“Thanks, Hanna. You’re wonderful.” I scooped up the brown paper bag full of food and we headed toward the door.
“Miss Menolly went to bed just a few minutes ago. Sunrise won’t be for another hour but she wanted to spend some time with Miss Nerissa—her workday starts early.” Hanna was already frying up bacon. A moment later, Chase appeared through the kitchen door. He and Nerissa had taken to carpooling into work together, except when one or the other had errands to do after work.
“I smell bacon,” he said. “You guys want me to go with you? Iris told me what you found out.”
“No, you go on to work with Nerissa. We’ll take care of this and let you know what we find out.” I walked over to Chase, placing my hand on his shoulder. “I have to leave before you get back. I’m taking Delilah and Morio with me. Help Smoky watch over all of them for us, would you?”
I had a feeling this journey was going to take me a long way into the mists, and even though I’d have my sister and Morio with me, a cloud had settled over my mood. The Merlin was unpredictable. Even when—if—we found him, there was no guarantee he’d agree to help us.
“I’ll watch over them. Everything will be all right, Camille. Trillian will be fine, too.” As if he were looking into my heart, rather than hearing my words, Chase pulled me close and gave me a hug. We’d started out at odds when we first met, but now we were good friends, and I was fond of the detective.
“Thanks, dude. Just take care of yourself and your daughter, too.”
“I hate to break this up, but we better get our butts to Yagur Park and see what we can find out.” Delilah leaned over my shoulder, grinning at Chase. “Have a good day, and tell Nerissa we said hi.”
Chase winked at her. “Aye, aye, Pussycat.” He and Delilah had been lovers for a while, but it hadn’t worked out. Now, they were just good friends.
We took two cars—Delilah’s Jeep and my Lexus. Smoky rode with Morio and me. Iris and Vanzir, who had opted to come instead of Shade, were with Delilah. Shade would stay with Hanna. Before we left, I texted Tanne to meet us at the park.
The morning commute was starting, but we were still early enough to miss the worst of it. Half an hour later and we’d be stuck in gridlock.
The Eastside—part of the Greater Seattle Metropolitan area—consisted of a number of cities ranging from thirty thousand to well over one hundred thousand people. All were on the east side of Lake Washington, and included Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland, Issaquah, Mercer Island, Woodinville, and several other cities. Altogether, the GSMA—including Seattle—contained a population of over three and a half million people.
The land was rich and lush, thick with trees and moss and fern, with deep ravines leading into a tangle of detritus at their bottom. Streams, from full-blown whitewater rapids to trickling brooks ran through narrow channels everywhere. Seattle and its sister-cities were bordered to the east by the Cascade Mountain Range. High glacial peaks, the chain of mountains was still highly volcanic, and very much alive and awake. Old, deep magic inhabited the mountains, trickling down into the cities and infiltrating the woodlands and parks.
On the west, Seattle buttressed up against Puget Sound, a long, wide inlet of water coming in from the Pacific Ocean via the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A complex series of channels, the Sound was considered an estuary and had long ago been carved by the glaciers that covered the land. The same glaciers, during their retreat, had left large swaths of boulders in the mountains known as alluvial deposits. We’d encountered several in our adventures.
There were several ways to get over to Woodinville, and we opted to go around the northern tip of Lake Washington rather than drive all the way down to the 520 Floating Bridge. We eventually ended up on Woodinville Drive and then, on State Route 522, which took us right into Woodinville.
The town itself wasn’t very big, and we navigated through the downtown area, then out into the suburbs, which were much more rural. With the GPS directing me, we wound our way through the trees and neighborhoods, which were now sparser and interspersed with patches of undeveloped land.
172nd turned into 165th and we continued along the two-lane road, past thick swatches of woodland and what now appeared to be farmhouses. To the right, power lines ran along the road, and very little shoulder meant that if we had to pull off, we’d have to find a driveway or turnoff.
We finally reached the intersection of 165th and Avondale Road NE. I idled at the red light, grimacing as the traffic on the opposite—going south—began to build up. Rush hour, definitely. Thank gods we were going against it. Turning onto Avondale, we continued along, turning on several more streets, until we came to the sign for Yagur Park. We eased our way along the drive, which was hidden between large, sprawling homes that surrounded Cottage Lake. As we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed it was snowing lightly.
There were other parks around the lake, but this was the most secluded. Sixty-three acres in size, the lake was four miles east of Woodinville. Yagur Park was heavily wooded, with a play area for children, and a roped-off swimming site. As we stepped out of the car, I noticed another car nearby. It was a small Volkswagen. A moment later, Tanne opened the driver’s door and stepped out.
He gave me a quick salute. “I think it’s over there, beyond that stand of trees.” I shaded my eyes against the powdery snow and squinted at the stand of cedar and fir that were lining the lake. In truth, the snow looked heavier over in that direction. Considering that the portal had caused a snowstorm in our living room, it made sense that it was lowering the temperature and turning the morning drizzle into snowflakes.
“Let’s go.” Smoky swung into the lead, and Morio and I followed behind him. Iris came next, and Delilah and Vanzir brought up the rear. As we crossed the picnic area, a sense of desolation fell over me. Yagur Park wasn’t well known, and while it was maintained by the city, winter kept most parks in the Seattle area vacant and silent. Even when we didn’t have snow, the rain drove people indoors. As we neared the stand of trees, the snow grew more intense and the temperature began to drop.
“This is magical cold.” Smoky turned around. “I can feel the energy of the Northlands from here.”
Iris concurred. “He’s right. The portal must be through here. I’m just not sure what we’re going to do once we find it. I can move it again but that isn’t going to do us any good. However, maybe we’ll be able to figure something out that we couldn’t before. We were just in a hurry to get it out of the living room. Maybe we overlooked something.”
“I wonder if the Triple Threat can help. Aeval used to be the Winter Queen before the Courts split away from Summer and Winter. I can always ask her before we leave tonight.” I didn’t want to think about the fact that she’d be bringing Bran and Morgaine with her, or that I’d be stuck with them on my journey. Which brought me to another point. “Delilah, are you sure you want to go with me? Morio’s going, but there’s nothing that says you have to come.”
“Of course I am. I was there when Yannie Fin Diver attacked us. So, I’m sure as hell not about to let you traipse off with Morgaine and Bran without me along. I don’t trust either one of them farther than I can throw them. Especially not around you. Morgaine is jealous of your connection with Aeval, and Bran . . . well, he’s just a freak. And I don’t care who knows that I think so.” She shivered. “Geez, it feels like somebody turned down the heat.”
She was right. The temperature had dropped at least thirty degrees in the past three minutes that we’d been approaching the portal. It felt as though we’d stepped into a refrigerator. As we rounded the nearest cedar, Smoky stopped short and held out his hand. I peeked around him, and sure enough, there was the portal, between two trees, spewing out snow and cold. I didn’t see anything else in the general vicinity, but there was plenty of foliage behind which creatures could hide, so that didn’t necessarily mean squat. There could be anything hiding out, waiting to pounce.
Iris stepped forward, eyeing the polar vortex. This close up
, we were icy cold, and the temperature was rapidly dropping. Iris had thought ahead and brought her long coat. I wish I’d been that smart. My own coat was warm enough, but for typical Seattle weather, not the lower extremes.
We stood guard while she examined the edges. Now that we weren’t frantic to get it out of the living room, we were able to take a closer look. After a moment she stood back. “I really wish we could figure out who created the scroll.”
“That’s it!” I swung around to face Vanzir. “Do you remember where the shop is?”
“Yeah, real hole in the wall.” Vanzir blinked, then shook his head. “No . . . you aren’t thinking seriously . . .”
“I am thinking seriously. But I doubt if the store is open yet. Iris, are you sure there’s nothing you can do?”
Tanne stepped forward. “Let me have a look. I’ve dealt with a number of portals and vortexes before.”
Iris stepped back as he moved in. Tanne was a spell singer. He was also from a long line of demon hunters—the Hunter’s Glen Clan—and he had a number of odd powers that I wanted to know more about. He knew old spells, from far back in ES Fae history. Spells that were rooted in the world around us.
He knelt by the edge of the portal and placed his hand on the energy flowing between the brilliant blue gates. The portal looked like a rip in the air, the borders of which were crackling blue—thin bands of the energy radiating outward. The threads formed a braided ellipse that was at least eight feet high and four feet wide. The center was misted over—a swirl of cold air pouring out from the foggy center. Somehow the snowfall was related to the portal, but I wasn’t sure how. If I were to pop my head through, I’d see another world. But I’d been in the Northlands and had no intention of peeking through there.
Tanne knelt down and put both his hands on the ground, directly in front of the portal. He began singing in a low voice, and I strained to catch the words, but it sounded like an ancient Germanic tongue. Energy built around him.
He inhaled slowly, exhaled even slower, keeping an even pace so the cadence of his song never changed. Mournful, it was, and haunting. I closed my eyes, trying to follow the thread of energy. It reminded me of a vine, tendrils creeping out from his voice. The words probed the energy of the portal, testing the edges, tapping them, looking for a place to burrow in.
I wanted to join Tanne, to lend my strength to his, and I could feel Morio itching to do the same. But our magic was different and we’d most likely be an interference rather than a help. So we stood vigil, watching the progression.
The tendrils of Tanne’s spell worked in a widdershins fashion—counterclockwise—around the vortex’s opening. Every few inches, the thread would stop, probe, then move on. I could see it clearly now. Anyone who worked magic couldn’t possibly miss it as Tanne’s focus strengthened.
And then, he found whatever it was he was looking for. The current of energy paused, tapping against one area of the portal’s edge. Like a snake, it struck, burrowing into the neon blue, penetrating it with a forceful thrust. A moment later, the tendril swept into the swirling vortex and began infusing it with its own energy.
And then, the fun began.
There was a crackle as the two forces met. As Tanne’s magic wove into the portal, a deep resonance echoed through the air, like thunder rumbling below the surface. Every hair left on my body stood to attention and I turned to run.
“Get out of the way, it’s gonna blow!”
Morio scooped me up, racing away from the area. He’d shifted within the blink of an eye and an eight-foot youkai met very little resistance. Smoky snatched Iris up and he and Delilah were bounding away from the portal. Vanzir was hot on their heels. Tanne caught up with us, his eyes wide.
“I didn’t expect this to happen so quickly,” he said, just as an explosion rippled through the air. The force sent us sprawling to the snow-covered ground. Unfortunately, the snow wasn’t deep enough to provide much of a cushion, so when I hit, I landed face-first in a low-growing fern. The fronds weren’t sharp, but they were strong and tough enough to scratch me a good one. Luckily, my face didn’t land center, but to the side, in the snow.
I lay there for a second, trying to ascertain if anything was hurt more than the usual bruises and scrapes. Ankles? Check. Knees? Check. Arms? Check. No sensation of bleeding out anywhere. Warily, I rolled into a sitting position. Everything seemed to be in one piece. Shaking my head to clear it from the shockwaves that were still reverberating through my body, I looked over at the portal. It was still there, but the opening had frozen over, and was a tangle of vines interlaced with the ice.
“Cripes. What the fuck happened?” Whatever Tanne had been attempting, I had the feeling it wasn’t this.
Tanne shaded his hand against the still-blowing snow. “I’m not sure, to be honest. I was trying to unravel it with the Song of Unraveling. Apparently, it didn’t work quite like I’d planned.”
“Maybe not, but that was pretty impressive.” I frowned, noticing something. “At least it’s getting warmer.” That much was true. The wind was still blowing but the temperature felt like it was starting to rise. Without the Northlands polar air, maybe we’d be able to ease off on the snow shoveling. Sure enough, by the time we’d all picked ourselves up off the ground, the snow had turned to sleet. It would probably shift over to rain in a few minutes.
“Well, at least nothing can get through, right?” Delilah cautiously edged toward the portal, staring at it suspiciously.
“I don’t think so.” Tanne paused, then added, “The truth is, I have no idea. Something strong enough can probably break through. Unfortunately, to put it to a test, we’d have to find something big enough to crack the ice and that would undo what . . . whatever it is I did.” He looked as confused as he sounded.
“Do you think the block will hold?” I joined Delilah, holding my hand up a few inches away from the frozen swirl covering the center of the portal. The energy still thrummed from within, but felt muffled, the way snow muffled sound.
Tanne shrugged. “I have no clue. As I said, I don’t even know what I did. I was trying to unravel the spell that opened the portal but . . . instead, my magic seems to have infused itself with the magic inherent within the runes.”
Iris pulled her coat tighter around her and joined me. “I think I know what might have happened. Or at least, I have a theory. I’ve seen spells backfire like this before. Only it’s not so much of a backfire as a mismatch of energies. For example, Camille—you know how you don’t dare touch a Corpse Talker?”
I nodded. If I were to touch one of the magical beings we used to talk to the dead, an implosion would happen. Our energies were so off-kilter that they wouldn’t cancel each other out, but they’d conflict, a lot like an inadvertent magical battle.
“Right. You think that’s what happened?”
“I think Tanne’s energy conflicted with the energy of the witch who created the scroll. The nature of their magic must be fundamentally different enough to cause a disruptive episode when they meet. When Tanne tried to unravel the spell, the energies grappled and, instead of burning each other out, they solidified.” She reached up and—before we could stop her—ran her fingers over the surface.
“Iris! Don’t do that.” I grabbed her hand and pulled her away, but not before she could slam her palm against the ice. A moment later and another layer of water rippled across the surface of the block, freezing as it went.
“Don’t interfere, girl. I was just strengthening the blockade. Why didn’t I think of that? I could have frozen over the opening, albeit in a different way.” She shook me off and returned to the portal. I let her go. I had an instinctive reaction to protect her, but babies or not, Iris could turn me inside out if she was mad enough.
She motioned to Tanne. “You are Black Forest Fae. I am Finnish. We aren’t that far off in our roots, although my kind are crazier than most. But I am thinking, if we tried together, we might be able to shatter the portal now that it’s frozen shut. I ca
nnot perform your magic, but I can make ice shatter, and if you tried the spell of unraveling again, perhaps we could shake things up a bit.”
At that, I took a step back and so did Delilah.
Smoky just frowned. “Are you sure? Experimentation doesn’t always bode well. Not for our group.”
“I’m not Camille,” Iris said, winking at me.
I wasn’t sure whether or not to be insulted, so I kept my mouth shut.
“But you’re right,” she continued. “We are experimenting. Until—and unless—you first find the witch who created the scroll, and second, make her remove the spell, then our doorway to the playground of the north is going to remain open. Because the block won’t last. It’s already weakening. The ice won’t hold for long.”
Tanne took his place beside her. “The Lady Iris is right. We need to close it down. Together, we might be able to do so.”
I glanced at Smoky and he nodded. Turning back to the house sprite, I motioned to the portal. “Have at it, you two. Just be careful, all right?”
The rest of us stepped back—lesson learned from take one of Let’s Destroy This Portal. Tanne and Iris consulted. After a moment, he pressed his hands against the left side of the vortex, right on the frozen rings of energy. Iris stepped back about five feet and pointed her palms toward the center of the portal. Tanne began to sing again.
Iris also took up a tune, her voice countering his dusky tone.
I blinked. I’d heard her sing before—we all had—but for some reason, I’d never paid that much attention. She’d sang lullabies to Maggie and had joined in our songs during ritual, but now, her voice rang out rich and throaty and sultry. She could be a siren with that voice.
Another moment, and their voices blended together, weaving around each other like a braided rope, and the portal began to vibrate. I watched, fascinated, as the ice began to fracture. Spiderweb cracks raced through the block, then along the outer rim of the vortex, their rift a deep blue as they rippled in waves.
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