Rozurial leaned back, a grave look on his face. “Trenyth knows where the last spirit seal is. He sent us the specifics on it.”
Instantly, we all stopped talking and stared at the maps.
“So it’s finally happened,” Delilah said softly, breaking the silence.
We had been searching for the spirit seals for almost four years and had gone through so much pain and loss to find them. After all this time, after so many deaths, could we really be facing the final chapter?
EONS AGO, BEFORE the worlds were separated, a demon lord had risen up, intent on subjugating both humankind and the Fae. The ancient Fae Lords had fought among themselves about what to do. Some wanted to confront the demon lord directly. But others rebelled. They wanted to separate the worlds into three distinct but parallel worlds—Otherworld, Earthside, and the Subterranean Realms. A massive battle ensued and the separatists won. Using all of their magic combined, they had driven through the worlds, ripping them apart like some great juggernaut. That time became known as the Great Divide. The massive disruption had sparked off volcanoes and earthquakes, global floods and land shifts.
After the worlds were separated, the separatists created the Spirit Seal, an artifact so powerful that it was able to prevent the worlds from intersecting except for the vortexes that formed here and there—known as portals. Yet, the seal also provided the key to reuniting the worlds.
To keep the division from breaking down, the Fae Lords split the Spirit Seal into nine pieces and sent them out to the nine Greater Elemental Lords and Ladies. But even the Immortals lose track of things, and over time the spirit seals—each containing a different gem—had found their way into the world of mortals. Anyone who could reunite all nine could either unite the three worlds again—which would cause as much destruction as the Great Divide had. Or…they could watch over them and keep the spirit seals and the portals safe.
But the division of worlds wasn’t natural. Rogue portals began to form, tearing at the threads keeping the worlds apart. Another great demon lord rose. Shadow Wing the Unraveller began sending envoys to gather the seals, intent on opening the portals to flood both Otherworld and Earthside with his armies of demons. And that’s where we came in.
After a long four years, we had managed to retrieve eight of the spirit seals. Once we had the ninth, we hoped to forestall his war forever, because I was destined to be in charge of bringing together the Keraastar Knights, the guardians of the portals. But it was still a long road until then, and there was much to be done.
MY BREATH CAUGHT in my throat. “The last seal. It’s been almost four years since the demonic war dropped in our laps. Where is it?”
Roz motioned to Morio, who pointed to a place on the map. “It’s on Camano Island. Or should I say, in the waters surrounding Camano Island. One of the Elder Fae has it. K’thbar the Unyielding. He’s sleeping in Puget Sound.”
“Oh joy, the Elder Fae.” Delilah’s grimace spoke for us all.
The Elder Fae weren’t like us. They were unique for the most part, each possessing different powers. Most of them were scary-assed and strong. We had managed to make a truce with a few like Ivana, the Maiden of Karask, but we’d been on the bad side of more than one. The Elder Fae seldom saw reason to cooperate with anybody. They were wild and feral, primal powers of the world wrapped up into freakshow bundles of not so happy-happy joy-joy.
“How do we get there? Is there a way into the lair that isn’t beneath the water?”
Trillian frowned, tracing his finger along the coastline. “No, there doesn’t appear to be. We asked Trenyth what K’thbar is like. Turns out, not so much goodness in his soul. The world is much better off when he’s asleep.”
“Is he a fish? I remember Yannie Fin Diver all too well, and that’s one Elder Fae I don’t ever want to meet again.” I shuddered.
We had thought Yannie Fin Diver was one of the Meré, but when he leaped on land his tail had become legs and he had come after Delilah and me, intent on a midday snack.
“I do have the unicorn horn, if we need it. It’s fully charged. I haven’t used it in a while.”
“That horn could knock down a wall,” Delilah said. “But be careful if you use it. There are a lot of people—Elder Fae included—who wouldn’t mind having it.”
I laughed. “We need to create a spreadsheet to keep track of our enemies.”
“No kidding. I’ll get on that right away.” Delilah grinned at me, and the tension in the room began to diffuse.
When we were all breathing easier, I glanced at the maps. “Okay then, let’s get this show on the road. Tell us what Trenyth had to say.” The elder advisor to the Elfin throne was doing his best to help us. He had been in love with Queen Asteria and when she died, he took it hard. But he was doing his best to help Sharah and we loved him all the more for it.
“First, he said that K’thbar is powerful and big.”
“Of course he is,” Menolly said, rolling his eyes. “When aren’t they big and powerful?”
“Right,” Nerissa said. “Also, he’s water-bound. He never comes onto land. So we have to meet him in his element.”
“Handy, given none of us breathe water,” I snarked.
“I can go.” Menolly raised her hand. “Remember, I don’t breathe at all.”
“Yeah, but you can’t go down there alone and even as strong as you are, you can’t take on one of the Elder Fae by yourself,” Nerissa said.
“I know who we can ask for help. Shimmer. I’m sure she wouldn’t mind.” Smoky spoke slowly.
I snapped my fingers. “Of course! She could be a tremendous help.” I turned to Menolly. “Can you call Alex and ask him to have her contact us?”
“On my list.” Menolly grinned. “I’m sure she’ll be thrilled to go up against one of the Elder Fae, but hey, what are friends for?”
Shimmer was a blue dragon shifter. A water dragon, she had been sent Earthside as a punishment for some minor crime. She was soil-bound, meaning she couldn’t return to the Dragon Reaches without permission, but she was okay by us. We had helped her employer, Alex—a vampire who owned the Fly by Night Investigation Agency—rescue her when she had been charmed by one of his enemies.
“Okay, so the creature is water-bound. Does Trenyth know if he’s actively using the spirit seal?” That would make a big difference. If K’thbar was using the spirit seal, then his powers would be magnified and we’d be in real trouble.
Trillian shrugged. “Dunno. Trenyth didn’t say. He also doesn’t know whether Shadow Wing is onto the location.”
Vanzir spoke up. “Trytian and his father have been keeping Shadow Wing and his armies occupied in roust after roust. I’ll give it to the daemons. They’re tough, and they’re hitting the demons where it hurts.”
Trytian and his father were daemons, who were just as nasty but less chaotic than demons. They were on the offensive, attempting to dethrone the Demon Lord.
“I’m betting that Shadow Wing hasn’t yet recovered from losing Telazhar, who was probably the one locating the spirit seals for him,” Vanzir continued. “The current military operations should be eating up his time and focus. It’s doubtful that he’s had time to groom someone to take Telazhar’s post.”
We had managed to wound the Demon Lord on several fronts. We had taken out his best general, Telazhar. We had wiped out a number of the other sorcerers who were intent on breaking open the portals. The elves had paid dearly for it, but then the dragons had come to our aid and they were still keeping a close eye on things over in Otherworld. And we had managed to recover all the spirit seals that Shadow Wing had accumulated.
“We’ll probably be facing something like a giant octopus.” I frowned.
We were brainstorming ideas when the doorbell rang. I excused myself to answer it. As I opened the door, a wave of light hit me—dark sparkling energy floating in on a wave. I backed into the living room, knowing exactly who had arrived.
One
by one, they took their places near the fireplace. First to enter was Derisa, the High Priestess of the Moon Mother from over in Otherworld. And then Titania, the Queen of Light and Morning. Next came Aeval, the Queen of Shadow and Night. And finally, Myrddin, the Merlin and High Priest of the Moon Mother, joined them.
“Well met, Camille.” Aeval’s greeting gave her away. This was a formal visit.
I curtseyed as the others filed in from the kitchen. Aeval smiled, her frost-laden eyes flashing like prisms in the ice. She was a tall and terrible beauty, with hair as black as mine, and her dress sparkled with beads, the deep indigo of the night sky.
“Do you know why we’re here?”
I shook my head. “No, Your Majesty, I don’t.” I usually called Aeval and Titania by their first names, but tonight, it didn’t feel right. With Titania, Myrddin, and Derisa in tow, I knew something big was up. “To what do we owe the honor of your visit?”
“Trenyth contacted me,” Derisa said. “He told me the last spirit seal has been located and you will soon be searching for it.”
I nodded. “We just found out.”
Aeval straightened her shoulders. “The moment you have the spirit seal in hand, you must journey to the Tygerian Mountains and seek out the Keraastar Diamond. The time has come for you to gather the Keraastar Knights.”
Chapter 3
MY HEART SANK. I knew this was coming, but I hadn’t expected it so suddenly. But then again, my ascent to the throne was less than two weeks away. I couldn’t show fear, and I couldn’t show my dismay, so I parked my expression in neutral.
“As you will, Lady.” I curtseyed again.
The formalities over with, everyone relaxed. Well, as much as you can relax in a room containing two Fae queens, a High Priest from antiquity, and a High Priestess of the Moon Mother.
Vanzir shyly approached Aeval. Vanzir wasn’t usually shy around anybody, but the sudden blush on the demon’s cheeks was both unexpected and cute. Aeval held out her hands and pulled him to her for a gentle kiss before she sat down in the rocking chair. Her pregnancy was starting to really show. He really was going to make a strange babydaddy.
The others spread themselves around the room. Merlin leaned against the mantel over the fireplace. Titania greeted Iris with a brilliant smile that told me somehow the two had managed to become a little chummy. And Derisa watched me carefully as she accepted a side chair from Trillian.
“I take it this journey’s not going to be a walk down the yellow brick road?” I knew better than to expect a clearly defined route with happy Munchkins along the way, but I was hoping that for once in my life, I wouldn’t constantly be in danger.
Of course, Fae nobility loved crashing hopes to the ground.
Aeval snorted. “I’m aware of that reference. First, there’s not going to be any Glinda to guide you. And second, you aren’t going to be linking arms with a scarecrow and a tin man, either. I also recommend you leave your pets at home.” She paused, catching my gaze. I started to sweat. There was real concern in her eyes. “The problem is, we don’t know the route. We only know that it’s somewhere in the Tygerian mountains.”
“Of course, because we need the Maharata scrolls to find out exactly where the diamond is.” I frowned. The more we talked, the less fun this sounded.
“Right,” the Merlin said. He held up a talisman that flashed brilliant blue. “Get ready, you’re about to have more company.”
“Great,” Menolly said.
A moment later, the air began to shimmer. Smoky and Shade suddenly came to attention. I froze as two more figures appeared in our living room. One was a woman who stood almost seven feet tall. Her hair was the color of silver moonlight and her skin, so pale she made snow look grungy. Smoky’s mother. And with her was an old friend we hadn’t seen for some time. Venus the Moon Child.
Our home’s becoming Grand Central Station, I thought. But I stood and graciously welcomed them to our house.
“Vishana, welcome to our home.” I curtseyed to my mother-in-law, grateful we were on good terms. Having an MIL who was a dragon powerful enough to kill everyone in the room was enough to cow anybody. “And Venus…you wily old shaman.” My smile broadened as he stepped forward to give me a warm hug.
“Camille,” he whispered, his hands tight around me. Then he stood back, regarding me carefully. “So much water under the bridge, right?”
“So much water and not enough lifeboats,” I said softly.
“Too true. And for so many, not enough time to reach them, even if there were.” He bopped me on the nose, then turned to greet Delilah as Smoky sprang forward to Vishana’s side.
“Mother! We didn’t expect you.” He knelt before her before rising and kissing her cheek with a light peck. She returned the almost-air kiss, but her eyes sparkled as she stared at her son.
“Derisa contacted us when Trenyth told her that he had located the whereabouts of the final spirit seal.” She motioned to Venus. “It’s time for Venus to rejoin you. He’s the only one who knows the location of the Maharata-Vashi, the matching scroll to the Maharata-Verdi.”
Menolly and Rozurial had hidden away the Maharata-Verdi in a location only they knew about. To find the Keraastar Diamond, I would need both scrolls. The Maharata-Verdi and its twin worked in conjunction, though I wasn’t entirely sure how. And Venus knew the location to the latter one. Queen Asteria had entrusted him with it.
Venus turned. A fire opal, glistening and alive, hung on a platinum chain around his neck. The spirit seal glimmered in the dim light, swirling like flames caught within a glass bell. He caught me staring at it and inclined his head, a grim smile replacing the easygoing welcome. I would be his queen soon, and he would be one of my Knights to defend the portals. His life and his death would be in my hands.
I withdrew to the side as he chatted with Delilah. Venus was originally from the Rainier Puma Pride. That’s how the two had met. Meanwhile, Smoky and his mother were talking with the Fae Queens. Trillian and Morio were talking to Myrddin, and Derisa was keeping her own company in the corner. Feeling overwhelmed, all I wanted to do was go up to my room and sit on the balcony, and stare at the moon.
“Too much change, too fast?” Iris crossed the room to me, looking concerned. The talon-haltija was a Finnish house sprite, but she was also a powerful priestess in her own right. And right now, I knew she was stressed out because she had twins at home, and a husband who was thousands of miles away in Ireland and the last thing she needed was to be included in our problems, too.
“Yeah. I feel like I can’t breathe.” I let her take my hand and lead me into the parlor where I sat on the sofa. She closed the door partway to keep out the noise and then joined me.
“I sometimes feel like that. I always wanted to be a mother. It’s important in my culture, but with Bruce away and with me taking care of Chase’s daughter too, it’s more than a full-time job.” She leaned back, resting her head on the sofa. “I’m grateful that the Duchess is here, but I always feel like I’m on display with her. She tries to be nice, but she’s so used to giving orders that I never know where I stand with her. Don’t let the stories fool you. Leprechauns are nothing to fool around with.”
“I bet,” I muttered. “Neither are dragons. Think about it—I have two mothers-in-law I’ve never even met. One hates my guts, and the other isn’t far behind. I dread the day either decides to visit. I’m hoping that taking the crown of Queen of Dusk and Twilight will throw a bit of a scare into them.” I laughed, thinking even that probably wouldn’t be enough to appease Trillian’s family. Ever. Svartans had a class structure and I didn’t figure into it in any way. He had given up his family ties for me, something I hadn’t fully realized until recently.
I leaned forward, elbows on knees, resting my chin on my hands. “When did things get so complicated? Four years ago, we were sorting our way out, just getting used to living over here.”
“Life happens, doesn’t it? That’s the prob
lem with getting comfortable. Something is bound to come along and shake you out of your complacency. Tell me something,” she said, sitting down and resting one hand on my arm. “Would you give it all up? Would you give up Trillian and Smoky and Morio to have things go back to the way they were before all of this happened?”
I frowned. “Leave it to you to find the silver lining.” Still frustrated, I stood and crossed to the window, staring out into the night. “Oh, Iris, of course I wouldn’t give them up. And, to be honest, I’m…I don’t know if excited is the word, but I feel like I’m walking on eggs. I never dreamed that all of this would happen. But it’s going to hurt. Leaving this house, leaving Delilah and Menolly, leaving Maggie behind. I won’t lie, it’s not going to be easy.” I stared out into the darkness, feeling tears creep down my cheeks. “Especially leaving Maggie. I’m going to miss that little gargoyle.”
Iris joined me. Her hand crept into mine. “I know. When Bruce and I moved out back to our new house and when I had the twins, I had to let go of being part of your family here—at least on such an intimate level. I had to watch Hanna do the work I used to. It wasn’t easy. But I have my own family and it’s already expanded to include Chase and Astrid. I may complain, but I’m happy, Camille. And you will be, too. You’ll still see Maggie, probably more than you anticipate. And you’ll still see your sisters.”
Dashing away the tears, I straightened my shoulders. “You’re right. I know you’re right. I just… I’m mourning the past and I’m not sure about what the future’s bringing, so the loss seems more vivid and real right now.”
“Excuse me.” Menolly peeked around the door.
I turned, dashing away my tears.
“I don’t mean to interrupt, but Vishana has to leave and wants to say good-bye.” She noticed my tear-stained cheeks. “Don’t tell me you’re getting all maudlin.”
I sniffed. “No more than you’ll be when you have to pack up and move over to Roman’s. Face it, we’re short-timers here.”
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