I had so much to learn. “I’ll try to remember that,” I said.
Jed finally turned and looked at Coyote. "Exactly what came through that thing?"
Roy shrugged. "No idea. I wasn't here when it did. And, no, I can't tell you where it went either. And for once it isn't that I won't tell you, it's that I really, truly can't. As in, I don't know."
I was puzzled. "Then how do you know something really came through?"
"Can't you feel it? This place has had a bad vibe for years, yes, but not like this. Something came through, and it tracked evil behind it. Trust me, I can smell evil."
"If you can smell it, then can you track it?" Rose asked.
He shook his head. "Too much space here. The small amount of evil that leaked through has dissipated. No way to track it." He thought for a minute, then added, "Of course, if you get me close to the dang thing, I'll probably be able to recognize it for what it is."
"Well, I guess that’s something," Rose said.
"I don't know about the rest of you, but I think we should probably alert Dunwood," Taz said.
"Not a bad idea," Jed agreed. "Especially as the Erlking is involved. I can see the Erlking taking a particular interest in getting even with him."
Yeah, putting a steel gun to the King of Faerie's head would do that. Of course, Taz was alive today because Dunwood had done just that.
"When you go to brief Dunwood, might I ride along?” I asked. “I've been wanting to ask him some questions about your world's weapons. He seems to be very proficient with them."
Taz gave me a hard look. She wasn't buying my act. I knew that Jed was a Spirit Hunter and very good with guns. More importantly, Taz knew I knew that.
But Jed was taken, and Sheriff Dunwood was not.
Chapter 4
Since the Wild Hunt and the following rescue from Faerie, I’d only managed to see Sheriff Dunwood once in passing. I'd admit to being greatly impressed by him. The Erlking had picked him up during the hunt and forced him to participate. Men have been driven mad by that sort of thing before. Strong men.
Not Dunwood. He kept his cool, and the minute the sun rose and the hunt ended, he put a gun to the Erlking's head. He saved my sister's life. And impressed the heck out of me doing it.
The Erlking had invited me on the Wild Hunt for several years running, and I had declined every single time. The Hunt wasn't something you ever forgot. It takes an extremely strong will to survive a ride in the hunt, let alone keep your wits about you afterward.
So when Taz and Jed decided to bring him into the fold for this task, I was more than willing. Happy, even. I couldn't believe I admitted that... or even felt it, truly. Something about this world was making my emotions stronger. Harder to put a damper on. That worried me. Emotions can give others leverage against you. Feelings can get you killed.
One of the things I'd learned about this realm was that instead of just two courts... this world was divided in many different ways. There were divisions in religions, politics—imagine giving people a choice of who led them—, states, and even counties. There was also such a thing as "jurisdiction" when it came to enforcing the human laws. According to my sister, where we lived now was not in Dunwood's area to cover. Neither was the rift.
But then I was betting that wouldn't matter to him. I bet right.
After she called him, Taz said we had lucked out. At first, I thought that was a bad thing. Being out of luck was a bad thing in Faerie. Here though, it was good apparently.
She relayed that the next day was Dunwood's day off, and he would be available for us all day. She really hadn't gone into details with him over the phone. Just said his old friends from way out of town were up to trouble.
The Luparii had tapped her phone once, and she really didn't trust them not to do so again. Any important information we passed between one another, we passed face to face. I could relate to that. We most definitely didn't want the Luparii and the Fae to become friends with a common cause. The destruction of all Benandanti. Enemy of my enemy and all that.
I did have a call to make though. However, it didn't involve phone lines. I really needed money and another trip to that place my sister called The Mall. I wanted some yoga pants, and I really wanted them before Dunwood’s visit.
OUR TWO NEWEST PACK members really came through for me. Mac loaned me the money (from his stash of gold) for a whole new wardrobe, and Coyote provided the transportation. Of course, a whole new wardrobe for me consisted of two pairs of yoga pants, three pairs of leggings (I learned about them from the store clerk and fell in love), and several long tunic shirts to match. Some of the tunics were made of a stretchy material and included a belt with no purpose. The clerk called them "sweaters". I really do have to learn the lingo here, but that type of tunic was warm, and the belt didn't have to be worn. Though both Coyote and Mac seemed to prefer it on rather than off.
The next morning, I dressed in one of my new outfits and headed up to the main house for our meeting with Dunwood. In Faerie, I actually had my choice of mates. Here, I was rather limited. Of course, in Faerie, I was also spelled to not become with child. Here, that could be an issue. Something more to worry about.
I had another thought, too, that I wanted to address with Tazlyn at the first opportunity. Now that our pack consisted of more than just Benandanti, and shoot, even more than those who can change forms, I really thought we needed to greatly encourage Dunwood to join the pack. For too many reasons to count.
He was just pulling into the driveway when I came out from the trees. My sudden appearance startled him.
I grinned at him. "I'm a friendly, sheriff," I said, raising my hands briefly. The outfit I had chosen was a pale green sweater that Coyote had said "set off my eyes" whatever that meant. From his tone of voice, it sounded like it was a good thing. The sweater was rather form-fitting and worn over a pair of dark green leggings. My normal calf boots topped off the outfit. I was even wearing the useless belt on Mac's advice. By raising my hands, I was clearly showing him that I wasn't wearing a weapon.
Well, I had my wrist dagger covered by the sweater sleeve. A girl can't go around completely defenseless. Especially after my earlier scare.
His hand eased away from his jacket. I figured that was where his gun was. Not that I blamed him for that. The Fae generally came out of wooded areas, and it paid to be cautious.
He walked toward me, a question in his eyes. "Steele?"
Dunwood wasn't sure it was me. Damn this rapid aging thing.
"Yes, it's me," I said, smiling ruefully. "Ever since hitting this side of the Faerie gate, my age has been catching up on me."
His eyes traveled over my body, from boots to eyes, and for some strange reason, I felt my cheeks grow warm. That was... odd.
But then he smiled. "Age looks good on you." He held out his hand, and we shook as friends.
I'd be the first to admit that Taz has lousy timing sometimes. She could have given our reunion at least a minute or two longer, but no, she was on the front porch calling to us.
"Come on in, guys, we have a lot to cover today. And Jed and Roy are going to want to be relieved from their guard duty soon."
"Guard duty?" Dunwood asked. "You've caught one of them? Here?"
"Nothing like that," I said as we walked over to the house. "But we do have something worthy of watching. Taz and the others will explain."
Coyote had been a bit surprised when he was selected for the first guard shift with Jed. But as my sister's mate had explained, as a full pack member he would be expected to pull his weight. That meant taking a shift on guard duty. Then he sweetened the news by taking the first shift with him. Coyote had a major crush on Jedediah Crowe, but I really didn't think my sister had anything to worry about. Jed seemed loyal to her alone.
When the two of us entered the house, we found the others gathered around the fireplace in the living room. It was late in the Spring season, and this early in the morning, a fire still felt good. I was hoping that Du
nwood would take a seat on the couch, but he chose one of the straight back rocking chairs instead. I sat in the other one directly across from him. At least I had a good view.
Being the Wolf Alpha of the group, and the established leader of the pack, once everyone was settled into seats, Taz quickly briefed the sheriff on the rift. It didn't take long. Bottom line, we didn't know anything much about it, except that it was. It existed. And, of course, that the Fae Royals were behind it.
"But you are saying that the rift is small, right?" Dunwood asked. "Could anything come through it that could really do much damage?"
"The size of it actually concerns me, too," Taz said. "If the Royals truly wanted to send big, evil things through the rift, why did they make it so small? And for that matter, why are the two of them working together? I thought they hated each other."
"Oh, they do," Shaylee said. She seemed uncomfortable. And with good reason. The two of us knew why that rift was small instead of large and explaining was really going to show the Fae in a very bad light. Shaylee was not only Fae, she was Royal Fae. Daughter of the Erlking and Titania, and heir to the entire realm of Faerie.
I was fond of Shaylee, even if she had taken my place in this realm and had the benefits of the life I should have been able to lead. She hadn't asked for that. And I hadn't known those facts when she befriended me back in the Seelie Court. I truly believed she hadn't known them either. Of course, there I could be wrong. After all, her kind were masters of manipulation.
"We have to tell them, you know," I said. "It's important information."
Shaylee nodded, although she squirmed a bit in her chair. Then everyone looked at me.
"The reason the rift is so small, and the reason they are working together is one and the same. Power. Or rather, lack of it." I glanced around the room, really not wanting to explain. Taking a deep breath, I went on. "That will change in about six months’ time."
"What happens in six months that will give them more power?" Taz asked.
"The tithe," Shaylee whispered.
I nodded. "The tithe." Now we were into the really troubling part of the story. "Every seven years on All Hallows Eve, the Fae pay a tithe to Hell. From this tithe, they gain a massive amount of power. The bigger the tithe, the more power they gain. Enough power to last them for the next seven years. Power to make that rift big enough for even the largest of demons to walk through in comfort."
"Demons?" Dunwood's voice was at a near shout. "Are you saying that rift is a portal to Hell?"
All I could do was shrug. "I can't say for sure, but that would be my best guess from the sense of evil coming from it."
He shook his head. "But I still don't understand," Dunwood said. "What could the Fae possibly trade to Hell for power? Surely Hell has no need for gold or jewels, right?"
Rose hadn't said a word during the entire meeting, but meeting her eyes now, I could see that she knew. That was verified by her first words to the pack of the morning.
"Souls. The Fae tithe human souls."
Dunwood looked at Shaylee with horror. She blanched and seemed to shrink back into the couch.
"I hope everyone remembers that I was raised as Benandanti, not Fae," she said quietly, her fingers nervously tracing an unseen pattern on the sofa’s arm. "Yes, my last several years have been spent in Faerie, but as hard as she tried, Titania just couldn't undo my upbringing. By now, she realizes just how big of a mistake she made placing me with the Hunts. I don't believe the way the Fae do. Humans aren't just for mating, or servants, or tithe-bait for power. They are far more special to me than any of those things." She paused and looked down bringing her hands together in her lap. "They're family," she whispered.
"I can vouchsafe for Shaylee," I said. "When she came back to Faerie, things changed for the better for the humans of the Seelie Court. All thanks to her. She isn't like the rest. Maybe she would have been if the Queen had made a different choice, but she isn't."
"That's very good to know, dear," Rose said. "How Shaylee acted in Faerie should let us know that we can trust her now. Especially after the sacrifice she made to save us."
Shaylee shivered. "Trust me, it was no sacrifice."
She was right. It might have looked like a sacrifice to give up the opportunity to take the Black Dragon throne and rule all of the Fae from its back. But the reality was quite different. The Dragon throne lives, and it changed those who sat upon it. Just take a close look at Titania and the Erlking. Part of their madness for power stemmed from the Dragons they sat upon.
"So, if I'm hearing right here, that rift shouldn't pose all that much of a problem as it is. And with the Royals' power being so low—at least for the next few months—they shouldn't be able to expand it to let bigger things come through, right?" Just like my sister to want to get things spelled out right up front.
I nodded. "That's my take on it anyway. But you never want to take your eyes off evil. If that rift starts growing, it's all bets off."
“Plus, Mother had to have a reason for creating it,” Shaylee said. “And I really don’t think her plans for it should be taken lightly just because, for the moment at least, it’s small.”
For what it was worth, I totally agreed with the princess. Even small evil could do big things.
Chapter 5
After Dunwood’s very concise briefing, Tazlyn stated that she was taking the rest of the day off rift duty to concentrate on her wedding planning. Their ceremony was scheduled in three weeks, and personally, I couldn’t understand why she got so tense every time it was mentioned.
How hard could it be? All you needed was a bride, a groom, someone to do the marrying part, and a few friends and family. I mean, what on earth in the scenario was worthy of so much stress?
It baffled me, but I figured it was one of those things I didn’t understand because my upbringing had been so different from Taz’s. In Fae, the hardest thing about planning a wedding was getting the approval of the Fae Court that you belonged to. Once the king or queen agreed to the match, things went really quickly. If they didn’t agree, then there was no match.
Yeah, I didn’t think it was all that fair, either. But that’s the way things worked in Faerie.
So, while my sister and her recruits started working on the wedding plans, I offered to lead Dunwood to the site of the rift. After a quick stop off at my treehouse to load up my blades, we were off. I was going to be the men’s relief. Well, MacDougal was supposed to meet us there to complete the two-man team. Although, I rather hoped that Dunwood would offer to take the watch with me.
Fingers crossed, as people here say.
At least the situation at the rift hadn’t changed. I even did a quick patrol in fur form. Remembering Taz’s words at the last possible minute, I went into the woods to strip and change. Dunwood’s eyes widened when I trotted back out.
He knew what we were, so he shouldn’t have been too shocked. But then, if he had seen my sister’s form, he was bound to notice the difference between the two of us. Tazlyn was a brown and grey wolf. My form was a solid black. It made hunting at night so much easier. Natural camouflage.
While the men talked, I made my circuit, but no new scents had entered the area. Well, besides Dunwood’s, of course. The rift still seemed the same too. No larger or smaller. Just a tiny tear in the fabric of the mortal realm.
When finished, I went back to my clothes and changed and donned them. This was going to take some getting used to. Such a waste of valuable time, all in the name of modesty. Maybe Titania at least got a few things right.
The men were deep in conversation when I rejoined them. Dunwood saw me and looked up, smiling.
“A black wolf, huh?” he asked.
I smiled back. “That’s me.” A part of me was sad that he wasn’t a Benandanti too. I mean, having a mate that could run in the woods with you would have to be pretty awesome. Unfortunately, Benandanti men were hard to come by. Besides, Dunwood was special in his own right.
“I think we’
ve come up with a plan that would help us take care of watching the rift without our actually having to be here,” Jed said.
That didn’t sound possible, but then what did I know? So, I just waited for him to explain.
In the end, it was Dunwood that helped me understand. “You’ve watched television since you’ve been here, haven’t you?”
I nodded.
“Well, Jed here has some cameras that he can put up in a couple of these tall trees that will take constant pictures of the area. And then we can watch what is happening here at home on a monitor that works kind of like a television,” he said.
“That’s really possible?”
“It is. There will be a slight delay in anything happening here and us seeing it, but at least we’ll have it on film,” Jed said. Then he paused. “But I need to get the equipment from home first.” He looked over at Coyote, who, by now, was grinning ear to ear.
Jed sighed. “Well, I guess it had to happen sooner or later,” he said. “Coyote, would you mind taking me home to get the cameras and equipment and then bringing me back here?” He held up his hand to stop the Coyote from simply winking them out. “If the sheriff here will agree to stay with Steele while we’re gone, that is.”
With my blades at my side, I really didn’t think anything that could fit through that rift would be a match for me. But then, I wasn’t exactly going to complain about spending a little alone time with the handsome sheriff, either. So, I stayed quiet. Your move, Dunwood.
“Not a problem,” Dunwood said. Then he blinked when Coyote and Jed disappeared. Turning to me he asked, “Do they do that often?”
I grinned. “From what I understand, Coyote, yes. This was a first for Jed as far as I know.”
He nodded. “Any other cool powers you Benandanti have that I should know about?”
Okay, so that surprised me. “Coyote isn’t Benandanti,” I explained. “He’s Coyote.” I thought for a minute. “Sometimes Rose calls him the trickster if that helps. Of course, we also call him Roy.”
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