by Jocelyn Fox
“Thank you,” said the Bearer, her voice layered with hundreds of other voices. She nodded to them, her blazing eyes seeming to look at all of them at once. “Until we meet again.”
“Until we meet again!” returned Niall and the two Glasidhe. Duke let out an exuberant yell and even Jess added his own holler. Tess smiled slightly, turned, and stepped through the Gate. The veil flashed silver as it swallowed her, and the columns silently and suddenly dissipated into curls of white, blue and gray smoke. The air smelled faintly like snow and roses.
“That’s it?” Ross said, unable to keep the suspicion from her voice.
“It did seem a bit…anticlimactic,” agreed Vivian.
“That is the way of it sometimes,” Farin piped in her bright voice, swooping down to hover between the two women. She spun and addressed Niall. “Vaelanseld, I shall take the first watch on the bone sorcerer!”
Niall nodded. “As you wish, Farin. Forin, will you take second? I will take the dawn watch.”
Corsica cocked her head as she slid toward them. “Watches to watch him, or to watch us?” She flicked her silver hair over one shoulder, combing through it with her grimy gloved fingers.
“Both,” replied Niall unshakably. Ross didn’t miss the considering glance that Vivian leveled at the Seelie man. She smiled to herself; perhaps Merrick had just been a target of opportunity for Vivian’s affection, something beautiful and unique and, she had to admit, very courteous. Niall fit that mold as well, and it seemed he would be staying with them for a while.
“Seems like V might be settin’ her sights on someone else,” Duke said out of the side of his mouth to her as they headed back toward the house.
“As long as he doesn’t make Vivian cry, I have no objections,” replied Ross.
Duke chuckled. “Should I warn him?”
“Oh, he’ll figure it out for himself if he hurts her,” said Ross, raising her eyebrows.
“No doubt he will,” muttered Duke with a smile. They reached the front door. Ross glanced behind them. Niall and Vivian followed at a small distance, Vivian asking Niall a question with an animated gesture and flash of her eyes. Ross watched them for a moment, noting the respectful posture of Niall as he listened to Vivian with his hands clasped behind his back. Perhaps it would be more than a passing fancy. Either way, it would be interesting.
Duke held the screen door open for her and followed her inside. She surveyed the chalk runes on the door as she kicked off her Chucks; smudges marred a few lines, but overall Merrick’s handiwork had survived intact. She moved into the kitchen, staring at the disarray for a moment before she began placing bottles in the recycling bin and dirty dishes in the sink.
“Feels a bit like the letdown after a big party, huh?” Duke said as he walked into the kitchen with a stack of gumbo bowls from the table. Vivian and Niall came through the front door, and paused in their conversation to reopen the door for Mayhem.
“May,” scolded Vivian as the dog tracked mud into the living room. Ross watched as her roommate tried to corral the dog with her good arm. Vivian looked at Niall for help. “Want to learn how to give a dog a bath?”
Niall chuckled, his pale eyes alight. “It would be my pleasure to help you corral this unruly canine.”
Ross smiled as she turned on the faucet and the water drowned out the sound of their conversation. Duke placed the bowls on the kitchen counter.
“You know,” Ross said as she squeezed dish soap into the sink, “I think it’s just…a pause. A pause in the party.”
Duke laughed. “Darlin’, let’s face it, we could use a pause.”
Vivian slid into the kitchen with her phone held aloft like a trophy. “Ross! It’s the firehouse!”
Ross winced at Vivian’s exuberant shout as she dried her hands, eyeing the phone.
“Don’t worry, I have them on mute,” Vivian reassured her. “I called them this morning, at least I think it was this morning, to let them know that this was a good contact number for you.”
Ross took a deep breath as she took the phone. “Thanks, V.”
“Anytime!” Vivian smiled and then her eyes widened as she heard what sounded like Sidhe curses coming from the guest bathroom, where Niall was presumably attempting to convince Mayhem to get into the bathtub. She ducked her head to hide her grin as she exited the kitchen. “Never fear, help is on the way!” she called.
Ross sighed and looked down at the phone.
“Well, you gonna answer it?” Duke lifted an eyebrow. “Or you gonna make ‘em wait forever?”
“Do I even want the job, with everything that’s happened?” Ross said. “I mean…the gold that Niall gave me, that could last us for at least a couple of years.”
“I think you need this job to stay sane,” Duke replied seriously. “I know you and I love you, Ross, but you get kinda crazy when you don’t get to kick down doors and save people.”
Ross nodded and swallowed. “You’re right. Besides, I don’t even know if I got the job.” She steeled herself and pressed the “Unmute” button, holding the phone up to her ear. “Hello?”
Duke watched her face as she listened.
“I’m fine, thanks,” she said into the phone. “And I apologize for the switch in numbers, my old phone broke and, well, you know how that goes.” Ross bit her lip as she listened. “Yes, ma’am. Yes.” She blinked and a slow smile spread over her face, eclipsing the worried look. “Yes, ma’am, please tell the chief that I’d be happy to start Monday. Yes, ma’am, you have a good evening too.” She hung up the phone, stared at it for a second and then looked at Duke. “I got the job.” Her smile widened to a grin. “I got the job!”
“Knew you would,” said Duke, grabbing her and spinning her around.
“You didn’t even know I was applying for this job,” said Ross teasingly, too happy to feel irritated at anyone or anything. Finally, she’d be able to pay some of her debt. She’d be able to save people, show up on their worst day and make sure they lived to see the next.
“Doesn’t change how happy I am for you,” said Duke. He set her down and kissed her soundly, leaving her giddy.
“Congratulations!” yelled Vivian from the bathroom. There was a splash and she squealed.
“Mayhem, behave!” ordered Ross, but she couldn’t manage a stern voice. She felt…happy. Duke was alive. They’d survived the strange and terrifying events of the past days. And she had gotten the job.
She moved through the rest of the evening in a blissful daze, washing the dishes almost cheerfully and checking in on Ramel and Molly. Ramel’s color continued to improve but he hadn’t shown any signs of awakening. Molly, too, looked better, a little less haggard now that it seemed Ramel would survive. Mayhem emerged from the bathroom damp but clean, and Ross glimpsed Niall and Vivian sopping up puddles from the drenched tile floor, conspiratorial grins on their faces. She found that she even looked forward to Tess’s return, and the mage in his runetrap didn’t bother her as much as it had even hours before.
She changed into her t-shirt and shorts for bed after checking the lock on the front door. Duke slipped into the bathroom as she brushed her teeth, resting his chin on her shoulder as she leaned back against him. He wore only the thin shorts that he and most of his teammates inexplicably favored for running, but Ross appreciated the lack of clothing, running her eyes over his reflection as she rinsed her mouth and deposited her toothbrush into its holder. She leaned back against him again and their eyes met in the mirror.
“I think,” Duke said in his slow drawl, his words laden with heat, “we need to properly celebrate this new job of yours.”
She slid to face him. “And I think,” she replied in a low voice, matching his tone, “that I need to properly welcome you home.”
Duke grinned devilishly, a thousand promises in his desire-darkened eyes as he slid his wonderfully calloused hands beneath the hem of her shirt.
They fell asleep pleasurably exhausted, twined together on Ross’s bed. She grinned to h
erself in the darkness, relishing the satisfaction that permeated every part of her body. She drifted into sleep with her back pressed against Duke’s chest, his warmth solid and reassuring.
They jerked awake when a shrill scream pierced the stillness, both of them scrambling out of bed and grabbing for their weapons.
“God,” groaned Ross in a scratchy voice, “what is it this time?”
A full moon bathed the back yard in silvery light. Ross shook the last of the sleep from her head as she followed Duke, feeling as though she were a swimmer trying to surface through water thick as gelatin. Her body ached in protest at the rude disruption of her rest. She almost ran into Duke as he suddenly stopped.
“What is it?” she said, scanning the back yard. Nothing seemed out of place…until she remembered that there was supposed to be a glowing dome near the tree line. “Oh God,” she whispered. “He escaped.”
The shrill scream came again, the sound slicing through the air. Ross scanned the ground. She saw a glow in the grass – the Glasidhe. Without stopping to think, she ran forward, stumbling as her foot caught an unseen rock. Duke silently grabbed her elbow and she regained her feet.
Farin keened again as Ross dropped to her knees in the grass. The fierce Glasidhe wailed as though her heart was breaking…and it was, Ross realized. Farin knelt over the crumpled body of her twin, her aura flaring as she gathered Forin’s still form into her arms.
“Ross, what’s going on?” Vivian called, a flashlight beam bobbing in front of her as she picked her way cautiously across the yard.
Niall knelt a few feet away from Forin and Farin, a softly glowing blade in his hand. He bent over another still form. Ross caught the glint of moonlight on silver hair. She stood and looked closer. It was Tyr, lying still with blood running down the side of his face.
“Oh, no,” Vivian said behind her, reaching the Glasidhe. “Farin, is he…?”
Farin’s wordless screams answered Vivian’s question. Ross felt heaviness settle into her chest as she glanced down at the still, dark form of the lifeless Glasidhe. Duke strode past her and stopped by Niall.
“Is he dead, too?” he asked tersely.
Niall shook his head. “No.” He stood and looked from the blackened rune-stones to Tyr, then to the grieving Glasidhe. His voice carried a deadly chill when he spoke. “Corsica betrayed us.”
Ross took a deep breath. The Bearer had left them, returning to the Fae world. Corsica was gone, betraying her oath to the Bearer, and the bone sorcerer had been released again on the mortal world. She squared her shoulders and raised her chin, the Glock feeling comfortingly solid in her hand as she met Niall’s pale eyes. The echo of Farin’s keen laced her words.
“All right. The bone sorcerer is gone, and Corsica with him. The Bearer isn’t here, so it’s up to us. There’s no way I’m letting that asshole wreck our world.” Determination lit Ross’s eyes. “So. What do we do now?”
OTHER NOVELS BY JOCELYN A. FOX,
AVAILABLE ON KINDLE AND IN PAPERBACK:
The Iron Sword
The Crown of Bones
The Dark Throne
The first three novels are also collected in a special edition, available on Kindle:
The Fae War Chronicles Omnibus Edition
Acknowledgements
As always, I must thank the team that polishes my book and prepares it for its final showing: Peter at Bespoke Book Covers for his amazing cover designs; Maureen Cutajar at Go Published Formatting Services for her impeccable formatting over several editions and platforms; Ilana Harkavy and her team at Nailed It! Media for her helping hand with social media management; and Joelle Reeder at Moxie Design Studios for the gorgeous, shiny new website that has helped the launch of this book.
To Ronn Dula and Erin Platt: once again, my unending gratitude goes to my editing team for their dedication and determination in finding every errant semi-colon and spelling error in my manuscript. Any error that remains at this point is my own. I cannot thank you enough for your eye for detail and your thoughtful recommendations on every twist and turn of this novel.
Finally, once again and always: thank you to all of my readers. I hope you’ll continue to traipse gleefully through this fantastic world with me, marveling at these characters and enjoying the community that we’ve created. It is my fondest wish that we continue to grow into a group of readers who are willing to discuss the very human issues presented through the lens of fantasy, and by doing so make a difference in the world.
Jocelyn A. Fox, October 2016
About the Author
Jocelyn A. Fox is the bestselling author of the epic fantasy novels The Iron Sword, The Crown of Bones, and The Dark Throne, the first three books in The Fae War Chronicles. The Lethe Stone is her fourth novel. She is in the military by day and an author by night; she likes dogs more than she likes most people, drinks too much coffee for her own good and is constantly looking for her next adventure in real life or in a good book.
She is constantly awed and humbled by the courage, tenacity and sacrifice of the men and women with whom she has the privilege of serving. Their fighting spirit and sense of fellowship inspire her every day, and her military experiences provide her with ample material to ground her fantasy world in the reality of the modern warrior.
You can find her at www.jocelynafox.com, or on the following platforms:
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