His pale gray eyes bored into hers, pleading with her to trust him. He was breathtaking, and she had fallen in love in a glance at those eyes. Then he shifted and slaughtered the Dark Templar, who had been hunting her for what she had done to save a town.
She had created a storm and directed the lightning into the water, killing the fish, which floated to the top. The fisherman simply had to net them into the boats. But apparently, the Dark Templar had been trying to starve out the fishing community because they were protecting an Oracle who had gained their notice by warning those they were hunting to leave and never look back. Many of their victims had gone missing.
The oracle had been Clara’s mother. Only, Thanatos reached her first. Clara saved the town because it had been hers when she was but a child. Before the running began.
Luca had been the first man who had caught her attention. And he wasn’t fully man. No, he was far more. A primitive being who had evolved, adapted, and became more than the people of the mountain could ever understand.
Maybe if he chose to be in his human shape more, it wouldn’t be an issue. But on the mountain, it was far easier for him to travel as the yeti.
His other form frightened many people, but never her. Maybe because he saved her. Or maybe because she recognized what he was to her the moment they gazed upon each other.
Luca slipped into his trance, and she moved away to find the things she’d need to scry her entire family. Not that much was left.
She made it downstairs and filled a bowl before taking it to the dining room table. Then she grabbed the ritual knife. It had been a century since she had to contact everyone.
* * * *
Jacinda sank into a seat, grabbing onto her necklace as it buzzed against her chest. She shook her head. That was the same way Mom had always contacted her, but she was dead.
Still, someone wanted to talk to her. She felt it in her soul.
“I need a bowl of water or something. Anything with water in it.”
“Why?” Preston asked.
“Someone is trying to scry me,” she answered.
“That could be a trap,” Matoskah warned.
“I don’t believe so. No, my mother said someday, someone may contact me from our family when they needed everyone. Which means Thanatos is likely making a move already.”
Chatan left her side and came back with a bowl of water. “We can handle anything together, right?” he asked, looking from one person to another.
“Yeah, between us, we should have enough power to counter anything. Even if it is a trap, we should be safe,” Matoskah answered.
Jacinda perched on the chair and whispered the words to enable the spell to take hold from the other side.
A face she didn’t recognize entered her view. The woman’s hair was the deepest shade of black, her eyes shone like onyx, but her skin was pale as snow.
She slid to the side as another woman formed in the empty space. This one had blond ringlets and blue eyes. Her head tipped as she peered at her.
Then one more woman, this one seemed more aged than the other two, though not by much. Her hair was brown, her eyes green, and she looked tired.
The first woman who had appeared started. “I don’t recognize two of you. That’s no surprise with as many years that have passed, and I knew we were running out of surviving family, but there is a problem. Someone seems to be helping Thanatos. He recently killed Mina, a dear friend and cousin, and all that’s left is us.”
The blonde’s smile evaporated as a baby cried. “Whatever you’re planning, I can’t be a part of it. My daughter is too young. I have no one to watch her while I try to stop something that wants me dead.”
“Understood. Go, I simply needed to know who could,” the woman answered.
Jacinda said, “Wait, what’s your name?”
“Jessabelle. But don’t contact me while he’s hunting. I can’t risk that now.”
Jacinda smiled. “I may have a solution, but we can handle this without involving you. Good luck and take care of her.”
She dipped her head. “Thank you. I’m sorry.” She blinked out and the other two faces moved to share the bowl.
“You have a plan?” the first asked.
“Yes. I’m Jacinda. Mina’s daughter. She died just a few days ago.”
“I know, she contacted me. I’m sorry. We were close. I wish we had an answer before her death.”
“She sacrificed herself to give me time to figure this out.” Jacinda took a slow breath.
Chatan’s hands closed over her shoulders and she leaned back as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“Then perhaps Mina was right. Hawk and Dove have finally been found. Which means we have a chance to stop him.”
Jacinda nodded. “Who are you? Both of you?”
The first woman dipped her head. “Clara, and I’m in Nepal, high in the mountains.”
“Brialle,” the other woman said. “I’m in Tokyo, hiding in plain sight.” She let out a tight laugh. “I travel a lot. I try to stay ahead of him.”
Jacinda asked, “Where did you see Thanatos, Clara?”
“Here, near my cottage. It’s nearly impossible to get to, though.”
“We can figure that out,” Robert said.
Clara looked around. “Who all do you have with you?”
“That’s a long story. But Robert can translocate anywhere he wants with a thought and take people with him.”
“He’s not limited by distance?”
Jacinda shook her head. “Apparently not.”
“I am not,” he answered.
“All right. We’ll have to find a way to tell you how to get here. I may contact you again shortly,” Clara answered. “Thanatos is lurking in the other realm near here. We don’t believe he can slip through my wards, but I’m still paranoid.”
“Understood. Contact me when you know how to get us there. We’ll work on a plan from here.”
“Bring warm clothes. Very warm. We’re in the mountains and many have died due to the weather.”
“We’ll be prepared,” Robert assured.
“I hope so.” Clara offered a smile.
“Think you’ll need me?” Brialle asked. “I’m a Deathcaller.”
“Actually,” Jacinda said, “yes. Thanatos, or the thing that controls him has imprisoned the soul of every person he’s killed. We may need help sending them on.”
“Dear Lord, that’s horrible. Of course. If you give me a number, I’ll send my address if the translocator can come get me.”
Robert told her his number. “Send the information, and as soon as we have it figured out, I’ll text you the plan.”
“Will do.” Brialle faded from view.
“Jacinda,” Clara said, “I’m looking forward to getting to know you. Your mother told me much about you over the years. And it’s good to see that you have grown into a powerful woman. I didn’t truly have hope we could stop him until now.”
“I don’t understand,” Jacinda whispered.
“I promise to explain as soon as we have a moment.”
“Soon. And we may have a way to get to you sooner than you expect.”
“I’m not even going to ask how,” she answered, then faded.
Jacinda sat back. The last of her family. Four women and a baby. That was it. At least she would save them, hopefully.
Chatan dropped into a seat beside her. “Well, Clara in Nepal is truly in a hard place to get to. Eddie sent a message that Toryn’s men reached the other two, though they are hanging back, watching. They seem safe. However, Clara is in a valley up near Mount Everest, and he has no idea how anyone built anything there.”
“Great. How close did they get?” Jacinda asked.
Chatan shook his head. “Miles away. And they’re lucky satellite signal works because compasses don’t, and neither does GPS.”
Jacinda stood up and paced away.
Robert’s phone rang, and he picked it up. “What’s going on, Draecyn?�
�� He frowned and pressed something, then set the phone on the counter. “Okay, you’re on speaker.”
Draecyn answered, “I know where Clara is, and I know how to get us there. You can either bring everyone to me and we can go. Or come get me, take me, then bring the rest.”
“How?” Jacinda asked.
“Her man told me. He can use astral projection to communicate. And I’ve been to his home.”
“I think it’s best if I come with you,” Jacinda said.
“Not without me,” Chatan answered.
Robert nodded, one corner of his mouth turning up. “Sounds like us. Don’t worry, I wouldn’t take her away without you. So, you two can come with me. We’ll get Draecyn, then go to wherever Clara is. I’ll get everyone else there directly after.”
She nodded. “Sounds good.”
Preston looked up. “Mountains of Nepal. Don’t forget to stop by the Silver Council to outfit them before going all the way there. Don’t want to freeze to death.”
“I won’t forget,” Robert answered.
He stepped away from the group and Jacinda followed, Chatan on her heels. As soon as they touched his arms, they were standing in a vast library, full of magic, books, and artifacts.
“Where are we?” she asked.
“That’s hard to explain,” Robert answered. “There are several exits, one to Scotland, one to South Carolina, and another on a tropical island.” Robert shook his head. “This rift connects them all.”
“They can do that?” Chatan asked.
He nodded. “As far as I know, only a druid/mage hybrid can create them.”
Draecyn cleared his throat. “Actually, a lot of druid hybrids can. Maybe not to the same degree, but they certainly are gifted in the area.”
“What?” Chatan asked, his head tipped.
Draecyn rubbed at his chin. “Yes, in fact, perhaps Tremaine could assist you in figuring out what you can do there. He is somewhat of an expert. Though I’m sure he doesn’t realize how capable you will be with rift magic.”
“What are you talking about?” Chatan asked.
He smiled. “Your island. It’s a rift of your own creation. Why do you think only those you want to see it can?”
“But Eddie and Taryn never could,” Chatan protested.
“You could change that with a thought, now that you know.”
Chatan shook his head. “I can worry about that later. Right now, we need to find Thanatos and stop him. And you said you know how to get there.”
Draecyn nodded. “First, we need to get you ready. I have gear for us. Not everyone back at the longhouse, but the Council should have plenty of that stored away.”
“They do. And that will be our next stop after I get you three to Nepal,” Robert answered.
“I need to contact Clara first,” Jacinda answered. “To let her know what’s going on.”
Draecyn nodded. “Wouldn’t hurt. And I have a way for you to scry her. Come.” He started down an aisle.
Chapter 23
“Okay, wait,” Clara said. “Your contact is already working on getting my family here?”
Luca nodded. “Yeah. Apparently, the Branches of Emrys are already involved, which means they are trying to recruit that girl.”
“Is that good or bad?”
“Good, mostly. Look, just because I pissed off one of the founding members doesn’t mean I’m out of the organization. I’ve always been somewhat of a special case. They call on me when they need my skills, which isn’t constantly. But it sounds like one of our earliest members has chosen Jacinda. Long before my time.”
“Dove was part of the Branches of Emrys?”
“Yes, she was. But that was long before my time,” he repeated.
“What is she now? I only know she attempts to stop Thanatos.”
“She will help Jacinda and Chatan stop Thanatos.”
“How do you know?”
“Ceridwen believes it.”
“Does that mean she’ll be coming here? Will she do something to you?” The hint of hysteria in her voice unnerved her, but she couldn’t live without him. She didn’t want to.
“No. She knows where I am. If she wanted to harm me, she would have done it by now. She may be mad, but I believe she realizes I did not lock away her lover. By now, she must realize I didn’t want Myrddin to do what he did. But Dove did the same thing, and Jacinda freed Dove. I believe Jacinda will help Myrddin escape his prison, without freeing another like Scathane.”
“How long have the Branches been hunting Thanatos?”
“Honestly, I believe it’s a recent development. Sounds as if they didn’t know Scathane had possessed Thanatos.” Luca took her hands. “Listen to me. I did not know the connection, even if they did. I have never been dishonest with you. You know my secrets. You do.”
“I know.” Clara kissed Luca, threading her fingers into his hair.
A voice sounded from the bowl. “Clara, are you there?”
Jacinda. Already.
She pulled away and peered into the water. “I’m here.”
“Good, thank God. Chatan, Robert, and Draecyn will be with me when we show up. Draecyn knows Luca. I hope that’s all right. More will be coming shortly. This might take a lot of cooperation from many people. I hope you don’t mind,” Jacinda said.
Clara smiled. “I don’t mind in the least. I haven’t been around many people in decades. We visit the town, occasionally, but we get food and come straight back. It’s always a journey.”
“We’ll be there soon,” Jacinda promised, then disappeared.
Clara looked at Luca. “Think you’ll frighten them?”
“Don’t really care. And they won’t see my other side unless my beast needs to come out. But considering the Branches of Emrys are a diverse group, I doubt that should be an issue.”
* * * *
Jacinda pulled on the snow suit like a pro. Chatan couldn’t manage to figure it all out, and he felt like a fool. Jacinda came over fully dressed and helped him into the gear.
He ducked his head. “You’ve done this before?”
“Not my first trip to the area,” she admitted. “I visited a shaman who was well versed in ancient languages and symbols. They had never seen your tribe’s. I looked in the wrong places for many years.”
“Is that what Tyrell used?” Draecyn asked.
Jacinda nodded. “He mixed them with four other languages. Took years to figure out most of them. And until I found Chatan, I didn’t have a clue what the last language was. No one I visited had seen anything like it.”
“Because the people of Wanatoga are a far older tribe, and they don’t always share their secrets,” explained Draecyn.
Chatan tipped his head back and forth. “No, but some of those secrets involve the Branches of Emrys. Which makes me wonder how much our elders know about all of this.”
“More than they’ve told you,” Draecyn answered. “But don’t worry, I believe they’ll fill you both in soon.”
“If we manage to stop Thanatos,” Jacinda answered.
“We will,” Chatan assured. “We should go.”
Robert nodded. “I’m ready if you are. The rest of us will be there shortly after.”
Jacinda offered a tight smile.
Then they were in the snow.
* * * *
Power flowed around Thanatos, calling to him.
Jacinda was close. The one who could end the torment and free him. And with the way Scathane was treating Lars, he knew what was coming. The poor bastard would become something less than what he’d always been.
The creature he’d summoned couldn’t free Lars, any more than he could give power to Thanatos. It took years of suffering, while Scathane drained his magic. Sure, he gained his strength back, but he lost his freedom and his ability to roam the world in his search of a place to fit in.
And helping Lars meant Thanatos finally gained his freedom, though he was starting to believe it might lead to his death.
But holding onto Scathane meant he could never gain back his strength. Sooner or later something had to change.
Scathane pushed to the surface.
“It is time,” he announced, the power of Scathane echoing through the cavern.
Lars popped to his feet, eager light in his eyes. “I’m ready.”
Thanatos started the spell to tear the veil open. He could not cross himself, but Lars could, then pull him through.
Freedom was close. Jacinda was there, her power unlike anything he had ever felt. Perhaps there was hope. He could take her essence, fuse it into himself, and become immortal, as he had planned all along. Scathane could fuse with Lars within the mortal realm, and perhaps he would finally meet his goal.
* * * *
Jacinda turned to find a man who looked very similar to Olivier, only shadows filled his aura. In fact, shadows seemed to seep from his nose, mouth, and eyes.
He slipped down the mountain and fell face first into bushes.
“That’s Lars Montreux,” Robert said.
“Can he be helped?” Chatan asked.
Something told her it was already too late. “Doubtful. We need to get inside.”
“Once I step into the home, I should be able to bring the others directly there.”
Lars burst forward, slinging a spell.
Jacinda threw her hands up, a glittering wall of light blocking the lobbed, shadowy orb. “You want to be free?” she asked.
“My freedom comes with your death. Power will rush into me.” He walked toward the shield and called Thanatos forward.
The shadowy form stepped into the world.
Chatan scooped Jacinda over his shoulder and ran as a dazzling shield blinded her.
“Inside, now!” Clara shouted.
Chatan stopped and set her down. Robert let out a breath.
Draecyn slammed the door shut. “That’s Thanatos and Scathane?” He shook his head. “I knew he was twisted into something else, but he looks like a high demon.”
“He’s not,” Jacinda answered.
Chasing Dove (Branches of Emrys Book 4) Page 17