The guide let us out near the main set of steps leading up into the palace, where four guards watched over all who entered. They took one look at me and bowed. While I’d been to the palace a number of times, it was still made me nonplussed that I was recognized in Annwn. I gave them a smile and asked to be taken to Cernunnos.
“Very well, milady,” one of the guards said, giving me a long look.
I glanced down and realized that Angel, Raven, and I all looked pretty rough-and-tumble. Even though we’d had our clothes washed back at the inn, our days on the road had taken their toll. None of us were wearing makeup, our hair hadn’t seen a brush in days, and our clothes were wrinkled beyond the help of an iron.
“We’ve been on the road,” I said, feeling self-conscious.
“Very good, milady,” the guard said, then led us over to one of the elevators at the base of the tree. They worked on a pulley system and as we began to ascend, I realized I was grateful that we didn’t have to climb the hundreds of stairs to reach the main level of the palace.
Once we were inside, my heart lifted at the familiar surroundings. We followed the guards through the hallway till we came to the throne room.
The throne room was vast, with the ceiling so tall that it was difficult to even see. But the stalactites jutting down from overhead glimmered from the inclusions of quartz, lighting up to form an ambient glow. I knew they could become brighter, but for now they provided a comforting backdrop of light.
The walls were woven from interlaced trunks, roots, and branches, lignified into a stone-state. The throne in the center was also formed of the same interlocking roots and branches, and it rose up from the ground, reached by a short staircase. Various gems glimmered from the nooks and crannies created by the root system.
I let out a sigh, relieved to see the Forest Lord atop his throne.
Cernunnos towered on the throne, bare chested with a bearskin cape around his neck, fastened with a golden brooch of Celtic knotwork. His muscles rippled, glowing in the soft light, and his hair was caught up in dozens of thin braids that hung down to his thighs. He wore blue jeans—he had developed a love of them from our world—and a headdress of horns and feathers. He was gloriously handsome, but with a feral look that never failed to make me jump. His smile was sensuous and slightly cruel. He wasn’t malicious, but I had seen his ruthless side.
He pivoted and, seeing us walking toward him, leapt off the throne, landing on the floor. “Ember! You’re alive!” The next moment, I found myself caught up in an embrace so tight I could barely breathe as he swept me up and spun me around. Then, giving me another tight hug, he set me down again and stepped back. “We thought the three of you might be gone for good.”
As I caught my breath from the sudden dance, Raven said, “We ended up in Caer Arianrhod.” She paused, then frowned. “I always thought it was up in the heavens, not in Annwn.”
“How did you get out of there? And it’s both—it’s a multidimensional realm. Arianrhod’s castle, Caer Sidi, exists in both the stars and in Annwn.” Cernunnos frowned. “How did you get here?”
I shook my head. “With a lot of luck. We walked for several days—we landed near the Forest of Death. Then, three days ago we caught a caravan in the village of Bream. The caravan dropped us off down in Eselwithe an hour or so ago. They were headed for some place called Thirsty Gulch.”
Cernunnos scanned all three of us, shaking his head. “You’re lucky you made it out of Arianrhod’s realm without running into her—”
“Star Hounds?” Raven asked. “We met them—at least two of them. Overall, I’d say our biggest problem was the weather.”
“You ran into a pair of Star Hounds and you’re alive? My admiration grows,” Cernunnos said. “Now, we have to contact Herne and the others. They’ve been searching everywhere, trying to find you. Morgana told them you were alive—she could feel your life force, but couldn’t figure out what happened.”
“When Echidna and Typhon slammed into each other, it created a portal right where we were standing—” I paused. “Speaking of…what happened?”
Cernunnos’s expression dimmed. “That’s a difficult question to answer.”
My heart sank. “Don’t tell me Typhon won?”
“Not exactly…but neither did Echidna.” He motioned for one of the guards. “Prepare the portal. I will be taking the girls home myself.” He stood. “We’ll talk about it when we get over to your side of the pond, so to speak. For now, let’s get you home and ease Herne’s and Kipa’s hearts.” He bundled us toward the door, following the guard.
I expected to go outside again to one of the portals, but Cernunnos ushered us up to a private platform where a portal crackled and popped, situated between the upper branches of two oak trees next to the main palace. There was a narrow bridge over to the portal, and a platform built between the two oaks so that we wouldn’t have to step out into thin air and risk falling before we made it into the vortex.
“Come, this leads directly to the portal in the park next to Herne’s house.” He motioned for us to go first.
I practically ran across the planked bridge, leaping into the vortex, I was so anxious to get home. The next moment, I stumbled—still in mid-leap—into the arms of Orla, the portal keeper.
He steadied me, breaking out in a wide smile. “You’re alive!”
“Yes, we are. And I have to see Herne—do you know if he’s home?”
“I don’t know, miss,” Orla said as Raven appeared, and then Angel and Cernunnos.
“Thank you,” I said, hugging him. We were in the woods near Carkeek Park, the part that buttressed up against Herne’s backyard. Though the path was slick, I didn’t care. I began to careen down it and a few minutes later, I opened the gate and ran around to the front door, followed by Angel, Raven, and Cernunnos. I tried the knob. Locked. Pulling out my keys, I fumbled through them for the one to Herne’s front door, and then, unlocking it, burst in.
“Herne? Herne!” I called, but there was no answer. Instead, a loud mew echoed from the bedroom and out ran Mr. Rumblebutt, leaping into my arms as he frantically licked my face.
“Oh, Mr. Rumblebutt, I’m sorry I was gone so long!” I snuggled him, burying my face in his fur. “I missed you. I missed you so much,” I said, realizing I was crying.
Angel fussed over him too, while Cernunnos did a quick search of the house.
“He must be at work.”
“I’d call him but our phones are out of juice and Herne doesn’t have a landline,” I said, biting my lip.
“I’ll call him,” Cernunnos said. “You three go wash up and have something to eat.” He pulled out his phone.
Torn between wanting to stick around to talk to Herne and desperately wanting to take a shower, I finally decided that I really wanted to be clean and change clothes. I had a stash of clothes here, and even though neither Raven nor Angel were my size, I found a loose sundress that would fit Raven, and a lounging gown that Angel could wear.
“Come on. There’s also a shower in the guest bath. You two go ahead first,” I said.
Angel shook her head. “You go. I’ll see what’s in the fridge and make up something for lunch. Something besides bread and cheese, as good as it was.”
While Raven and I headed off to shower, Angel headed to the kitchen. As I stepped under the wonderfully warm spray of water, I tried not to think about what Cernunnos had said about the dragons. I didn’t want to know, but all the time I was soaping up, my mind kept trying to open up the can of worms that I had a feeling was waiting for us.
Chapter Eleven
Angel had found some ground beef and a tray of freshly grilled hamburgers waited for us. She had also made a pan of brownies. As Raven and I sat at the table, Raven wearing my sundress and me in fresh jeans and a turtleneck, Cernunnos joined us, politely refusing the food. He waited till Angel returned—wearing my lounging gown, belted at the waist with the tie to my robe.
“Herne’s on his way home, along with
the rest of the Wild Hunt,” he said, then paused, looking concerned. “I also notified Morgana that you’re back and she’s on her way as well. We have to discuss the dragon situation now that you’re accounted for. We already have, among ourselves, but you have to know what we’re facing.”
“It sounds grim,” Raven said.
“It is grim,” Cernunnos said. “I’m not going to lie. None of us expected this outcome, and it’s going to be problematic. More than problematic.”
“I feel like we’re eating our last supper,” I said.
“Not exactly, but…there are decisions to be made and one, in particular, involves you, Ember.” But he wouldn’t say anything else till the rest of the crew got there.
“Ember!” Herne’s voice echoed from the hall. He slammed into the room, followed by Kipa and the others. “Love!” The relief on his face was apparent, and he swept me up in his arms, even as Kipa did the same to Raven. Talia hugged Angel, and behind her, Viktor and Yutani crowded in. Between the hugging and kissing, Morgana showed up.
My heart was pounding as Herne covered me with kisses, his eyes glistening. “I thought I lost you,” he said. “I thought we lost all of you.”
“We were lost,” I answered, my head against his chest. “I missed you so much.”
After we finished our lunch, Herne guided us all into the living room. I sat on his lap in the recliner, while Kipa and Raven snuggled on one end of the sofa. Angel and Talia joined them, while Yutani and Viktor sat in the love seat. Mr. Rumblebutt jumped on Angel’s lap, and Cernunnos and Morgana sat on two of the ottomans.
“So, start by telling us where you went and what happened.” Herne scooted over so I could sit beside him in the oversized chair. I slid off his lap and took a deep breath.
“Well, we ended up in Arianrhod’s realm.” With Raven’s and Angel’s help, I told them about our journey, including the kelpie, the Star Hounds, and Sala—the helpful innkeeper in Bream. “What I don’t understand is on my first visit to Annwn, I saw Caer Arianrhod up in the sky—”
“It’s simultaneously there and also soil-bound. Arianrhod inhabits several realms at once, and it’s all very…interdimensional. Don’t even try to figure it out—it will confuse the hell out of you because she lives outside the confines of time and space.” Morgana shook her head. “I’m amazed you managed to take on the Star Hounds.”
“Without the allentar arrows, we wouldn’t have survived.” I paused, then asked the question that was heavily on my mind. “Now, the dragons?”
Herne took a deep breath. “Nothing is settled. Well, that’s not true. Some things are, but… You said you vanished when they first collided in midair?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“Then you missed the battle. They fought for hours, severing heads—which will grow back, but it was a bloody mess. We—the gods, I mean—were trying to hold back the Luminous Warriors. As we expected, they ignored the agreement and took to the air to help their father against their mother.” He paused, then stood and went over to the television and turned it on. He turned on the DVR and then fast forwarded through what looked like a news program. The film was a choppy and dark segment, but I could see the dragons fighting in the air. It was horrible—the sounds reverberated even at a low volume, and whoever had shot the film had obviously been on the move because the images bounced up and down.
But we could see the two Titans rolling in the air, wrestling and snapping at each other. Echidna was stupendously beautiful, and Typhon, just as gorgeous save for the dark miasma that clung to him. Their heads—hundreds of them—writhed in a sinuous dance, all aimed at destruction. They were entangled, so much so that I thought it a wonder either dragon could even attempt to break free. It reminded me of a snake ball, when snakes mated, except they were clawing and ripping at one another. Blood flew everywhere.
Then, more roars echoed as a flurry of smaller dragons arose, taking flight, and the sky was filled with snow and blood as they began to clash with the gods. I recognized several of the gods flying into the air, going to battle against the dragons. One, muscled beyond description, wearing furs and carrying a shield and a massive hammer, launched against one of the Luminous Warriors. Thor. That has to be Thor, I thought. He struck at the heart of one of the dragons with Mjolnir and the dragon began to tumble out of the sky.
Elsewhere, the gods were doing their best to keep the lesser dragons out of the main fray, but it dawned on me as I watched, there would be no winning. The dragons were immortal. The gods were immortal. They could fight forever and no one come out the victor.
The footage went on and on, and we watched for two solid hours as the bloody battle continued. Then, whoever was shooting the footage screamed and the next moment, the film stopped.
“What happened?” Raven asked.
“We aren’t sure. Someone picked up the camera but whoever was filming hasn’t come forward. There was a lot of collateral damage,” Herne said, his expression somber. “Pike Place Market looks like a bomb went off. The entire downtown area looks like a war zone. The building our office is in was heavily damaged, as well as most of the buildings along that block.”
That brought it home. I caught my breath. “How many people died?”
“At least two hundred. And another two hundred unaccounted for. Downtown Seattle is a pile of rubble.”
“And the dragons?” Angel asked.
“Echidna and Typhon managed to wound each other heavily. The gods were able to build the stasis field but…we couldn’t untangle them. We had to imprison Echidna along with Typhon, in stasis.” Morgana squeezed her eyes shut and hung her head. “We didn’t want to, but there was no choice. At the end, Echidna shouted for us to ‘seal the door’…and so we did. They’ll be fighting for eternity in there.”
I caught my breath. Echidna had sacrificed herself. Tears welled up as I thought about her sacrifice. “I don’t know what to say,” I whispered.
“There isn’t anything you can say,” Morgana answered.
“Then Typhon’s no longer a threat?” Raven asked.
“No, but his children are. And a number of the dragons who were on Echidna’s side are angry at us and at the human world. Some of them have returned to the Forgotten Kingdom, but the Luminous Warriors haven’t,” Morgana said.
Cernunnos cleared his throat. “They’ve retreated to the land they bought, and we don’t know what they’re up to. We’ve managed to convince the government that nuclear weapons wouldn’t faze the dragons, so they aren’t counterattacking. But reports are trickling in from other countries that the Luminous Warriors are attacking rural areas, destroying villages and towns, and claiming the land. They seem intent on carrying through their father’s plan.”
So, Typhon was no longer a threat, but his children were. “And just like that, the world changes,” I said. “What about TirNaNog and Navane?”
“Saílle and Névé have played it close to the chest, but they have been upping their militias. Everything is in turmoil, and there’s no sure footing anymore.” Herne shook his head.
I thought about the whole mess. “What do we do?”
“We can’t fight the dragons effectively, and they seem determined to stay here. We haven’t made firm plans yet, but the first thing we’re going to do is make sure that you pass through the Gadawnoin as soon as possible.” Morgana turned to me. “Herne’s attention was divided the past few days, worrying that you were dead. It’s time for the ritual. I know you expected to have more time, but you must be safe in order for Herne to focus his attention where it’s needed.”
I stared at her, taking in what she was saying. Even though part of me was screaming, “So soon?” I knew she was right. I planned on marrying Herne, and if me being immortal would help him focus his energy, then I would undergo the ritual.
“All right,” I said, my voice barely registering even in my own ears.
“You don’t object?” Herne asked, straightening. “You’re okay with that?”
&n
bsp; “Of course. I’m not about to leave you, and I agree with your mother. I don’t want you to worry about me. So…yes.” I took a deep breath. “How long does the ritual last?”
“It depends on the person. I can only tell you that you need to rest up for a day or so. Today’s Tuesday. We’ll set the ritual for the weekend, I believe. In the meantime, you stay out of sight. We can’t chance the dragons coming after you in revenge.”
Kipa turned to Raven. “We’re not going back to the house on the Eastside, either. You’re safer here.”
“What about afterward? What about the Wild Hunt?” I asked.
“And my brother—what about DJ and Cooper’s family?” Angel spoke up.
“Don’t worry, Angel. We’ve already moved Cooper’s family—and your brother—over to Annwn,” Herne said. “The coming days are far too precarious to let them stay here. Chances are they’d be okay, but until we know what the dragons are planning, we won’t take any chances.”
Angel nodded, looking relieved. “I’d like to see them soon.”
“You will,” Cernunnos said. “They’re staying in the palace for now. I would have told you while we were there but we needed to discuss everything and I knew you’d want to visit with them, so I decided to wait. You can see them in a couple of days.”
“As to the Wild Hunt,” Herne said, “if—and that’s a big if—we stay here, we’ll have to find a new space for the office and probably go undercover. Luckily, we have a backup of all our files in the cloud. We’re printing everything off now, in case we have to leave for Annwn without warning. Viktor sorted through the rubble for all the weapons he could find.”
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