Tanne let out another gasp as Smoky began to circle in for a landing. “I never thought I’d ride a dragon.”
“I imagine you never thought you’d be a knight in an army against a demon lord, either!” I glanced over my shoulder and smiled at him. “I knew there was something special about you, but I never really thought this would be the result.”
He gave me a slightly sad look. “I miss my clan. We hunted down demons too, but I suppose this is more important. And wearing the seal, even in the short time that I have, has… I feel it changing me. I feel different, as if I’m seeing the world in a new way. Everything seems bigger, more magnified and important.”
“When you look at the universe, everything seems microscopic. But when you think of the carnage Shadow Wing’s already caused, it hits home. He’s out to destroy both Earthside and Otherworld if he gets the chance. We have a leg up on him now, but we have to keep it that way.” And with that, I turned back, facing front, as Smoky began his final circle, descending onto the grassy area near the lake, on the eastern side of it.
As we touched down he gently knelt, lowering his head so we could easily slip off. Perhaps “easily” wasn’t really the term, but it was a lot easier than trying to jump down.
Shade landed nearby, as did Áine, and soon we were all on foot again. The air here was chillier, even though the sun was beating down, and I realized just how high the cliff was. But the air was also clear and clean, and smelled of grass and wildflowers. I filled my lungs, then slowly exhaled. It occurred to me this would be a nice place for a camping trip. If we could find a spot for Menolly to sleep during the day, maybe we could do a big family-wide vacation before the autumn set fully in.
Smoky transformed back, as did Shade. Delilah came over and stood by me, staring at the river and the top of the falls.
“It’s gorgeous.”
“I was thinking, we should bring the entire family and spend a week up here. It’s so quiet, with so few people around.” I wasn’t sure what Aeval would say, but as a queen, I should have the right to go on vacation when I wanted to. If not, I was going to fight for it.
“Shade!” Delilah motioned him over and slipped her arm around his waist. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and gave her a long, lazy kiss. His skin glowed with a coppery brown color, and his hair reminded me of amber threads.
“Yes, love?”
“What do you think about this place for a honeymoon? Camille was thinking of bringing the whole family for a vacation. Wouldn’t this be perfect?”
I blinked. “Isn’t the idea of a honeymoon to get away from everybody else?”
Shade laughed. “The day you three ever get away from one another is the day hell freezes over. I think it’s gorgeous, and who says a honeymoon has to be private? We don’t have to share our tent with anybody. I’m all for it, if that’s what you’d like.”
He pressed his lips to hers and I caught a glimpse of her expression as she molded herself against him. She was truly happy, it was apparent in the way she stroked his arm, the way she touched his face with her fingertips. Feeling like an intruder, I quietly withdrew and headed over to Smoky for a kiss of my own.
Myrddin—the Merlin’s given name—as usual, seemed impatient. “I suggest we get a move on. We have several miles to hike before we reach Erastel’s End.”
“We’re coming,” I said, shaking my head.
Smoky snorted. “He needs a woman,” he said under his breath.
“He’s in love with Áine. And that curse on her doesn’t appear to be lifting any time soon,” I whispered back. “You don’t think anybody in the Dragon Reaches might be able to help her, do you?”
Smoky cocked his head to the right, rubbing his chin as he thought. After a few moments, he cleared his throat. “Possibly, but I can’t say for certain. I’ll look into it. Don’t say anything to them until I find out for sure. No use getting their hopes up.”
“Right.” I swept through the long grass to Myrddin’s side. “We’re ready. Which way do we go?”
He motioned for us to follow him northeast.
We walked parallel to the river, which flowed out of the forest. As we journeyed in silence, the swishing of the grass in the wind lulled me into a quiet reflection. I drifted, listening to the drone of lazy bees and to the sound of birdsong filling the air.
When I really thought about it, Talamh Lonrach Oll wasn’t unlike this mesa. Oh, the land was well tended, and there were a number of Fae living there, and yes, the feel of the worlds was different, but there was that same feeling of wildness.
I had long thought that the woodlands of Earthside were more feral and primal than those of Otherworld. They were at war with human development, and that made the trees angry and made the Fae tending them bitter. But out at the Fae Sovereign Nation, the trees were calmer. Any harvesting was done with reverence and care. They responded in kind, growing faster and keeping watch along the paths and walkways for any signs of intruders.
We were about twenty minutes from the eastern edge of the forest. Myrddin led us to a pathway that was overgrown, almost obscured from sight. The forest took over immediately, choking out the long grass with its own undergrowth. Like the forests of the Pacific Northwest, the woodlands here were thick with waist-high ferns and berry brambles and shrubs. The scent of water lingered in the air, and the trickling sounds of a stream tinkled along like wind chimes. The stream was hard to spot, but when I found it, I saw that it flowed to the southeast, parallel to the path.
“How far to Erastel’s End?” I welcomed the respite from the sun. The branches of the tall timber wove together over the path to provide a canopy that filtered out a good share of the sunlight. Even though the temperatures here were cooler than they would be down in the valley, the heat still prickled more than I’d like.
“Not far. About a mile in. Very little haunts this forest. The few who are up to no good may enter, but they seldom leave,” Myrddin said. He paused, shading his eyes as he looked up at the canopy. “There are shadows in the trees that watch for those who enter with hostile intent. There aren’t many who can fight them off.”
“Are they ghosts? If they were, I think I could see them.” Delilah glanced up, squinting. She had developed the ability to see spirits. It was one of her newly acquired powers from being a Death Maiden.
“No, not ghosts. Protectors. Guardians.” Myrddin lowered his voice. “It’s not safe to even discuss them. They listen and watch and they’re drawn to those who pry too deeply. We’re relatively safe, as long as we mean no harm to this place, and don’t arouse their hunger.”
Shade scanned the trees. “They come from the Netherworld. I know of them. The Stradolan race makes use of them at times.” His voice was even, but the words were charged. Shade had lost his half-Stradolan self in an attack around eight months ago. He had adapted, but he was still smarting over the loss.
“What can you tell us about them? They may not be bothering us now, but I’d like to be prepared in case they change their minds.” I had had my fill of creatures supposedly on our side who turned against us.
“They’re volatile. Whoever set them to guard this place was a powerful mage. They bend their knee to few, and yet I see that they are all marked to guard, and have been here a long time.” He shrugged. “You can’t really kill them, just banish them back to the Netherworld.”
“Wait,” Delilah said. “You can see them? I thought you had lost all of your Stradolan powers.”
Shade froze, a wash of bewilderment crossing his face. “I did. I shouldn’t be able to see them.” He turned to Myrddin. “What is this place?”
Myrddin paused. “I think…that someone else can explain this better than I can.” He stood back and then, placing two fingers in his mouth, he let loose with a sharp whistle that echoed through the woods. A moment later, there was a movement in the bushes.
Delilah and I turned, ready for a fight, but the next moment I let out a cry and
raced forward, throwing my arms around the neck of a large white unicorn.
“Feddrah-Dahns! I’m so glad to see you!”
Feddrah-Dahns was the prince of the Dahnsburg Unicorns. He had been our friend for a long time now, and had helped us more than once. We had met on the street in front of my old bookstore, the Indigo Crescent, when he was being chased by three lowlifes. He had been hunting for his servant, Mistletoe—a pixie. Now, Mistletoe flew up behind Feddrah-Dahns and over to land on my shoulder.
“Mistletoe, how are you?”
Mistletoe inclined his head. “Your Majesty.” He giggled at me. “It seems strange to say that, but fitting.”
Feddrah-Dahns knelt on one of his front legs, dipping down, then stood again. “Lady Camille. Now you, too, wear a crown. Well met, my friend.”
Myrddin cleared his throat. “Feddrah-Dahns wanted to talk to you, so he will walk with us a ways.”
“Feddrah-Dahns is always welcome,” Smoky said. The unicorn let out a gentle whinny and nuzzled my dragon lover, who laughed.
Mistletoe settled on my shoulder as we continued into the forest. Shade seemed subdued, glancing around him every few minutes. I wanted to ask him what was going on, but Delilah shook her head when she saw me watching him. Obviously, something was up, but I decided to keep my mouth shut.
We had gone another mile or so when a sudden hush fell over the woodland around us. Myrddin stopped, and then motioned to me. The path was only broad enough for two abreast, so I wove my way through the guards who were in front of us to the ancient magician. His red beard and hair peeked out from beneath the hooded robe he wore, and he gave me a discerning look.
Leaning down, he whispered, “We’re near Erastel’s End. From here, we must walk softly and quietly. There are guardians—far darker than those who haunt the treetops—who wait in the shadows. We’re being watched.” He motioned for me to stay put while he turned and walked through the line of those following us, spreading the word.
I wasn’t sure why the silence was necessary but I wasn’t going to contradict him, and I wasn’t going to test his reasoning. I had learned the hard way that when somebody warned me of danger, there was usually a good reason for it. But another noise coming from the bushes startled me and I quickly turned, hoping that whoever it was they were at least as welcome as Feddrah- Dahns had been. Another moment and the bushes parted and, for the first time, I was actually relieved to see Raven Mother step out from the brambles.
Then, before I could say a word, another figure joined her and I found myself staring up at the Black Unicorn. He was back, alive, and breathing smoke from his nostrils.
Chapter 5
THE BLACK BEAST. A creature of myth and legend, come to life. A creature I had sent to his death at his own command, who was now returned in a new body, young and running free. He was the father of the Dahnsburg Unicorns, the only one of his kind. He was Raven Mother’s paramour, and together they had engendered Bran, who was forever a thorn in my side, but whom I had grudgingly come to trust and finally given in and made one of my Keraastar Knights when the seals demanded it.
The Black Unicorn trotted toward me, his silken black mane fluttering in the breeze. His horn was crystal, around a foot and a half long, and threads of gold, silver, and black ran through it. I knew it very well, because I had one of my own—from one of his former lives—hidden inside the inner pocket of my cloak, specifically designed to fit the eighteen-inch weapon. It had been a gift, along with a cloak made from his hide, and they were worth a king’s ransom.
I curtsied deeply, saying nothing. For what could I say? I had killed him, albeit at his request, and in that way we were forever linked. He had chosen me to be his assassin. Once every thousand years or so, the Black Unicorn shed his skin like a phoenix and was reborn anew.
“Rise,” his voice echoed in my head, and I knew everyone else was hearing it as well. “So, you are the Queen of Dusk and Twilight, now?”
“Yes, Lord of the Dahns,” I whispered, barely able to look him in the eye.
“You have journeyed far from where we first met. And now, you return to the world of your birth in order to make the next step of the journey.” He paused as Raven Mother slipped in beside him, rubbing his muzzle with her hand and kissing him lightly on the side of his cheek.
“Camille, Queen Camille, you stole my son, though not the way I fancied you might.” She glanced past me, gazing at Bran. “The Moon Mother steals my sparkles and you steal my blood. But it works out, works out it does, and all works for the better good. I do not begrudge you. Now my son takes his place among the heroes as well as the Elemental Lords.”
Raven Mother spoke in circles. She was an Elemental herself, cunning and dangerous, and she had taken an interest in me from the very beginning. She was tall and curvy, with a wasp waist and broad shoulders. She wore a plunging gown of black, her breasts crowning the top. Her cloak was made from feathers, and her eyes were painted like the mask of a raccoon. Her teeth, needle sharp, glistened as she smiled with ebony-stained lips. Raven Mother had been jealous of the Moon Mother as long as anybody could remember, coveting the brilliance of the moon. And she envied all that the Moon Mother owned, including her witches and priestesses. More than once, she had tried to lure me away to follow her.
I stared at the odd couple, thinking that they were two of the most dangerous spirits I had met who weren’t absolutely fucknut crazy and out for blood. Neither the Black Unicorn nor Raven Mother could be contained. They were all that was wild and feral, all that was primal, and they reveled in their chaos. In some ways, they personified love untamed by social mores.
“What should I do?” I prayed the answer was something easy enough. I had been through so many trials that I wasn’t sure how many more “transformations” I could handle.
“Bring your knights into the woods. Gather at Erastel’s End. And there, wait for the Guardian to join you.” And with that, both the Black Beast and Raven Mother turned and vanished back into the thicket.
Delilah tapped me on the arm. “What’s wrong?”
“I’m tired of riddles. I’m tired of puzzles. Just once, couldn’t somebody hand me a memo with a clear checklist of what I needed to do on it? I’m tired of following the trail of bread crumbs. I guess…I want to relax. I want to sit back and enjoy my life.” And then I said the words I never thought I’d hear myself say. “I’m tired of doing what I should. I just want to kick off my shoes, curl up on the sofa, and watch an old movie. And eat chocolate. And you know I don’t have much of a sweet tooth.”
Delilah wrapped her arm around me. “I’ll join you, if you do. We can leave now, if you want. Camille, you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”
I leaned against her shoulder, torn for just a fraction of a second, and then kissed her cheek, patting her arm as I straightened up. “It’s a lovely dream, but you know as well as I do that’s all it is. Come on, let’s get moving.” I paused, then added, “But thanks. Thank you for offering me the option. For not doing what I always do by playing the cheerleader.”
“You know I don’t look good in a short skirt and pompoms,” she said, laughing. “All right, here’s the deal: We get this over with and then you come over and spend the night and we watch TV all night and eat cookies. I won’t even make you watch Jerry Springer.”
“Agreed!” I let out a long breath, then, squaring my shoulders, turned back to Myrddin. “All right. You’re in charge, it seems. Where to now?”
He held his finger to his lips, nodding toward the canopy. “Remember, we’re being watched. Come, not far now.”
And off we went, into the early afternoon haze compounded by the drone of insects and the echoing calls of the birds.
TWENTY MINUTES LATER, the forest thinned out as we entered a clearing. The meadow was round, about the size of a bowl-shaped football field. The grass was short here, unlike what it had been when we started. In fact, it wasn’t grass at all, but moss, short
and plush against the ground. At the center was a pile of stones in varying shapes and sizes. I suspected the ruins had been a house at one time, but it was difficult to tell from the distance at which we were standing. In the distance, I saw a series of Barrow Mounds.
“What do we do now?” I looked around. We had until tomorrow night.
“For now, we prepare. Set up camp while we can. The area grows shrouded with mist at night and it will be difficult to see. Sleep as much as you can tonight, for you must begin the ritual near midnight tomorrow.” Myrddin gave me a long look.
“All right, so we set up camp.” I glanced around. “Is it all right to build a fire to cook over?”
“I don’t know what will happen, but go ahead and try. I’d suggest building a campfire ring, but bring stones from the forest. Whatever you do, don’t use any from the remains of the house.” He moved forward, to talk to the guards.
Feeling oddly out of the loop—I felt it should be me directing this show, but honestly, if I didn’t know what should happen, how could I be in charge? I contented myself with helping out.
Delilah and I raided the packs for food. We had hot dogs and buns, marshmallows and the fixings for s’mores, so I’d get my chocolate after all. There were apples, bread, peanut butter, jelly, potatoes and ham, and bags of chips. It wasn’t haute cuisine, but it was hearty and easy to fix. While Smoky and Shade carried stones from the edge of the clearing over for a fire pit, my knights hunted down wood for the fire at the edge of the treeline. Delilah and I prepared sticks to use for roasting hot dogs and marshmallows.
Then we set up the pup tents and rolled out bedrolls inside them. Two of the guards brought buckets of water from the river and set them on a makeshift table—a log that Smoky had rolled out and taken an axe to in order to level one side for a flat surface. Shade found a few other smaller logs and rolled them over to the camp to use as benches. Within two hours, we were set up and ready to go, and a merry fire was crackling.
Knight Magic (Otherworld) Page 3