“I mated a fae.” I mimicked his easy shrug. “I have no regrets.”
“I mated a human.” Light spilled from his runes in time with his huffed laughter. “I have none either.”
“So where does that leave us?”
“Earth needed its own champions, and she got them. At great cost.” He rubbed his fingers together. “You can hate me all you like, but what I did—or didn’t do—will ensure peace between our realms for another millennia.” He hesitated. “The last time this happened, the fae stranded here made the mistake of following the example of the native supernaturals. We hid from humans, among humans, and that’s no kind of life. We let them forget us. We thought that would protect us. We were wrong.”
“You want us to live out in the open,” I gathered. “It’s not like we can put the cat back in the bag at this point.”
“Human memories are blissfully short,” he reminded me. “You aren’t the danger. The next generation, and the next, and the one after that are where good intentions will crumble.” He pointed a finger at me. “Don’t let them forget.”
“Why does this sound like goodbye?” I laughed off the creeping sense of unease. “What? You came to let me take a sucker punch and drop some truth bombs on me?”
“It is goodbye, Dell Preston.” He extended his arm toward the forest, and a slender woman—a human woman—with silvery hair cut in a bob stepped forward and took his hand. “I wanted to meet the young woman who figured it all out, who helped my daughter embrace her destiny, and I’m not disappointed. Not at all. As I said, Earth needed her champions, and she got them.”
“Are you…?” I tilted my head to appraise the older woman. “Thierry has your chin.”
“She’s got my temper too.” She leaned into Macsen Sullivan, the Black Dog of Faerie, and cuddled him like he was a teddy bear instead of one of fae history’s most powerful players. “It was nice meeting you, Dell.”
The couple circled back to the rock, and I followed, unable to grasp what was happening.
Macsen glanced over his shoulder, and then he drew a knife from his pocket and sliced his hand. Blood spilled over the stone, and his power flashed in blinding pulses down his arm. A disturbance opened in the air before me, a swirl that parted to reveal the lush otherworld where my mate had been lost.
I didn’t think. I didn’t hesitate. I ran for the rock and leapt for the tether he was anchoring.
But Macsen and his wife were gone, and I landed face-first in the lake.
Sharp teeth scraped the back of my neck, and low growls rumbled down my spine. The massive wolf, its jaws clamped around my tee like I was an errant pup, paddled to shore and hauled me onto the sand before shaking the water from his pelt.
“Thanks.”
Cord gave a short bark, demanding an explanation for my antics.
“I met the Black Dog.” I hated myself a little for daring to give him hope, but I was selfish. I didn’t want to lose him too.
The wolf perked his ears.
“He anchored a tether into Faerie.” I pointed at that damn, miserable rock. “Right there.”
He padded closer and sat beside me. Together we watched for a miracle.
Night fell and with it, our hopes. To pass the time, I counted fireflies as their lightbulb bottoms winked in and out of existence. I had just reached one hundred and resolved to start over because I’d lost track of what bugs had already been catalogued, when the hairs down my arms lifted in a prickling wave.
Magic peppered the air. A cool breeze smelling of loam and petrichor swirled over my skin in a soothing kiss. The air above the stone warped, twisted, bleeding glimpses of another world between the shredded ribbons of reality.
A woman stepped into being on the jagged outcropping, her figure cast in silhouette, and another body followed, and another, on and on until five shadows crowded together.
I had imagined this, exactly this, a dozen times a day. A hundred. A thousand.
And I was terrified that any movement on my part might cause them to disappear.
Cord had no such reservations and lunged for his mate. Cam sank to her knees and buried her face in his fur. Tears glittered in her eyes when our gazes met over his shoulder, and she smiled. As she stood, she kept her fingers clenched in his ruff, and the two of them walked away without saying a word.
Unconvinced I wasn’t hallucinating after so many hours standing vigil, I rubbed my dry eyes raw.
Footsteps pounded across the sandy expanse, and the scent of burnt metal and circuitry filled my head. Isaac. Lowering my hands, I reached out and pressed them to his cheek, his jaw, tracing my way lower until I flattened my palm against the steady beat of his heart. Oxygen flooded my lungs, and my head cleared for the first time since the moment he’d vanished from my life. I tasted him on every breath. Metal. Salt. Man. The wolf rose in me, peering out at him through eyes I knew from experience had turned golden with possession.
“I don’t care if you’re real or not.” I hopped, linked my arms around his neck and hooked my feet at his lower back. “I’m not letting you go.”
“Shh.” His strong hands bit into my thighs as he held me in place. “It’s all right. I’m here.”
The first sob erupted before I tucked my face in the curve of his throat, before his lips brushed my temple, before his warmth seeped into my skin, so alive I had no room left for doubt. If this was insanity, sign me up for a life sentence.
“Does she believe you’re real yet?” Theo teased. “Or is she jumping on figments now? She did that to me once, you know. Thought I was you and almost tackled me to the ground. I kind of regret not seeing that through, honestly. She has very toned—”
“Finish that sentence, brother.” The hands clenching my thighs tightened. “I dare you.”
A high-pitched shriek pierced the air, and I lifted my head as Mai rushed headlong into Thierry and knocked them both to the ground. While their hug escalated into rolling across the carpet of pine needles, their mates clasped hands over them and exchanged greetings. You know, like normal people.
Not that I had much room to talk while playing anaconda around Isaac’s torso.
“I saw lights…” Zed burst from the forest and soaked in the gathering. “Where are Cam and Cord?”
“Beauty went to tame her beast.” Theo pointed in the general direction they’d gone. “I wouldn’t interrupt them if I were you. He’s going to shift, which means he’ll be naked, and we all know how that ends.”
Zed scowled at Theo like it was his fault the alpha couple had taken a much-deserved moment alone before being whisked away to endless meetings that would postpone their private reunion for hours. With a grunt, Zed flicked a glance at Isaac. “Glad you made it back in one piece.”
“Really?” Shock carved lines across his forehead as he set me back on my feet. “I figured you’d be thrilled to have Dell all to yourself again.”
“You’re her other half,” he grumbled. “She’s not whole without you. Not anymore. I couldn’t call myself her friend if her suffering brought me any kind of pleasure.”
A surge of emotion blurred my vision. “This right here is why you’re my BFF.”
Zed grunted as blood rushed into his cheeks at the praise.
“We need to debrief you.” Thierry moseyed over after un-Velcroing her friend, Shaw trailing behind her. “And get debriefed I imagine. Is there somewhere we can talk?”
None of the old RV park had survived. We were living in tents on a campground a few miles north of our original home while cleanup was underway.
“We can use my tent,” I offered. “The walls are a little thin, though.”
“I’ve got it covered.” Shaw pulled a charm from his pocket. “We don’t have long. I’d rather stick close in case the alphas want to chat before we leave.”
I looped my arm through Isaac’s and leaned my head against his shoulder as we cut a path through the woods to our camp. Our procession drew curious eyes and earned the group several nods of re
spect and a few waves or whistles.
“It’s not much,” I said in warning as I led them into my humble abode, “but it’s home.”
Thierry and Shaw got comfortable on my sleeping bag, the only piece of “furniture” in the place, while Isaac and I leaned against a mound of clean clothes I had no intentions of folding. After receiving a nod from Thierry, Shaw crushed the charm between his fingers. Magic stung the air and popped my ears as a privacy spell activated.
“Who goes first?” I burrowed against Isaac, pressing as much of myself against him as was decent with company present. “I’m sure your tale is more interesting than mine.”
“Isaac can tell you the long story, but the short story is this. We got sucked into Faerie along with a crapton of other fae, including Rilla’s sopping-wet corpse.” The memory curved her mouth. “We spent the last week as guests of King Tiberius and Queen Leandra in the Halls of Summer.”
An answering smile twitched my lips. “How did his parents take the news?”
“Considering Tiberius and Leandra are a package deal now that they’re mated,” Thierry said, “there wasn’t much for them to do except welcome her to the family.”
From prince and kitchen maid to king and queen. A couple that literally couldn’t live without each other. That was fairytale material right there.
“Wait a minute. You said a week?” I waited for confirmation. “It’s been half that here.”
“Freaking monkeys,” she cursed. “I figured the cycles would be off in Faerie for a while, but not that skewed. Though, with each realm safe in its own bubble, the disruption to the fae ought to be kept to a minimum until equilibrium returns.”
Eager for more updates, I nudged her toward one that had plagued me the most. “What about the Morrigan?”
“Last time I saw her, she was counting down the hours until the magic on her collar fizzled. With Rook MIA, it’s only a matter of time before she frees herself of its control.” Thierry smiled in the face of my panic. “Don’t worry, we took precautions. I severed the tether we used to get home, and Dad did the same from the other side.”
Relief swept through me in a pulsing wave. “How will he get back?”
“Dad isn’t coming back,” she said softly. “The only way to seal Faerie was to destroy the entry point he created so we could go home. For that to happen—”
“—one of you had to stay behind,” I finished for her. “I’m sorry.”
“The legend of the Black Dog was built upon sacrifice.” This time her smile didn’t reach her eyes. “At least this time he has Mom with him. He’s not alone. Gramps is nice and all, but their father/son bonding involved playing fetch, not conversation.”
“Will there be another Coronation Hunt to make Tiberius official?” I wondered.
“He was crowned with the blessing of both the Seelie and Unseelie consuls. He’s as official as it gets without Dad’s blood spilling.” A faint smile broke the hard line of her mouth, as though amused by what she would say next. “One of his first proclamations was that the crown would continue to switch heads every century.” She lifted a finger. “But next time the throne will pass to the Unseelie prince. When his reign ends, it will be returned to the Seelie.”
“It’s a beautiful dream,” I murmured.
One I hope didn’t end with poison in his cup or a blade through the heart.
“I have my suspicions that things will go well for Tiberius,” she said cryptically. “The young king has more powerful allies than he realizes.”
Her father. That was who she meant. Who else could it be? Putting kings on thrones had been his sole purpose for as long as songs had been sung about him.
Surely, he hadn’t… No. It wasn’t possible. No one, not even the Black Dog, could have foreseen these events and known the outcome, right?
Doubt crept in on spider legs to tickle my spine. This was the dawning of a new era. Perhaps the Black Dog wasn’t as retired from kingmaking as his daughter believed. Swearing fealty to the throne was one thing, but the Black Dog had made the choice to sit out of the battle and let us win our freedom.
Asking Thierry if her father had allowed a war to happen in order to clean house and balance the scales in his home realm stank of paranoia. But try as I might, I couldn’t huff the stench from my nose.
“So that’s Faerie squared away,” Isaac said, stroking a hand over my hair. “How about Earth?”
“A couple of magistrates have requested status updates,” I said, “including Vause.” The magistrate had hidden her concern for Cam well, but I had learned enough about fae to know if she was asking after Cam day after day, she wasn’t checking in on an asset. It was honest concern, as honest as she was capable of anyway. “Apparently, three magistrates were killed within days of the rift splitting open. The evidence points to the same person being responsible. The Earthen Conclave is pursuing leads, but it’s slow going. They’re low on agents, and the marshals are recruiting left and right to refill their ranks.”
“How about the pack?” He pressed his lips to the top of my head. “How about you?”
“The pack is holding steady. Twenty-eight of the fifty-three wolves we counted as ours before you left have pledged full and permanent loyalty to Lorimar. Fifteen others returned to their packs. Ten more were killed in the final push to hold the line around the lake.” The final question was the hardest to answer. “I’m…going to be okay.”
The worst had happened. I had lost Isaac, but I hadn’t lost myself. It hadn’t been fun. It had been downright miserable finding reasons to crawl out of my sleeping bag each morning. One of which I was looking forward to showing Isaac soon. But I had done it the same as Zed had every day since his mate died.
His template for recovery had saved me yet again, his resilience proving death or eternal misery weren’t the only solutions for those of us left behind. Though, to be fair, in some ways it was an apples-to-oranges comparison.
Isaac and I were bonded mates, true partners in every sense of the word. It was more than Zed had been allowed with his mate. Had they crossed that threshold prior to her death… My template might have been erased altogether.
Isaac studied me while I worked through the intricacies of my answer, grasping the nuances of what I left unsaid, and nodded his understanding. “I’m proud of you.”
“Don’t let his stoicism fool you,” Shaw cut in with a wicked smile that blinded. “We locked him in the dungeon twice during our vacation.”
Glowering, Isaac stared down the incubus.
“What?” Clearly, the memory tickled Shaw’s funny bone. “You needed a time out.”
“He did try to strangle me a little,” Thierry admitted. “I’m a tad more forgiving of attempted murder than Shaw.” She elbowed him, and he grinned down at her. “You’re so cute when you’re defending my honor.”
“You mentioned the magistrates have been in touch.” Isaac neatly turned the corner on our discussion. “Are we talking functioning cell towers or sat phones, or does this mean a magical solution?”
“Magic, I’m afraid.” I patted his arm. “Crews are working to restore utilities in human-centric areas with help from friendly, neighboring fae, but there’s only so much they can do until the fried systems can be replaced or repaired. At this point, we’re still discovering the extent of the damage. The surge appears to have been a global phenomenon, but there are exceptions, pockets of unaffected cities, still being investigated.”
“How are human and fae relations going?” Thierry asked. “Better or worse than human and supernatural relations?”
“There’s a certain fascination with vampires and werewolves,” I allowed. “I think our people are safer because hordes of the next generation seem to believe we’re all hot, single and searching for love among mortals.” Thank you, Twilight. “Fae haven’t fared as well. There have been fewer movies and books portraying your kind as anything but gorgeous and lethal to sway public opinion in your favor.”
A shadow glided a
cross the tent, and Shaw did something that popped my ears a second time. While I worked my jaw to ease the sudden absence of pressure, I called out, “Yes?”
“Vause is on the line.” Zed pulled aside the flap and leaned in so he could lower his voice. “She called demanding to speak with Cam.” Meaning we had spies, likely among the Bloodless, tattling to the magistrates on our movements. Shocker. “I told her the alphas are currently unavailable, so she’s asking for you two now.”
“Ugh.” Thierry stood, and we all rose with her. “Might as well get it over with.”
Shaw massaged her shoulders as they walked out, and Isaac and I trailed them.
“Will you be leaving afterward?” I pointed out a vacant tent. “We could make up the guestroom for you.”
“I appreciate the offer,” she said, “but Vause will be ordering us home. Of that I have no doubt.”
I extended my arm, and we shook hands. “Come back and visit sometime, why don’t you?”
“Oh, I’m sure I will.” She spared a glance up at where the rift once churned. “I’m glad the pack is here to keep an eye on things. The rift is sealed, but this site will always be more vulnerable to dumbasses attempting to go for lucky apocalypse number three. This threshold will keep Faerie out for a good long time but…”
But anything could happen. “Gotcha.”
Zed guided them toward Cord and Cam’s tent, leaving me standing alone with Isaac in front of a conveniently placed tent flap that led straight to an even more conveniently placed sleeping bag.
I linked my arms behind his head and wiggled my eyebrows. “Are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Hmm.” His eyes crinkled at their corners. “That debriefing sounds a lot dirtier when only two people are involved?”
“You know me so well.” I hauled him down for a smacking kiss that made him laugh out loud. “Let’s see how well I know you.” I linked our fingers and led him across the camp until we stopped in front of the largest tent. I unzipped the flap and eased inside, hauling him after me. “Ta-da!”
Over the Moon (Gemini Book 6) Page 21
