“Who are you?” I asked, though I had a feeling I already knew the answer.
“I am who you believe I am, daughter of the elements. Do you know who you are?”
I blinked at the being, seeking some characteristic that would tell me their gender, but unable to find anything. They were a strange, shimmering gradient shifting from the purple shade of the hounds to pale white, with eyes only a few shades darker.
“I’m trying to figure that out, but it would help if you’d call off your beasts.”
“They only do as I wish. Their will is my will, yet you interfere. Why?”
“Because your will is murdering innocent humans,” I yelled. “Why do you think that’s okay?” My voice was shrill and shaky, and I clung tighter to Bodhi’s limp shoulders, desperate for answers.
The being tilted its head and the entire throng of hounds surrounding it followed suit, their movements as synchronized as my own hounds were.
“Those humans were tainted, their souls lost before they were born. The bloodline was not meant to be perpetuated after the manner in which they were created. One mortal creature was not intended to be the mother of an entire race. The nymph responsible was destroyed, and her bloodline must also be destroyed.”
“You know they aren’t hers anymore, don’t you? Her blood was replaced. It no longer runs in their veins.”
“Dionysus’ blood does not erase their origins, nor the fact that they are touched by divinity and yet have no tethers to my tapestry. I cannot find soul mates for them all, and the pattern must persist. They are rogue threads that will taint my design.”
“Am I part of your design?” I asked.
“I do not know what you are. I did not know you existed until yesterday when my hound set eyes on you. A Prismatic dragon is not all that you are. And now, I see somehow you have already become more. You are as much an abomination as the bloodline.”
“So, why didn’t you try to kill me?” I challenged. When the creature didn’t answer, I said, “You can’t kill me, can you?”
It gave an almost imperceptible shake of its head. With a wave of its hand, all the hounds disappeared. Once they were gone, I caught a glimpse of four haggard shapes in the distance glowing a dim purple and huddling together. They approached with caution, keeping a wide berth around the being as they made their way to the edge of the barrier.
My eyes pricked with tears at the sight of my pups. Deep purple gashes covered them, seeping energy that floated behind them like trails of fire.
On my lap, Bodhi let out a breath, and I glanced down, my heart leaping in my chest. His eyes were open, but unfocused. I tried not to read anything into that and simply sighed in relief, dipping my head to kiss his brow.
“You’re lucky he’s alive,” I spat, glaring back at Fate. “I don’t care how powerful you are. If he’d died, I would have found a way to destroy you.”
“I can no more be killed than you can. I see who you are now, daughter of all the higher races. Chimera. You intrigue me. The brightness of a soul not yours burns within you, yet it is not whole. Was that fragment stolen, or was it a gift?”
The creature tilted its head as it studied me. “A gift, I think,” it continued. “You do not possess the same darkness that was in the nymph who made you, and yet I cannot grasp the end of your thread to tether it to my tapestry. You were not accounted for, yet here you are. If you are outside the design, you are a threat to its predetermined pattern as much as the nymph who created you. I should destroy you, but I will give you a choice. If we are to coexist, I must have assurances that you will not interfere with the design.”
“I’ll do whatever you ask. Just please stop killing the bloodline.”
“I’m afraid I cannot make that promise. If they are untethered, they must be balanced. Mates can’t easily be found for them; therefore, destruction is the expedient way to ensure that balance. But I will spare the ones closest to you if you do one thing.”
“What is it?”
“Do not accept the gift this one wishes to give you. Even as he lies broken in your arms, his soul reaches out to fill that emptiness within you. The power you would wield with his contribution would upset the balance. Distort the tapestry. This combination of elemental magic cannot be repeated.” It waved its hand at the dome that surrounded us.
“Just him? What about others?” I asked. I hadn’t had time to ponder what would happen if Bodhi survived my mark with his will intact, but if I couldn’t have him, could I even hope Ozzie would come around?
“If you fail to heed my warning, I will send my hounds after any soul you seduce, especially any turul who you manage to lure away from the mates I have chosen for them. Your friend, Sandor, insists there has been no seduction, that he still seeks his One, but I know there are others who are less inclined to accept their fates.”
I latched onto the mention of Sandor, leaning forward. “Where is he? If I agree to what you want, you have to set him free!”
“He is not yours, nor is he bloodline. Why do you risk so much for a turul you don’t love?”
“He’s my friend,” I said. “And he got tangled up in this mess thanks to me. I promise I’m not after his soul. I don’t actually know any turul who’d want me.”
“Fortunate for them and any other lovers you choose. Vow to me you will temper your power for their sake, chimera. You may use these beasts to aid the bloodline if you choose, but those tainted humans will be erased if they are not bound to another soul.”
“Okay,” I said, agreeing almost unconsciously in the face of Fate’s dire threat. I just wanted this to be over.
“Do I have your word, chimera?”
I nodded, blinking up at the being. “Yes, you have my word, if you promise to set Sandor free.”
The figure’s eyes grew calculating and it glanced down at the four ravaged hounds who huddled outside the dome. A disturbingly sly smile spread across its androgynous features. “How badly do you wish to preserve your precious bloodline?”
“I will do anything that does not jeopardize someone else’s life,” I said, eager to make any kind of deal if it meant saving the ones I loved—even if it meant sacrificing my own happiness.
“If you can prove yourself to me with the tools you have now, I will consider sparing the bloodline.” The being shifted its attention to a collection of flowing filaments extending from one of the sleeves of its strange garment, carefully separated a single thread, and tugged it free from whatever invisible tether it had been bound to. The thread floated wildly, out of sync with the others.
“This thread is tied to the soul of your turul friend, Sandor. I have severed his link to the mate I chose for him upon his birth.” The being stretched out a long, delicate finger to the floating end of the thread. The tendril stretched and followed the finger’s path as it aimed a different direction. The being pointed at me and within my mind, the web of bloodline souls suddenly lit up as brilliant as the night sky.
I gasped as all the souls flared bright within my consciousness before they dimmed back to normal once more.
“What have you done?” I asked in alarm.
“I have chosen a new soul mate for him, from among the bloodline. Find this soul mate within a fortnight, and we will speak again.”
“But I need to find him to do that,” I objected.
“Is that not what you were doing?”
“No, we were following them to Maddie’s soul mate, not Sandor. We tried that, but the hounds couldn’t locate him.”
The being blinked its eyes at me and slowly redirected its gaze to the hounds. “No. They weren’t leading you where you thought. The bloodline are not born with predestined soul mates. It takes much more focus and power than you possess to complete the task of finding one. Why do you think I’d rather eliminate them than waste my time matching them all up? These beasts have very sensitive hearing. They will hunt their master’s deepest desires, so you must only command them with complete clarity of purpose. If you de
sired solitude with this one, that is where they led you.”
It pointed at Bodhi, whose abnormally pale features and glassy eyes still made it clear how much more healing he required. I didn’t even want to think about what state his mind might be in when he fully regained consciousness.
My heart sank. If what Fate said was true, it might be impossible for us to find Maddie a soul mate. But if I agreed to this test, Maddie would have a reprieve, as would all the bloodline. I would have time to help them all.
Something the being said struck me then. “Are you saying they can find Sandor if I want them to? It is possible?”
“They can do almost anything you wish them to do, if the command is clear enough and your desire strong enough. They can also find soul mates for untethered souls, though it is far from an easy task, even for me. These four creatures no longer obey my command, but they are clearly loyal to you.”
It stepped toward my huddling pets and crouched down, cooing soft endearments. The hounds flinched, but after a moment, a wave of soft, violet light poured from the being’s palm, covering the hounds in a blanket of magic.
I was shocked to realize it was healing them. After their wounds closed, the being reached out again and Jewel stepped forward hesitantly, licked at the hand, and then allowed herself to be petted.
The being gave each hound a brief dose of affection, then stood with a sigh and a smile. Its devious expression returned, but was tinged now with a kind of satisfaction.
“I dearly love all my pets, but these four will not return to me. For some reason, they have bound themselves to you, Deva Rainsong. Do not abuse their loyalty, and they will do much for you. Prove yourself a better master than the nymph who stole them from me.”
“I will,” I said, flabbergasted by this change in Fate’s demeanor.
“You have a fortnight, remember? This is not a difficult task, if you but use what gifts you have been given. Do not waste this chance. Show me you can take responsibility for the bloodline and we can discuss the possibility of allowing them to live.”
The being waved a hand and its figure faded into the misty sleet surrounding us. My shoulders sagged in relief and fatigue as I huddled over Bodhi’s torso, pressing my cheek to his head and holding him tight.
“Deva,” he croaked, one hand hooking over my shoulder from beneath. “What . . . What happened? Why can’t I feel my legs?”
My skin prickled with cold dread at his words, but the clarity with which he spoke caused a surge of unbidden hope. I could deal with any physical damage he might have, as long as his mind was whole. “We’re all right. I’ll tell you everything soon. Just rest now.”
He groaned and tried to move, releasing a hiss of pain before slipping into unconsciousness again. He still wasn’t completely healed and here I was, without even enough energy to carry him out of here, much less use my magic to help us. I was beyond the range for telepathic communication to either Willem or Rohan, and I needed more turul power than I had for a wind whisper to Ozzie.
The hounds . . . could they help? I turned to look at them, but they paced in agitation outside the barrier, unwilling to cross, and I didn’t know how to take it down. With my entire being, I reached out to them, wishing for one of them to find the others, to somehow convey our situation. I needed help.
15
Llyr
We’d driven as far into the park as we dared, pulling into an RV resort shortly after Deva’s call. When Willem cut the engine, he just sat, glaring at the dark clouds on the horizon. I stood and leaned against the partition, following his gaze while surreptitiously using my connection with the River to spy on Willem’s future.
I still had the clear impression of an uncomplicated future for him, but my vision did not account for short-term obstacles. It never did. I couldn’t get anything that gave me a clue how Sandor would fare at the end of this.
Maddie placed a hand on my shoulder and I stepped aside, letting her push past me to the big, brooding dragon in the driver’s seat.
“Let’s take a walk before it starts to rain,” she suggested, touching him on the arm. Willem’s severe expression eased when he looked at her, and he nodded and stood, accepting her outstretched hand as she led him down the narrow steps and out of the tour bus.
Unlike Willem, I couldn’t see any of Maddie’s future, only her past, which suggested uncertainty at odds with the very deliberate course the hound had taken. I didn’t like that contradiction. I preferred certainty based on either my powers or clear evidence. All I knew now was the hounds eagerly followed Deva’s commands, so I hoped she knew what commands to give.
“Do you think something’s brewing between those two?” Rohan asked, peeking out the side window at the pair. Maddie looked tiny next to the big White dragon, though she was no smaller than Deva and no less lovely, with warm brown skin and black hair cropped close to her head. She had aged well for a human woman with a grown son, or perhaps she’d had Bodhi young.
Maddie shivered and hugged herself a few yards from the bus. A moment later, a cozy jacket materialized around her and a knit cap covered her head. Willem seemed none the worse off for the cold, but gave her an attentive look, and she smiled up at him. I’d have had to be blind not to see the growing affection between the two.
“You tell me,” I said, lifting an eyebrow at the empathic Gold.
Rohan chuckled. “Oh, there’s something there all right, but it’s bittersweet. I’d like to see them both find the love they wish for. It makes me happy when people find each other.” He shot a sharp, golden gaze to me. “Even manipulative jackasses like you, Llyr.”
I snorted. “Don’t sugar coat it, Rohan. Tell me how you really feel.”
“Irritated, but understanding. You could have asked before melding us all last night.”
“You don’t know the fucking half of it,” Ozzie piped in from his spot lounging on the narrow sofa beneath the side window of the bus.
“Do any of you disagree with the need for us to have this connection? I only wish it wasn’t hampered by distance. I don’t like the idea of Bodhi and Deva being so far from us.” The fact was I fucking hated how far she was right now. Far enough that I couldn’t sense her needs if I reached out for her. I could still locate her, at least.
“They’re stopping soon,” Ozzie said. “Skye’s cabin shouldn’t be far from where they are now, and we’ll catch up to them when the weather clears.”
“You and I together could influence it. Make that cold front disappear,” I said.
“As long as they stop soon, they aren’t in any danger. We shouldn’t fuck with nature if we don’t have to.” Ozzie stood and scowled at me, then stomped out of the bus and slammed the door behind him.
Keagan let out an amused grunt from his spot in the small dining nook protruding from the other side of the bus. “I don’t have to be empathic to know he’s got his panties in a twist. When’s he going to admit he’s in love with her too?”
“I’d love the answer to that myself,” I said, slipping out after Ozzie.
A chilly breeze caught my hair and I turned the collar of my flannel shirt up as I followed Ozzie down the path between the rows of RVs. I’d taken off my layers for the ride and cursed myself for not grabbing a jacket before emerging. After being trapped in a tank in an underground lab for a couple thousand years, the confinement of the bus was difficult to deal with, but the freedom of travel was liberating, a contradiction I was still having a hard time getting used to.
But I would go wherever Deva’s needs took us and do whatever necessary to ensure her happiness, even if it meant putting pressure on the obstinate turul standing at the edge of a small pond with his hands in his pockets, glaring at the water like it had wronged him somehow.
“How soon until Fate finds us?” he asked as I approached. “I’d wager it’s inevitable now that the hounds have made it to my door. They’ve fucking taken one of our own for the Winds know what. The bastard himself can’t be far behind.”
/> “That’s why we’re traveling—to stay a step ahead, if we can,” I said, stepping up beside him. I stood close, seeking some of his heat. He glanced at me, narrowed his eyes, and snorted something that sounded like “pussy” before shrugging out of his own leather jacket and handing it to me.
I gratefully donned the jacket and huddled into his residual body heat. “You should tell her before the chance is taken from you,” I said. “She may forgive you if the truth comes from your own lips. And she can be whole once she understands what she means to us both.”
“Whole? Not when she’s too afraid she’ll break Bodhi if she mates him.”
“We’ll find a way around that,” I said. “She can’t be near Keagan and Rohan at the same time as long as her soul fragments are at odds. Bodhi is the only one who can bind the pieces together, so if we want to help her have a complete soul, we either need to convince her to take him anyway, or figure out how to protect his will from her power.”
He shot me a startled look. “Bodhi’s the key? Keagan and Ro seem to think you were the one who facilitated whatever the fuck you guys did last night before I arrived.”
“You didn’t hear it from me,” I said. “She’s playing it close until Bodhi’s ready. Now with Belah’s warning, who knows when that will happen, if ever.”
His face scrunched into a thoughtful frown. “We need to reach out to the Quorum again to find out if they can help. I hate dealing with her fucking parents and all the other immortals. Can you see any of her future? Or his?”
“I can’t see the futures of the members of the bloodline. Their fates seem to exist outside the bounds of the River’s reach. Likely outside of the reach of Fate itself.”
“Which would explain why Fate’s got it out for them,” he said with a grimace. “We shouldn’t waste any time once the weather breaks. If it’s clear enough in the morning, can you at least handle any ice on the roads higher up?”
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