it, nor did Clyde, and they were Weres as well. The spirit seals must have attuned them to magic in a way most Weres never experienced.
Ahead, Camille wore the hide of the Black Beast and carried in one hand her new dagger that she had been so mysteriously gifted. In her other hand, she carried her yew walking staff. I knew the unicorn horn was deep in her cloak pocket, but she wisely kept it hidden. While we were grateful for Joreal’s help, the thought that one of daemons might decide to run off with the horn was daunting, and too much a possibility for comfort.
As we worked our way into Thistlewyd Deep, I wasn’t sure where we were going, but Camille seemed intent on a direction. Though we passed several forks in the road, she kept us in a straight direction, heading southwest into the heart of the forest.
Shade, who was walking by my side, took my hand as we crept along in the darkness. The only illumination we had were the eye catchers that floated around Morio and Camille, and I had the feeling they had learned to either summon them, or to create them. Nobody was entirely sure what exactly the lights were, but they were all over Otherworld.
We were about an hour into the Deep when Camille stopped, looking around. Another moment and there was a swirl of smoke in front of her, and then, a brilliant ruby flash and a raucous laughter that I recognized all too well.
“Well met, my friends, and welcome to the Deep. Thistlewyd awaits you, and so do I.”
Raven Mother stood there. She made me antsy. Neither Menolly nor I understood how Camille put up with her, even though she had helped us in the past. I didn’t trust her, but that could be because she was the very nature of the raven, and cats and birds weren’t meant to mix.
When I looked at Raven Mother, the word garish came to mind. She was flamboyant to a degree that unsettled me, and she was as dangerous and crafty as the forest we were standing in. But her fate seemed inexorably linked to our own, so I kept my misgivings to myself.
“Well met,” Camille said, dipping into a curtsey. “Thank you for helping us.”
“Lovely lovely Fae Queen, of course I would help you, Camille, whom the Moon has claimed and brought into the dark shining realm. You hold my heart in your hands,” Raven Mother added, looking at Bran.
The pair had not been on speaking terms as of late, but when he entered Camille’s service as a Keraastar Knight, it seemed to forge a new respect between mother and son.
“I will do my best to keep him safe, but being your son, he will survive.” Camille glanced back at Bran, who merely nodded.
The Elemental Lords were the only true Immortals, and Bran was the son of not only Raven Mother but the Black Beast as well, which meant he was one of the few walking in the world who would never face death. And when I thought about that, it actually soothed me. He was one of the Keraastar Knights, and was also Immortal, which meant he could stand there forever and beat on Shadow Wing till Shadow Wing was dead, if it came to that. I was about to make a joke about sending him in on a non-suicide mission but then bit my tongue. I was learning to be diplomatic, and it occurred to me that wouldn’t go over as well as it had in my head.
Raven Mother glanced at Feddrah-Dahns. “So one of the young comes home to nest.”
Feddrah-Dahns dipped his head with a whinny. “Raven Mother, my father sends his regards. Do you think the Black Unicorn will mind my presence?”
She shrugged. “Why should he? You are one of his descendants. You were there when he went through his last cycle. Just don’t attempt to correct him and you should be well, well indeed you should. But keep the pixie in line.”
Feddrah-Dahns murmured a soft agreement and edged away.
“Where do we set up?” Camille asked.
“Come, a little farther into the Deep. The Black Beast has prepared an arena.” Raven Mother turned and, taking the lead, began to lead us into the undergrowth.
Pushing through the heavy brush seemed a trial at first, but after about ten minutes we found ourselves on yet another path, one that couldn’t be seen from the main trail. We wove around bushes and ferns, and the occasional boulder, and all along the path, the sides were alive with the sound of creatures snuffling through the woods. I wasn’t what they were, but they kept to themselves, not daring to come out against such a sizable force.
I glanced behind at the daemon guards. They looked uneasy, but they were minding their manners, and I slipped back to talk to the captain. His name was Welbourne, and he seemed to have a good command over his men.
“Thank you for coming on the mission,” I said, walking along beside him.
He shrugged, the leather of his armor squeaking slightly as he did so. “If we can help defeat Shadow Wing, then we’ve done our duty. None of us expects to return to our home. We consider this to most likely be our last stand, and we will fight to the death against him, as needed.”
The daemons looked incredibly human-like, except for the glow in their eyes and the energy that surrounded them. They were charismatic rogues, where very few demons were, but they were willing to work with others, also unlike most run-of-the-mill demons. In fac
t, Vanzir was one of the few demons that we had found who wasn’t just out for himself.
I felt a chill run down my back. He was deadly serious. At that moment it hit me, we were all potentially walking to our doom. Shadow Wing wasn’t a god, but he wasn’t just another run-of-the-mill demon general. And who knew what kind of power he had absorbed?
“You’re right. This could be our last stand.” I paused, then asked, “So why did you volunteer?”
He shook his head. “We were chosen as the brightest and best among the army. We’re from Joreal’s personal guard. We’re battle-ready, and used to pressure. If we can’t help keep Shadow Wing surrounded until your crew can take him on, then nobody can.” He cleared his throat. “Now, please allow me to return to my thoughts. I’m making my peace with this life.”
I nodded, then moved back to Shade’s side. We followed Raven Mother in silence until the path gave way and opened out into a large clearing. Surrounded by the blasted trunks of ancient trees, the ground was compacted and hard—I couldn’t tell whether it was mostly stone or dirt. The trees looked like they had been blasted by lightning, their trunks rising into the sky, black skeletons that had been scorched into charcoal.
We spread out around the clearing. Menolly and I joined Camille, who was standing next to Raven Mother.
“What is this place?” I asked, glancing around. I could see spirits walking through the clearing, taking no notice of us. They weren’t only spirits of Fae, but of creatures, too, and birds. “Something happened here, didn’t it? Some terrible war?”
Raven Mother’s smile slid away and she nodded. “Yes, this was the site for a renegade group of sorcerers who were hiding out after the Scorching Wars. They thought they could hide in my forests, they did, but they were wrong. The elves sought leave to track them down, and there was a terrible fight. Rather than surrender, the sorcerers destroyed the area with one mighty spell, killing themselves and their attackers. Nothing has grown in this spot since then, and it remains haunted and deserted by all save for the spirits who walk this forest.”
Blood Bonds Page 14
