The gang was waiting for us when we returned, all on the ground, now.
Pegasus snorted. “We let them down when the songs stopped. Did you kill them or bed them?”
“Ohhh, or even better,” Grimm growled. “Did you bed them and then kill them?”
Pegasus lifted a hoof, and Grimm pounded it with his own, emitting sparks.
I burst out laughing. “Jesus. You really are Bro-nies.”
Wulfric and Talon were grinning, but the horses didn’t seem to get it. Then everyone saw the two behind me and stared in awe. I stepped aside, letting them fawn over each other for a few minutes as I looked up at the sky uneasily. I didn’t see anything, exactly, but I felt a tugging at my soul, which was never a good sign. Because tugging meant someone or something was behind it, and you didn’t typically tug someone unless it was against their will.
And that feeling drew me towards the purple fields beyond the woods.
I wasn’t sure I was going to like what we found there. The thing that really bothered me, though, was that Wylde seemed just as anxious. And he wasn’t really scared of anything.
I sighed. But a friend needed me. Two friends.
I turned to the others to see that Yahn had already shifted to his dragon form, a crystal-clear glass dragon, much larger than even Raego – which was impressive – and larger still than his usual weredragon form. The light above shone through him, casting tiny prisms of light behind him, almost as if he had a rainbow shadow.
With friends like this, I had no end to joke material.
Especially when I saw Talon tensing as if trying to prevent himself from swatting a fly. His tail began to twitch back and forth, and I followed his gaze to see him glaring at one of the moving rainbow reflections on the ground behind Yahn as he spoke to Wulfric and Alucard.
Grimm noticed Talon’s interest, and casually trotted over, curious what he found so interesting. Then Grimm saw it, and his eyes flashed silver with fury. “DIE!”
And I stared with awed glee as he charged at the flicker of rainbow-colored light.
Talon yowled. “Shiny thing! I must have it!”
Yahn, unsurprisingly jumped at the hostile shouts, spinning to see what the hell was going on, which essentially turned him into a disco ball. Talon and Grimm…
Went absolutely ape-shit, chasing and trying to catch or murder the rainbows.
I stared, open-mouthed, shaking my head. Wulfric and Alucard burst out laughing while Yahn hopped back and forth, wondering if he was being assaulted by invisible tiny ninjas, and trying to find the source of Talon and Grimm’s outrage.
Pegasus let out a long, tired sigh. “He really hates them…” he said, indicating Grimm as his brother’s hooves tore up clods of earth in his frothing pursuit of the darting rainbows.
I let them wear themselves out for a minute. As amusing as it was, we needed to get going, and one of the two were going to hurt themselves if they went after the same shiny.
“Yahn, fly up!” I shouted.
He launched to the sky with a big sweep of his wings, and the rainbows suddenly grew larger and fainter, no longer easy to locate. Grimm was panting, huffing, and glaring at the ground, searching in a mad frenzy. Talon froze, looked up at me in shame, and then straightened. I nodded maliciously. “Oh, you can bet your ass this one’s getting shared…” I said with a grin.
He sighed, shoulders sagging. I snapped my fingers at Grimm.
He glared up at Yahn, then down to the ground, before letting out a snort and returning my look. “Let’s go,” I said.
He studied Yahn thoughtfully. “Is he the Father of Rainbows?” he asked hungrily.
I shook my head, but he continued talking anyway, not noticing my response.
“I could murder all the rainbows…” he said softly, as if imagining winning the lottery.
“No!” I snapped, growing concerned. “Absolutely not. They’re just reflections. He’s not the father of rainbows,” I said, really needing him to understand.
“We’ll see…” he said, not promising me anything.
“Grimm,” I said in a warning tone. “I need Yahn alive. Killing him won’t end the rainbows in the world. You know that, right?” I pleaded, walking closer.
“There’s only one way to be sure…” he said distantly, pawing the earth with his hoof as he stared up at Yahn, who was hovering above us, watching us warily, not able to hear us. Grimm’s wings suddenly flared into existence, and he prepared to destroy Yahn.
Pegasus suddenly slammed into Grimm, knocking him on his ass. He rolled, flipped, and groaned. After a few seconds, he climbed unsteadily to his feet, shaking his head. His eyes locked onto Pegasus, who pawed the earth, staring at his brother.
“He’s not the Father of Rainbows, you dumb shit,” Pegasus said. “Nate will buy you a giant crystal when we get home. It will give you endless rainbows. Won’t you, Nate?” he said, not looking at me.
I nodded eagerly. “Yes. Absolutely. Giant as hell. Just promise you won’t kill Yahn.”
Grimm glared one last time. “Fine.”
I let out a breath, motioning for Yahn to land, and ignoring the laughter from the peanut gallery. “Let’s ride.”
I mounted Grimm, Gunnar climbed onto Pegasus, and Alucard and Talon shared Yahn, looking very displeased at the arrangements. Which was just beautiful to me. Then we took off, Grimm’s smoke wings lifting us higher and higher in massive sweeps. I let out a laugh of pure joy, and paid close attention to my friends, who were also grinning like maniacs as we flew out over the trees below – the first normal looking trees I had seen in a while.
“Track the horned god!” I bellowed, and Gunnar and Talon focused, staring out ahead intently, subtly speaking with their flyers until we were angling towards the purple fields. I could see our destination in the distance, and knew it wouldn’t be a long flight. I stared at those fields, feeling very uncomfortable – as did Wylde – but I couldn’t exactly place why. Probably because I didn’t know what we would find there. Hopefully not an army of Fae holding Ashley captive…
And as we flew out over the treetops, I couldn’t help but wonder how much time had passed in the real world…
Chapter 32
We landed fairly gracefully, although Talon’s legs were shaky as he dismounted. We studied the purple field around us, wary of threats, but other than the breeze causing a steady wave in the tall grass, thankfully nothing jumped out and tried to eat our faces off.
Not that they could have succeeded, but they could have tried.
The field was on a hill, and a steady incline lead up to a cliff overlooking a stone ocean – the very edge of one corner of the Fae World – unless they had islands in the distance. To our left was the beginning of a mountain range, and several boulders dotted the field we now stood in. From the sky, we had seen a large cave near the cliff’s edge, but we hadn’t wanted to land too close to it and startle the inhabitants, if there were any. We also hadn’t wanted to be ambushed from behind if we landed at the cave – pinned against the cliff if anyone was hiding in the fields.
That sensation of unease inside me had magnified about a thousand times over during our flight, but I brushed it off as nerves. Wylde had simply disappeared deep inside me, muttering unhappily to himself over and over again.
I looked up to see that Gunnar looked on the verge of sprinting towards the cave, idly thumping his Rarawk antler into his other palm as he growled under his breath. I snapped a finger and he looked up at me, catching my warning look. “No need to rush into a trap. We’re here. Let’s do this smart,” I said out loud, keeping my voice low. The group nodded, although Gunnar, of course, didn’t look too happy about it.
Yahn shifted back to his glass human form and walked beside Alucard, who looked as if he was concentrating so that his steps wouldn’t catch the field on fire.
We walked towards the cave, eyes alert for anything amiss, but it was about as peaceful as you could ask for. We reached the cave entrance without fanfare
, and I shot a look at Talon, who suddenly ghosted ahead on his velvet slippers – which didn’t leave a trail – to inspect the entrance. He kept low in the purple grass, which grew almost right up to the entrance. I saw a fire pit that had been recently used, and a single cooking pot, but again, nothing sinister. Talon froze suddenly, staring at the cave for a full minute. Then he jolted, as if forgetting what he had been doing. He slipped back our way, keeping his eyes behind him, wary of an attack.
Had we found them? As easy as that?
Talon stopped beside me. “They’re inside,” he said in a low purr. “Just them.”
Gunnar had crept closer to overhear Talon’s report, and by crept, I mean as stealthy as a giant fucking, love-sick wolfman can creep – which was not very stealthy at all. But he wasn’t screaming, or on fire – which would have been only slightly more noticeable.
“I don’t sense anyone else here,” Gunnar murmured. “No game, no wildlife, nothing but them.” That sounded strange. No wildlife? “This close, I can almost taste them…” he said, staring at the cave entrance with an almost physical need.
I arched a brow at Talon. He shrugged back. “I agree. They are alone. We are the only ones to step foot in this field in a long time.” His eyes trailed off, and he looked very, very uneasy, slowly spinning to scan everything around us.
“Talon,” I pressed. “If everything is fine, why do you look like Gunnar just shit on your favorite cat toy?”
He didn’t answer for a few moments. “I’m… not sure. This place…” He finally sighed, shaking his head with an ashamed frown. “Perhaps I’ve just been gone from Fae for too long. I don’t sense danger, I just feel strange here. I’ve felt it this whole trip, but it’s worse here.”
I studied him acutely, considering. He would have warned me of any dangers, but he seemed to be describing my own inner feelings. Was something wrong with the Fae World? Had we messed something up last time we were here? Or had something happened to mess with the entire world?
I shook my head. None of that mattered. Ashley was here. No danger was present, and we didn’t plan on sticking around. Get Ashley, get out. That was our objective. Fae could burn for all I cared. I had other problems at home that wouldn’t wait.
“Pan!” I called out, striding up to the cave’s entrance, not wanting to set off any traps he may have set, and also not wanting to simply storm inside and cause him or Ashley to panic.
Heh. Panic. Pan.
I called out a second time. “Mallory!”
Mallory – in human form rather than his godly goat form – slowly stepped out of the cave, shirtless and muscular as an old sailor. He took one look at us, and suddenly brandished a long, wicked axe. “Where do I keep the Macallan?” he asked in a threatening growl.
I stared at him, and then burst out laughing. “Nobody fucking knows!”
His hard look slowly faded, and a faint smile replaced it as he lowered his weapons. But he looked exhausted, on his last legs. To emphasize this, he leaned on his axe for support, waving us closer.
My friends approached as I turned to the horses. “Watch our asses. From the sky.”
Pegasus turned to me, frowning somehow. “You’re going into the cave. It is physically impossible to watch your ass… from the sky… through a fucking cave.”
Grimm snickered.
I glared back. “Just watch for invaders or anyone shady. Kill them if you must, but try to stay out of sight if you can. We shouldn’t be long,” I snarled, turning my back on them. Gunnar was pestering Mallory, but he only gave vague responses, staring at me instead.
I tried to bury my anger, which was getting hotter and hotter. Probably from unease over that strange sensation still tugging at me and this fucking place being so bizarre on even the best of days, not even considering the recent anomalies. “Yes. She’s fine, but you cannot enter yet!”
Gunnar froze, frowning at Mallory in confusion.
Mallory was still staring at me, and slowly, each of the others did the same.
I slowed, frowning. “What’s going on, Mallory?” I asked, my shoulders itching.
He met my eyes and gave me a nod. “Wylde is your leader. I grant him leave to enter first, as is his due. Without him, none of you would have been able to come here.”
I nodded. It made sense. The Fae were odd about customs, and since I was the leader, it was my right. Still, I had expected an eye roll or a growl from Gunnar, but everyone just looked fucking tense. What the hell was going on?
I resumed my pace, walking up to Mallory and extending a hand. He grasped my forearm and shook once. “I’ve missed you… Nate.”
I nodded, and then wrapped him up in a quick hug. “Thank you for saving her, Mallory,” I said, loud enough for all to hear. “Once Gunnar sees her safe, I’m sure he’ll personally thank you as well. Profusely,” I warned, glaring at Gunnar, who wilted guiltily, so obsessed with seeing Ashley that he hadn’t even considered thanking the man who had saved her in the first place.
I did wonder why they hadn’t left yet if Ashley had been healed, but I was sure I was about to find out, and that I wouldn’t like the answer.
I entered the cave. Gunnar was about a millimeter behind me, waiting until I crossed the invisible line that marked the cave proper, and then he tore past me. I smiled faintly, studying the walls around me. Ashley stepped out of the shadows, looking weak, but healthy. She was in her Wulfra form, wearing the Nemean Lion Cloak that Gunnar had given her. She whined as she saw her fiancé, her knees buckling. Gunnar dropped his Rarawk antler and swept her off her feet, burying his face into her neck with a growl. Then he carried her deeper into the cavern, where I noticed hallways leading off into smaller crevices – bedrooms.
Faint lights glowed on the walls, illuminating the space, and I realized it was much larger than I had thought from the outside. I heard a door slam and blinked, staring at where Gunnar had taken his fiancée. Then I slowly turned, arching a brow at Mallory, who was watching me intently.
“You installed doors?” I asked. “Or did you just happen to find a cave with all the modern updates?” I pointed at the lights. “And Stonelights, no less. Those are rare. And valuable. How has no one discovered this place?”
Mallory glanced at Talon, who was trailing a paw along the wall, studying what looked like drawings on the stone. He looked troubled. “No one knows about this place,” he finally said. “Consider it a safe-haven.”
I nodded absently, not really caring. Alucard and Yahn sat down with weary sighs before a glowing orange rock. I held out a hand towards it, frowning. “It’s warm,” I said, surprised. “Is that… lava or something?” I asked.
“It helps keep the cave warm when the breeze rolls through the back.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, noticing that Alucard and Yahn were leaning back, taking a break, and talking in low tones, leaving me to chat with Mallory in private. It was good to see them talking rather than fighting over the Reds – although I knew that would eventually happen.
Mallory motioned me deeper into the cave. “Follow me. I’ll show you around.” He sounded incredibly tired.
“Keep an eye out, guys,” I said to Yahn and Alucard. “And put some earmuffs on unless you want to hear what wolves do for fun,” I added with a faint grin.
Alucard chuckled, waving a hand to shoo me away. Yahn glanced at the tunnel Gunnar had taken, looking thoughtful. Alucard quickly slapped him on the arm, scowling – likely remembering Yahn’s interest in the Reds.
Mallory hadn’t bothered to stop, simply walking away, so I rushed to catch up, studying the smooth walls. It was impressive. The place had been scoured flat, as if thousands of years of rushing water had formed a perfect home. But glancing closer, I noticed the stone had been worked by hand, not nature. Still, drawings decorated the walls, some more elaborate than others. I blinked, leaning closer to one. It was a rough sketch of the field below with the forest in the background, and three moons in the sky. It was good enough for me to reco
gnize it, but crude enough to make me think of a child doodling with charcoal.
Mallory watched me patiently until I was ready to continue. I could tell he had a lot on his mind, and not that he just wanted to show me around the cavern. He was likely wondering what had happened in his absence. With the War.
He led me onward. “I had a feeling you would come for us,” he said softly, almost as if regretting that he had been right. “We decided to stick around a bit longer just in case.”
I grunted, knowing there was going to be more to the story. The tunnel angled sharply to the left, revealing three more doors bolted into the walls. One was a kitchen, but the others looked like bedrooms. “Hell of a find,” I muttered curiously. I reached out to Wylde, wondering why he was still hiding from me. Perhaps the cave reminded him of his home – the one I had made for him when first establishing our connection.
As we rounded another corner, I froze, my breath catching as unexpected wind buffeted my clothes. I stared out at an ocean of rolling stone thousands of feet below us. An open cliff leaned out over it, and I saw thunderstorms on the horizon – great green and black clouds with purple flashes of lightning in their depths. The air felt damp and sweet, not salty as I had expected.
I turned to see Mallory smiling at me sadly.
“This is beautiful,” I whispered, shaking my head. “Imagine sitting here with a cup of tea and watching a thunderstorm,” I murmured, smiling faintly. “My father would have loved it.”
Part of me still felt uneasy, though. As if waiting for an attack. This place generally messed with you, but since we hadn’t experienced an all-out war like I had expected for the last few weeks, it was almost like I had been running on adrenaline and was finally running out of steam.
Mallory let out a long breath. “Aye, he did…”
I nodded absently, trying to shake off my unease, and then his response registered in my brain. I slowly turned to see him pointing at the wall. I followed, and my heart skipped a beat.
A very crude Temple Industries logo was sketched on the wall beside a stick figure family of two adults, a young boy, and a cat. I struggled to breathe as my vision began to tunnel out until all I could see was the drawings. I shook my head, my mind straining under the impossible image. Mallory stepped up beside me, tears streaming down his cheeks.
War Hammer: A Nate Temple Supernatural Thriller Book 8 (The Temple Chronicles) Page 17