“Yeah, she can, but…” I paused. “Veronica has her reasons for being the way she is, and it’s not necessarily all her fault. There are extenuating circumstances.”
“I’d still like to know what it is you can’t tell us about her.” Peggin picked up a sweater and held it up. “Can I wear this? It looks loose enough for me.”
“Of course you can. It’s cold out there, so bundle up. And it’s not any warmer in her lair.” I set down my brush, turning around. “I’m sorry. If you don’t want to go, you don’t have to.”
“But you think it would be a good idea, right?” Peggin slid the sweater over her shirt. We had around the same size boobs, but she was a couple sizes larger than I was. She wore the weight well, and it fit her nature. “I was right. This fits me perfectly. You should buy more form-fitting clothes, except then I couldn’t borrow them.”
I licked my lips. “The truth is, I don’t know what Veronica would be like if she got angry. Or maybe…I can imagine her angry, and I never want to see that. I want you to know what she’s like, so that if she ever comes into your life, you’re prepared. Before I left home it wasn’t as much of an issue, but now I’m starting to realize that my friends can be affected by the fact that I’m the spirit shaman. So, I guess I’m…”
“Preparing us for how weird things can get? Don’t sweat it, Kes,” she said, using a nickname that only Peggin was allowed to use. I hadn’t heard it in years, though. “I understand. I really do. And D-D seems thrilled to tag along. So it’s all good. We’re fine. I may not want to go, but I understand what you mean. Your life is steeped in the macabre now, you live with one foot in the world of the dead, one foot in the world of the living. I’m your best friend, so it’s a good thing for me to understand just what that entails.”
I finished powdering my nose and offered her the vanity. “You want to touch up?”
“Of course.” She pulled out her makeup case and brought out a lip pencil, carefully re-drawing the bow of her lips. She glanced at me in the mirror. “I always knew that you’d come back, you know. So I was prepared for all this.”
That was news to me. “How did you know?”
“The Crow Man told me.” At my startled look, she laughed. “Don’t be so surprised. You’re not the only one he talks to, you know. He and D-D have quite the conversations. And he’s come to me a few times. When I first decided to stay here, when my family moved away, he came to me before I made my final decision. My mother had given me an ultimatum: Allow them to pay for college or never see another penny from them. All I had to do was become a lawyer or get an MBA and join the family company.”
“What did he say? Was it in a dream or was it a vision?” Now I was really curious. I knew full well the Crow Man carried messages to a lot of people, but it hadn’t occurred to me that he had visited Peggin.
She shrugged. “A dream—you know the kind—the ones that aren’t really dreams. Anyway, he came to me the night before I had to give my mother my answer. He spoke in riddles, like he does with you, and he said, Two roads diverge in—”
“He recited Robert Frost to you?” I broke in, the thought making me laugh.
“No,” Peggin said, frowning at me. “He did not recite poetry to me. He said, ‘Two roads diverge in the woodland. One leads to a meadow where everything is golden, but every action comes under scrutiny, and every success is credited to someone else. The other leads to a moonlit grove with shadows and ghosts, and the sweetest wine you’ve ever tasted, and where you alone will be the guardian of your destiny.’ And then he said, Choose. And so I chose.”
I stared at her as she touched up her cat’s-eyes eyeliner. “Wow. So he was the reason you stayed in Whisper Hollow.”
“Maybe. I like to think I would have made the same choice if he hadn’t told me what he had. But who knows? I think the moment you make a decision, whatever would have happened is changed forever by the very act of making a choice. Anyway, I stayed, and tonight— Kes, tonight is one of those nights where we go wheeling into the moonlit grove with shadows and ghosts. But D-D? And hanging out with you and Bryan? You’re all part of the sweetest wine I’ll ever taste. And I’m the one who makes my own decisions.” She stood up. “I’m ready. Let’s go meet the Queen of the Dead.”
“Queen of the Unliving,” I murmured. I wasn’t exactly surprised by what Peggin had told me. She had always gone for the path less taken, always chosen a harder route. But to know that the Crow Man had considered her presence in the town to be so vital he’d try to talk her into it…that meant she had a part to play in Whisper Hollow’s future, other than that of my best friend.
We headed out to the living room where she slipped back into her boots. Once we were all ready, we headed out to my CRV. It was time to go pay a visit to Veronica.
The entrance to the lair was straight ahead. As we had come through the Pest House Cemetery, both Deev and Peggin had quieted down, falling under the spell woven by the solemn magic kicked up by the dead. Everyone I had ever seen enter the older part of the graveyard had felt it—a hushed reverence mixed with fear.
Peggin scooted closer to Deev, who wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulling her into his duster-cloaked embrace. His top hat lent a weird regality to his shadow and he looked like he belonged here, striding along with her beside him.
As we came to the back part of the cemetery that led to the clearing in front of Veronica’s lair, I heard Peggin gasp. I turned to see one of the Unliving sliding out from behind a nearby grave. His eyes were glued to her, like a starving man eyeing a banquet table.
“Leave her be,” I said aloud.
The shadow crept back into the hollow nest near the base of the trunk, vanishing before we could even follow where it went. Maybe this hadn’t been such a good idea, I thought. Maybe bringing Peggin here was just asking for trouble. She was so full of life and so vibrant that she would attract all the wrong types of spirits. Not on purpose, of course, but just because she was who she was.
As I was about to turn to her, thinking to tell her and Deev to go back and wait in the car, Veronica’s twins appeared again. They crossed the clearing to stand in front of me, standing with arms folded across their chests.
“We’re here to escort you,” one said, turning to me.
I motioned to them. “Lead on.”
We followed them across the clearing to the opening to Veronica’s lair. I glanced at Peggin. She was holding tight to Deev’s hand, looking frightened but determined. Deev, on the other hand, was looking around, taking in everything. Bryan walked behind me a few steps, ever watching out for my back.
When we reached the cavern, the twins silently led us into the massive tomb. That was what it was, really. A huge tomb, filled with those who had crossed back from the Veil, or those who had chosen never to go through the Veil. The shades of those who had been, and who would ever kneel at their deathly queen’s feet.
The cavern was so quiet that it set me on edge. There were sounds, of course, but the snow outside muffled most of the noise, and the Unliving were eerily silent. Occasionally I heard a shuffle, or a clatter that sounded like bones rattling, but mostly, the corridors were hushed.
We came to the throne room and I turned back to Deev and Peggin. “Don’t say anything unless she speaks to you. Don’t touch anything unless Veronica or I give you the go-ahead. And watch how you phrase things. This is not the place to joke around.
Peggin nodded. “Understood. Trust me, I don’t want to do anything that could land me in here forever. It was bad enough dealing with the Lady.”
“Veronica is more dangerous than the Lady, but she’s also more reasonable. Be polite and behave yourselves and everything should be all right.”
One of the twins walked over to Peggin. He stood right beside her, and I motioned to Deev to keep quiet. I could tell he wanted to shove the guard out of the way, but this was neither the time nor place for testosterone to rear its head.
“You smell delicious,” the guard sa
id, sniffing Peggin’s neck.
She shivered at first, then straightened her shoulders and looked the guard directly in the face. “Thank you. The perfume’s called ‘Midnight Hex,’ in case you’re interested.” Just a little snark, but not enough to be rude.
The twin let out a short bark of laughter, which shattered the silence. Then he fell silent again and returned to the front.
“You may go in,” he said, ushering us into the throne room.
As we entered, Veronica was seated on her throne of bones, only tonight she was wearing a gold dress that shimmered brightly in the dim light. Over her shoulders, she wore a black cloak, and long white gloves that were stained with what looked like dried blood.
I led the others into the room, and we filed along in front of the throne, lining up in a single file. When we were in place, I bowed, briefly but enough to acknowledge her presence, and the others followed suit.
“We meet again so soon, but there was need.” Veronica stood, slowly descending the steps to her throne to stand in front of us. She turned to Peggin and Deev, looking them up and down. “You are wondering, no doubt, why I called you here with the spirit shaman.”
There was a pause, and finally, Peggin cleared her throat. “Yes, actually, we are rather confused about your summons…Queen Veronica.”
Veronica laughed. It wasn’t the most pleasant of laughs but she sounded sincere. “Thank you for using my title. Too often the living have such disrespect for the dead. I’m sure that you, Kerris, are wondering as well. The reason I called your friends here is simple. They are around you a great deal, and I felt it wise that we meet. This way I can place my sigil of safety on them and none in my court will ever harm them. I cannot vouch for all the Unliving, but those in my court will heed the parameters of my decree.”
I blinked. “You can do that? You would do that?” My respect for her jumped a notch.
“Yes, I can and will do so. Your lament singer and guardian are already under my protection. Ellia was placed under my sigil many years ago when she first became a lament singer. There are those in Whisper Hollow we will never touch, and of course, you are included in that. Medea, bring me the book.” She snapped her fingers and a woman glided in with a large book in hand, and a feather quill.
Medea wore a long black dress, cinched in at the waist, and it curved around her breasts and hips. Her hair tumbled to her knees, caught back in a loose ponytail, and it was as golden as the sun. Her face, though, reminded me of a sugar skull painting, almost mummy-like but highly decorated with intricate designs of stitching and flowers and Celtic knotwork, and her eyes flickered with pale flames against a black background.
She carried a volume in one hand that must have easily been four inches thick. It was the size of a large coffee-table book. In her other hand, she carried an inkwell and a fountain pen. She sat them down on a table to one side of the throne.
“As you will, my mistress,” Medea said, and her voice ricocheted through the cavern like a bullet. She held out the quill to Veronica, who silently took it.
Veronica motioned to Peggin. “Come.”
Peggin gave me a nervous look and I nodded for her to go ahead. She walked up to the table, looking braver than I knew she felt.
“Spell your name for me,” Veronica said.
“P-e-g-g-i-n. A-l-a-n-a. S-a-n-d-e-r-s-o-n. Peggin Alana Sanderson.”
Veronica inscribed it in the book, then held out her hand. “Give me your palm, girl.”
Peggin shut her eyes, holding out her hand. Veronica took it in her own and held up one long nail, which was sharp as a talon. She sliced into Peggin’s flesh, but Peggin said nothing, just winced and opened her eyes.
“Good. Now press your hand against your name. That will imbue your essence into my book and all my court will be able to smell it and know that you are on the safe list.”
Peggin frantically looked back at me.
I licked my lips. “Is that really necessary? Peggin was almost taken by the Lady last month, and we’re a little leery as a result.”
Veronica regarded me for a moment before her stern demeanor faded into a faint smile. “Yes, it is. But I give you my oath, on all that is sacred in my past—and Kerris knows what that entails. I will never use your blood against you. If I do, Kerris may strike me down with the blade she carries and none will stop her or halt her afterward.”
I held her gaze a moment. She was making a pledge to the Morrígan, that much I could tell. “Go ahead. She means it.”
Peggin didn’t look happy, but she pressed her hand against the book and then pulled it away. “That shocked me. Literally, when I touched the pages.”
“There is magic from eons gone by in this book, girl. I’d be surprised if you didn’t feel it.” Veronica hesitated, then patted her on awkwardly on the shoulder. “Very well, you now may walk safely in my kingdom. Now, your lover.”
Again, Peggin looked startled.
“You’d be surprised by what I know,” Veronica said. As Peggin withdrew, accepting a bandage from Medea, Deev walked up to the table. He removed neither his hat nor his goggles, but regarded the Queen from only a few inches below her, thanks to his platform boots.
“Spell your name.”
“D-o-c-t-o-r D-i-v-i-n-e.”
Veronica frowned. “Is that your full name?”
“As far as I know,” Deev answered, sounding so calm that I wondered if he had spaced out where we were and what we were doing. But he caught my look of confusion and gave me a slight shrug, as if to say, I’ve got this, and I’m not afraid. Then he held out his hand before she could ask.
She took it, sliced his palm with her nail, and let out a little gasp. Pulling her hands away, she stared at him for a moment. Deev stood, unmoving.
“You aren’t from here, are you?” Veronica said, lowering her voice. She shook her head, then reached for his bleeding hand and had him place it palm down in the book.
“I think I’m probably not,” he replied, then as soon as she had let go, he returned to stand next to Peggin, who was staring at him with a look of curiosity.
Veronica gazed at him for a moment, her expression unreadable, before she turned back to me. “Your friends are safe. You and your guardian are known to all my court and are safe by your very natures. Now, I want to give you one last piece of information that I forgot at our last meeting.”
“Anything would be helpful,” I said.
“The necromancer is still in town, and he’s stealing souls from my court.”
I stared at her. “You’re kidding. He’s trying to turn your subjects against you?”
“No,” she said, a grim expression on her face. “I think he’s stealing souls from my court in order to collect them and use them for his own ends.”
So now the necromancer wasn’t only slaughtering the living, but he was capturing the dead? What more could we expect? I let out a long sigh and said, “Tell me everything.”
Chapter Twelve
“Two of my guards went missing yesterday. I found their shells—they’ve decayed by now—but they were on the outer edges of the Pest House Cemetery, and it was obvious that some form of magic had been used against them. They reeked of necromancy.”
I shuddered. “Does that mean that your guards are dead? Well…you know what I mean.”
“Not exactly. The Unliving remain until they’re dispelled. They don’t die again, not the way you’re referring to. But once their souls cross over the Veil again, or they’re displaced from their husks, then the husks decay quickly and vanish as if they’d never been. The fact that we found the empty husks means that it hadn’t been long—no longer than four hours, when they first went out to guard the perimeters. I don’t like losing my guards. Find the necromancer, Kerris, and do away with him before I unleash my guards to find him.”
“Heard and understood,” I said, grimacing.
“Oh,” she said so casually that I knew something was up. “Another matter.”
“Yes?”
“I realize you may need some help, so I’m assigning one of my generals to your side. He can only help you at night, but he will be at your doorstep shortly after sunset each night and he’ll leave shortly before sunrise. He will take your orders, though he may protest if he thinks them unwise or foolhardy.”
Oh shit, what the hell was I going to do with one of the Unliving trailing around after me all night? I started to protest, then decided I’d better wait. There might be something I could assign him to do, if only to travel the town looking for potential suspects.
“All right,” I hesitantly said.
At that moment a man entered the room. He was medium height, with long silver hair caught back in a ponytail, and he looked mixed-race, though I couldn’t tell just what his heritage had been. His features were angular, and his jaw was set in a mix of faint amusement and disdain. He wore a silver shirt and black jeans, and a set of daggers hung off his belt. But his eyes—his eyes flamed with an ice-gray fire. I froze, staring at him.
He knelt on one knee before Veronica. “My liege. My beautiful queen. I am here at your summons.”
She smiled at him fondly. “Rise, Trecht.” To me, she said, “Kerris Fellwater, meet General Trecht. He’s one of my most talented and skilled generals. He will be at your service until the necromancer is found. Trecht, this is Kerris Fellwater, the new spirit shaman of Whisper Hollow.”
When the man turned to me, I could see the doubt in his eyes, but he merely inclined his head and stood at attention.
“How do you do?” I wasn’t sure what to say to him, so I opted for the banal.
“Ready to serve,” he said, his voice low and throaty. It made me shiver, and when he looked at me, I realized that I was having trouble looking away. He was truly mesmerizing, and there was a regality about him that made me want to fall into a curtsey.
“Trecht has been with me for a thousand years,” Veronica said. “See that he comes back in one piece.”
I swallowed hard. Now I was responsible for his good health, so to speak? “I’ll do my very best,” I said, trying not to sound doubtful.
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