"Where's Tas?" Ivan stepped forward. "She was in the shop when all this started."
Tas?
Tasoula?
Crwys looked back at Yolyn and Brahms and…knew. All Tas's knowledge. That weird, stone-like patience of hers. Her ability to do magic. And her look…
How could he have been so blind? Crwys put his hand to his head. Tas had to be Artemis! It made sense as everything fell into place. He hadn't seen Tas at the bonding ritual, but her car had been there. And she had been standing outside, watching the fight in the air. She'd forged that arrow and then waited for it to kill Lethe.
But it failed. And Lethe was alive. I've spent my entire life trying to make amends for a wrong I committed a long, long time ago, she'd said once after Sam left with Bastien. It was the only clue to her past she'd given since joining them.
Had that wrong been me? By making those arrows to kill me, commissioned by Ra? Had she been trying to make things right after sealing my future as a Dragon?
Crwys narrowed his eyes at Yolyn. "Someone who hates me told you Tas was a Dragon. Would that someone be—"
"Me," came a voice behind them.
Everyone spun to see the familiar, if not a bit pale, visage of Ethel Delecroix. She didn't look as human as she once had, her magic unable to fully glamour her skin, so the thicket light cast an eerie green and blue hue to it. Her hair was white, and long, and frayed on the ends. She wore a large, loose-fitting trench coat, and one arm was tucked neatly inside of it, perhaps in a sling.
"Where is Sam, Lethe?" Crwys didn't crouch in a fight-ready stance like Dharma, Ivan, Kyle and Jack did. Neither did Solomon. The Conjurer stood to the side, silently observing the structure, almost oblivious to the events unfolding around him.
Lethe smiled. "Safe. For now." She moved past them to stand before Yolyn, towering over them. "I've kept my part."
"Indeed you have, Sorceress," Yolyn said in a voice tight with indignation. It was obvious this Nisse soldier thought very little of Lethe.
Crwys pursed his lips. Sorceress? Was it possible they didn't know Lethe was also a Dragon? It would make sense that she'd keep that from them, in case they decided to attack her in her weakened state. It was either they didn’t know or her heart was unusable. "So Lethe gives you a Dragon to fulfill your Quest," he said as he approached them, his arms down, his internal oven ignited. If they could sense magic, let them. Let them look deep into him and see the tragedy they were setting in motion if they continued this stupid game. "And you give her the Risi whose blood Artemis used to create the cursed arrow."
"As slowly perceptive as usual, Detective," Lethe said. "But these Risi haven't been able to deliver my part of the bargain."
"Because they can't get into the basement to retrieve the King," Crwys said
"Bravo! Once again, slowly perceptive."
"I told you," Yolyn said through clenched teeth. "We've not been able to open the lower room."
"Even after owning the land?"
"It's not that simple," Brahms spoke up. "This land has been through many owners, most of them Arcane based." He glanced at Crwys, but his eyes didn't linger. "The lower room has two layers of magic. Two layers of Arcane attached, neither of which I can break through. We can't build a gate into that place."
"So you've failed in giving me my half of the bargain." Lethe smiled. "I guess we know what that means." She abruptly turned to face Crwys. "Bring me King Satar by midnight or your girlfriend burns." Her eyes glittered green and pink as she held her hand out. In the center was Sam's engagement ring. "She already has her own kindling."
NINETEEN
I've gotten myself into some weird situations before. Some weirder than others, but easy to overcome. Some just so-so weird and damn near impossible to muddle through. And then there are the big ones. The predicaments that defy logic and confound the senses. Yes, yes, step right up and see the Witch Tree of New Orleans! Incased inside is a loud-mouthed Witch from Picayune, once infected with the power of Arcane Magic, highly forbidden, folks. Why? Because it's all powerful that can't be contained.
Really?
Then how come I'm stuck in a tree?
It was as if I knew that's where I was because it felt like I was stuck in a tree. It felt more like…absolute stillness. Like being cemented into a yoga pose and no way to move. My arms hurt, as did my lower back, my feet, and my chest. I know was no longer bound by rope or cloth, but by the ultimate stillness of a forest. I couldn't see or hear anything except the internal sobbing of a hysterical woman in my head.
That would be me, by the way.
No voice. No movement. Not even contact with my Elementals. The place they filled was little more than an echo.
I remembered Riven…the look on his face. He was half Leanan Sidhe. I assumed Lethe stole his power, maybe in dreams, which would account for his semi-conscious behavior previous to her little spell.
And that was a puzzle I'd tried to concentrate on as my mind wandered in and out of consciousness. I didn’t know Lethe could do this…steal magic. All the more reason to take her out.
Maybe it was a dream? I was in a hospital? A coma? Dreaming I was a tree? Oh hell…what if I was in the same room with Arden? I did not like this idea at all.
I'd already tried thrashing around. All that did was tire me out and things went black. I wasn't even sure what day it was.
I cried…a lot. Crying was all I could do.
I even asked my Arcane to forgive me…over and over. But there was nothing.
No, there is always something.
And there was that voice again. It wasn't Arcana's voice, but it could be just as annoying. Full of good cheer and words of wisdom. Like one of those inspirational calendars I used to get in the mail from my insurance company.
I'd chalked it up to me hallucinating because I hadn't ate or drank anything in…how long? That and you know…being stuck in a tree.
I am not your imagination, Samantha.
Whoa…that was the first time it called me by my name.
Would you prefer I use Sammy? That's what your mother called you.
I tried not to think of any reply. Usually, the voice would just go away. But now it was reading my thoughts?
Yes.
Shit! I'm crazy.
No. But you are weak and nearly ready.
If I still had eyes, I would blink. Ready?
Yes.
For what?
For the next step.
Confusion, thy name is me.
Would you like to talk face to face?
With my imagination? If I could snort and laugh, I would. Sure, why not? What else have I got to do?
Bright light blinded me, and I found I could blink again. And I could move as I literally fell on my front, as if I'd been standing for a long time and finally tipped over. I tasted dirt in my mouth and smelled burned wood. Lots of it. When my eyes could focus in the light, I found I was looking at ash-coated dirt. So much ash.
Then the world spun and I closed my eyes again. The scents changed, as did the air against my skin and the sounds… I could hear sounds! Birds chirping, and a horse…I heard a horse whinny?
Blinking, I opened my eyes again and saw grass this time. So many shapes and sizes to the blades of it. It was wonderful! And I could breathe in the scent of it, the pungent earth and the perfume of roses. My arms felt like lead as I moved them, pushed my palms down on the grass, and hoisted my ass in the air as I tried to back pedaled into a sitting position. Only I lost balance, went over on my side, and propped myself up on my elbow.
My position didn't really matter as much as the scene in front of me.
It looked like I'd stepped into a Brian Froud painting. I was in a thicket of some sort, with twisted, gnarled trees all around, their abundant branches and leaves creating a canopy over me. Sun twinkled through the leaves as a breeze moved my hair against my cheek. White and brown toadstools created a circle around me as tiny pinpoints of light floated up out of the grass and vanis
hed a few inches up. Outside of that circle, I could see every imaginable creature the imagination could create, including Faeries and several types of Nisse. Standing in front of me, just outside the circle, was an elderly woman with a gray braid wrapped about her head. She was dressed in some kind of medieval dress with an apron and shoes with curled toes that stuck out from a skirt that brushed the grass. On the tips of the toes swung bluebell flowers…and they made little tinking sounds.
In her right hand, she held a five-foot staff with lilies sprouting from the top. In her left hand, she held a swaddled child. I couldn't see its face and it didn't move. Which was a bit unnerving.
"Not sure about this look, now are you?" The woman's voice was deep and warm, and made me feel safe.
I shook my head at her. I had to clear my throat a few times to talk, and then it just sounded awful. "No. It's a bit disturbing."
"Is this one better?" There was a slight blur and the woman was younger, though maybe in her thirties. Her hair was a darker brown, and her clothing now looked modern with jeans and an oversized white men's button down shirt. No pointy toes, no staff or baby. But she did have a small skull around her neck.
"The skull?"
"Ah…just part of the symbolism." She settled down into an lotus sit just outside the toadstools. The creatures moved to gather behind her and next to her, but they didn't speak. And when I looked at them, I realized they were transparent. Like…ghosts. "I hope this form works. I only have one more, and I've never been a big fan of Maiden form. Mother will do."
Maiden form? Mother?
"Oh, and don't mind my companions." She smiled. "They're not different than your own. Only after a time… " She sighed. "Things fade, even as they grow stronger."
My confusion about her comments on her companions was drowned out by my brain abruptly tuning in after dissecting Maiden and Mother. I inwardly cringed when I did that whole Invasion of the Body Snatchers pointing act at her and said, "You're…you're the God Mother?"
"On the nose, my daughter." She winked at me and tapped my outstretched arm with her staff, slowly pushing my arm down. "Not polite to point. So, now that we've gotten that out of the way…"
"But…"
"Yes?"
"But I…"
"Samantha, you need to finish a thought if we're going to have a meaningful conversation. And we do need to talk. And no, no, you stay there. Don't leave the circle. It's a protection."
"Protection…from what?" I looked around at the toadstools and then at the creatures outside of them.
"From death."
Well, that brought my attention into sharp focus. "I'm in a tree."
"Yes. It's a spell my daughter stole from that poor Fayn—not to be confused with the likes of your friend the Goblin. They are quite different, and yet have similar God Mother given gifts. It’s always pleasing to me to see what is born of the love of two races.” She lifted her shoulders, and then lowered them in a short sigh and smile, which quickly turned into a frown. “Lethe’s become quite strong at influencing others and more recently stealing what was never meant to be hers…causing such terrible mischief and strife…" She shrugged. "What can you do?"
"Stop her?"
The God Mother snorted. "Like she'll listen? No. There comes a time when threats and punishments no longer have meaning, Samantha. And when that time arrives, drastic measures are required. Thus—" She gestured to the circle. "I've been meaning to get you on a conference call for a while, but you always seem to pull yourself away from the brink of destruction."
I blinked at her. "I don't—"
"My voice is rarely heard by those of my daughter's blood until they sway between life and death. It's only at that moment when the veil between you and me can be opened. The spell Lethe forced the Feyn to use isn't complete because the poor boy isn’t full-blooded Sidhe. Lethe thinks she's trapped you inside of a tree to keep you prisoner. What's she's done is set off a transformation."
Understanding came pretty fast, and with it, nausea. "She's turning me into a tree."
"Yes. So I've halted that for now. But I don't have the magic to reverse it. There is someone who does and I’m working on that as we speak. What I do have to offer is a choice."
"Choice…" I felt like some mocking bird that couldn't actually form sentences, but just repeats parts of them.
"You're missing something, aren't you?"
I thought about that a second. "My Arcane. Do you know where she went?"
"She's with me." The God Mother pointed her staff to my right. I watched as Arcana stepped forward, a shimmering, red sparkling image of me. She looked faded, washed out, and very, very sad. I didn't like that look on my face.
"You took her?" I looked at the God Mother.
"No. She came to me. She saw your downward spiral with Lethe and wanted me to intercede. As did your companions."
That's when my own Elementals appeared beside my Arcane. They were all in their human forms. And they were smiling at me…albeit with sad faces. I looked at the God Mother. "What the hell is going on? Is this some kind of this-was-your-life show? Am I supposed to feel guilty because I went after Lethe? Am I on your hit list now because she's like your special Dragon?" I didn't try to keep the venom from my voice. What was the point? This was apparently some dream brought on by having my brain turned into wood, right?
The God Mother made a face that reminded me of my own mother when she would be disappointed in me. I hadn't seen it often, since she'd preferred her wolf form. But I remembered it. And it worked. I felt awful.
"Samantha," the God Mother said. "Lethe stopped being my daughter the day she laid waste to a city I told her not to touch. I commanded her to leave it alone. And yet…she defied me. And she's been defying me ever since. What she did to Azazel in his youth is unforgivable. And I blame myself for the botched mess of his upbringing. I had turned my attentions to the wars across continents and those of my blood dying…I didn't see what she was doing to him. Twisting him. Manipulating him. Using her power to make him obey her. And for that, I will always be making amends, just as Artemis will always feel guilt for creating the arrows that took his human life."
I knew Azazel was Crwys. It was the name given to him after he became a Dragon. I sort of knew his story…parts of it. I knew about Lethe and how she deceived him into believing she was the only one that cared. He'd been unprepared for the fear he caused in his new form and terrified of his power. Lethe had capitalized on that and made him her pawn. I could see from the look in the God Mother's eyes she felt immense guilt for that. I swallowed. "It's okay. He turned out to be a good person."
"He did. He even summoned the Dragon's Fury to give himself a human form, just so he could blend in and live life after I…betrayed him. Ah, but that is a tale for another time, Samantha. Just know I am not punishing you for your anger and thirst for vengeance. On the contrary, I'm here to offer you the power to right the wrong that is Lethe and achieve your goal."
"I don't understand what you're saying. Are you returning my Arcane to me? Is she coming back?"
"Samantha, she's not mine to return. And she can make up her own mind. All of our companions can. She's done this because this is what she's chosen to do. And now you have to make choices."
"What choices?"
The God Mother gracefully stood and planted her staff in the ground. It shook beneath me as vines shot out of the grass and wrapped themselves around me. "Life or death."
TWENTY
Crwys sat in Arden's receiving room, otherwise known as the parlor, at Gypsy Gardens. He'd lost track of time, not knowing how long he'd been there, clutching Sam's ring in his fist and staring at the crackling blue fire in the fireplace. Solomon had been the one to suggest they meet at Arden's. There was still the threat of another gate opening up, but Solomon seemed convinced attacking was no longer their goal. They were focused on getting to Satar. They could always use the ley lines to come in through the Cairn, but Kyle had already summoned Medbh in the m
irror and asked for her help to keep the Cairn closed. To his surprise, the Faerie Queen agreed.
Shadows crept over the furniture as the house staff moved around. He'd heard Arden was improving at the hospital, and the coven members were making plans to bring her home. His partner had been able to talk his way out of Prescott’s interrogation by convincing her he could find Crwys and hopefully find out where Miss Hawthorne is. Though truthfully, there wasn’t much for Prescott to go on, and no evidence Sam had had anything to do with the fire since the phone and the keys had mysteriously vanished from evidence.
Solomon spoke with Dharma, Ivan and Kyle about Fetches and Spies…but Crwys couldn't pay attention to any of. All he could do was sit and stare at the ring and chain in his hand, and mentally call out to his mate.
He knew she was alive, but that was all he could ascertain. Crwys would know if she died. And if that moment came…there would not be a Nisse left in this world, or the next. It had been intolerable knowing she'd been with Bastien all those months, yet he'd known she was safe. But this?
This…he didn't know what Lethe had done to her. Or would do to her.
And what did that statement from Lethe mean? She had her own kindling? Was she bound in an abandoned house somewhere? Perhaps the house was rigged with explosives? Was she chained to a stake, ready to burn? Such an ending would fit Lethe's sick sense of humor. Burn the Witch, she would say.
He wanted that Dragon dead more now than ever.
Lethe wanted the King by midnight, and yet they couldn't even enter the shop where he was. It was an impossible task. And he was pretty sure Lethe knew it and didn't care. She just wanted to keep Crwys out of the way. She didn't want him interfering.
Eventually, he became aware of everyone in the room. Dharma, Ivan, Kyle, Jack, Solomon, and Levi. They were discussing something. He continued to stare and said nothing. Because that's what he felt like. Nothing.
Without Samantha.
"…Important to take a look at where we stand," Solomon was saying.
"Where we stand is pretty obvious," Ivan said. He and Dharma were on the couch to Crwys's left. "They have the shop and Lethe has Sam. There's no way we're going to be able to give the King to her. It's an impossible task."
eldritch files 07 - elemental blood Page 14