A fissure opened up before Cinnamon, and she was forced to hurl herself across it. Another and then yet another gaped in front of them. Clinging for her life, Crystalia closed her eyes. She did not want to see her own death.
“This way!” Crystalia heard Miss Emmert shout.
Peeping through her sealed lids, Crystalia watched Cinnamon jump over yet another crack and follow Nutmeg so closely that her nose was buried in her sister’s tail. Ornery’s arm was wrapped tight around her waist, yet with every jolt, she feared she would fly off.
“The end is just ahead!” Ornery shouted over the wind and roar of destruction.
Risking a look, Crystalia found the snowy bank the most welcome sight. They were but yards away. The horses could sense freedom and rushed ahead, almost running straight into a huge crevice that had formed. With a strangled cry, Miss Emmert was thrown forward as Nutmeg skidded to a halt. Ornery was off Cinnamon in a heartbeat, but before Crystalia could join him, he whacked the horse in the rump.
“Yah! Jump!” he shouted.
Cinnamon’s legs were up to the challenge and they cleared the schism. Doubling back, Crystalia watched as Ornery lowered Nutmeg’s torn lead down to his mother. The woman tried to reach out hand, but she slid down another few feet. The ice gave way again, opening a huge hole in the ice. Large enough for Miss Emmert to fall through.
***
Ornery knew he did not have much time. Throwing the lead over his shoulder, he scampered down the icy crevice. It not like he was heedless of the danger or the slippery purchase or the fall that would crush each of his bones. It was just that Ornery knew that if Miss Emmert died, they all died with her. There was no way the girl and he could survive the Pass, or the Gullet, or even find the Steppes by themselves. No, right now reckless haste was his only hope.
He figured the gods owed him some help right about now. They could not deprive him of so much for so long, only to snatch his mother away before he could tell her how much he loved her.
“Don’t move,” Ornery cautioned as he lowered himself to her level.
Miss Emmert did not even nod in response, she was concentrating so hard on keeping her feet wedged in the tiny outcropping of ice that she had come to rest upon. The ledge was narrow, and there was no way Ornery could perch there as well. Clinging to the icy wall with sheer will, Ornery tied the lead around her waist. Once that was done, he realized he was, himself, without a lifeline. To hang on to Miss Emmert and be pulled up with her would greatly lessen her chance. There was no time to devise another plan.
“Cinnamon! Yah! Pull her up!”
There was a moment when Miss Emmert realized what Ornery was doing, but his mother was jerked upward before she could complain. Ornery stared up at the wall of ice. He had climbed down it with ease. Could he not climb up it with equal skill? His first slip told him that was not the case. If only he were a mountain goat, Ornery thought ruefully. He would give anything to be part Billy goat right now instead of Centaur.
The sharp crack of new fissures filled Ornery with terror. He had best get moving, or there would be no wall to climb. Miss Emmert was above him, nearly over the edge herself. If he could just hold on and scale a few more feet, she could throw him the lead. Just a few more feet, that was all he needed.
But it was not what Fate gave to him. Instead Ornery felt the ice give way. The chunk he clung to suddenly lurched and moaned. It took his brain a fleeting second to recognize what was happening.
Without thinking, Ornery leapt from his purchase as the piece gave way. Midair, his body responded without his prompting and twisted him around. He hit the remaining ice with his finger and toes and nearly ran up the sheer face.
After a few hops, he realized that his wish had come true. He was prancing up the slope just like the Bighorn sheep he had seen in the Granite Mountains. With all that had happened to him in the last few days, he did not question this gift. He only used it. Even Miss Emmert seemed shocked as he hopped up next to her. She had not even had a chance to untie the lead.
“Get up!” Ornery ordered his mother. He was still so full of energy and confidence from his climb that she actually did as he commanded. “Go!”
Cinnamon had more faith in his new-borne abilities than Miss Emmert. The horse immediately hurled herself across the crevice and landed on the other side by Nutmeg and Crystalia. Rearing back, Ornery trusted his legs and jumped the crevice in a single leap.
Giddy with excitement and driven by the shattering bridge, Ornery ran ahead. “Follow me!”
The race to the end of the Span was the most exhilarating of his life. His cousins gave him competition, but in the end, they were no match for his new-found swiftness. Everything about his body felt different. There was no more gangliness. No more awkward angles. Bone and flesh moved smoothly beneath his skin. Too soon, they were upon the snowy bank. He wanted to run on forever, but Miss Emmert reined in the horses.
Panting, Ornery turned back with his companions and watched the great ice bridge collapse onto itself. The roar was deafening, and the sight was one no human should lay eyes upon. The bridge that had been built by the gods themselves was now gone forever. He was surprised to find tears running down Miss Emmert’s cheek. Ornery had been so full of himself he had nearly forgotten the gravity of their situation.
“Ride behind Crystalia,” Miss Emmert ordered.
Crystalia and he both objected at the same time. He wanted to run! Unfortunately Miss Emmert was firm and a bit sad. Ornery thought she would be proud of his new skills. Instead she rebuked his complaints and gave him a look that halted any argument. Pulling himself up behind the girl, Ornery pointed to a low mountain pass.
“Is that where we are going?”
Miss Emmert shook her head. “Nay. See that blight near the tip?”
Squinting, Ornery could make out a dark smudge far up in the range. “Aye.”
“That is where we must travel. So conserve your legs, son. We have left behind the leisurely portion of our journey.”
*****
CHAPTER 26
Madame Hesper compensated for another gust. This ride was not going as smoothly as she had hoped. They were still miles from the trapper’s hut that she had hoped to weather the day in.
Over an hour ago she had changed course and headed for the Fold. It was their only hope of finding cover before sunrise. Besides the danger to Holt, she could sense his fatigue. Flying all night, holding Ekoli, had taken its toll.
Surveying the moonlit landscape, Amanda noticed a tiny fleck in the distance. Adjusting her course, she closed in on the object. Holt tried to follow, but his wings beat slowly, and his path was more an arc than a true turn.
“Continue,” Amanda urged. “ I will return.”
Holt did not argue. He only gave a tired nod. At this point, Madame Hesper was more concerned with her son’s soul than his body. How could he fight the Curse if he was this exhausted? Once they reached safety, all of them would need some rest. Upon approach, the speck did not get much bigger. Taller, perhaps, but thin and spry.
“Twig!” Madame Hesper exclaimed as she swooped down near her old acquaintance. “What are you doing out here?”
“You have not heard from your daughter?” Twig asked in her raspy voice.
Immediately Amanda’s pleasure at finding an unexpected friend vanished, replaced with concern for her offspring. “Nay.”
“The news is not good, I’m afraid.” Twig held Madame Hesper’s hand in her own as she told the medium of Sele’s discovery at the Fold. Twig’s many fingers stroked Amanda’s hand as she relayed the sad news. Her barky flesh was rough yet gentle upon her skin. It somehow made the tidings easier to hear.
“She means to fight the Gullet?”
Twig’s branchy head nodded.
Madame Hesper could not believe what she heard. “But, the Gorlonn will destroy the Fold—”
“I left before the full evacuation got under way.”
Amanda just stood there stunned. A Fold
? To fall? It was unheard of. They were places of ancestral sanctuary. They were unchanging in a sea of ever-turning events. This could not be. Yet it was.
Worse, the first Fold to ever be destroyed would be upon her own daughter’s head. The Quorum was already vexed with Sele over her secret marriage to Dimtri. After this, they might forsake her and her son completely.
But would Amanda make any different decision if she were in her daughter’s shoes? Sele knew as well as she did the grave circumstances that they found themselves in. No one would be exempt from the devastation that would follow.
“You should make for the Fold. My leaves sense the sun’s arrival,” Twig said. The green sprouts on the tips of her stems began to unfold and orient themselves to the east.
“Aye. We are far behind schedule. Wind has not been as helpful as I had hoped.”
“When is he ever?” Twig reminded her gently.
Madame Hesper nodded. The branchy one had great wisdom. “Where do you head?”
“I miss my rooting ground. With the north in such disarray, I shall strike for Everstand.”
How Amanda wished she could go with Twig. She had no desire whatsoever to see Emerald again. Especially in the Faery’s current mood.
Madame Hesper leaned forward and hugged her barked friend. Twig’s gentle humor and wisdom would be sorely missed.
“Hopefully, when all this is over, we will visit again.”
“That much I know is true,” Twig said, her voice full of unspoken knowledge.
Before Madame Hesper could ask any further questions, Twig was already several steps away. She could follow her friend, but knew she more than likely would get no clarification. Twig’s race was like that. Instead Amanda allowed the gusting wind to carry her up and north. Rapidly she rejoined Holt. He had barely covered a few miles while she spoke. With the skies lightening a bit and the air warming a titch, they did not have much time.
“Here, let me carry her for a bit.”
Holt’s refusal was more like a growl than a response. Dried saliva clung to his chin, his face haggard.
“Son, the Fold is still a few leagues away. We must make best speed.”
“I will make it.” Holt choked out.
Madame Hesper held her tongue, not quite sure who was in control at this moment. Holt must have had the slimmest edge, since he not drank from Ekoli, but the margin looked narrow. The only reprieve in this situation was the Vampyr instincts would hound Holt’s body until they found shelter from the sun. Even now, his wings beat stronger, and there was an urgency to his flight.
“I will fly ahead and open the portal.”
Holt did not give any verbal or physical sign he heard or even understood her. Amanda hesitated for a moment, fearful of what the Vampyr might do in her absence. She was sure the beast was hungry even after its meal at the garrison. With sunrise so close, the demon would be more daring.
Tentatively, Madame Hesper flew forward but checked over her shoulder frequently. Holt’s grim expression had not changed a wit. Gaining speed, Amanda found the landmarks that delineated the Fold’s opening. There were two of the slightest dips in the Plains, with a third point of raised snow to complete the triangle. Men could hunt for decades, and had, and still not find the precise spot one needed to open the Fold.
The eastern horizon bloomed a light pink while Madame Hesper settled her feet onto the ground. She walked forward and put her hand out.
“Open.”
Nothing happened. Madame Hesper checked her foot placement again and pressed her palm forward and said the incantation in the ancient tongue.
“Soloma.”
Still nothing. Calling forth her magick, Amanda probed the air before her. She could feel the pulse and throb of the portal, but another spell overlaid the orifice. Holt startled her as he landed off-balance next to her. Ekoli had roused at the jarring impact.
“It denies me entry.” Madame Hesper said.
Ekoli motioned for Holt to release his hold on her, but he ignored her. Instead he walked forward and allowed her to reach a hand out. She, too, intoned the ancient command but had no better luck. The sky was now mottled with deep purple and blue. The skin on Holt’s back steamed with the heat of the sun. It was only a matter of minutes before he was consumed by the fire.
Madame Hesper dug more deeply into the overlying spell. It appeared she had read Emerald’s mood correctly. The enraged Faery had placed a ward on the portal, an enchantment to exclude humans. Amanda turned to her son. He was half human, but half was not. What she asked of him would require him to relinquish control to the Vampyr. Could they trust the demon not to betray them all?
“Holt. We need the Vampyr to gain entry.”
Her son hissed in frustration and pain. His entire body was now smoking from the sun.
Amanda motioned to Ekoli. “Let me take her.”
“No!” Holt snarled and backed away a step. Calming down a bit, his human voice came through more clearly. “He will not harm her.”
Madame Hesper understood the warning. For some reason the Vampyr was protective over Ekoli. His mother, on the other hand, would make the demon a nice meal. Backing away, Amanda allowed Holt to ease into full transformation. The Vampyr turned and parted his lips, showing off his two full rows of pointed teeth.
“So it is me you need, witch. What price are you willing to pay?”
Amanda closed the distance. She tired of the demon’s games. “It is you who need to be inside this moment, Vampyr.”
“And your son. If I die, so does he.”
Madame Hesper shrugged her shoulders. She knew Holt, in full human form, would never want her to make another bargain like the one she did earlier that night. “Then he dies. There will be no more bargains.”
The Vampyr’s skin crackled, and even the demon’s features winced in pain. There was a moment Amanda feared the Vampyr too far gone to reason properly, but finally he raised a hand and spoke the command. Immediately the warm radiance of firelight greeted them. The demon stumbled inside, his back nearly fried. Madame Hesper made sure she was right beside him to catch Ekoli as the Vampyr stumbled and fell to the ground. The demon’s bravado had spent the last of his body’s energy.
“I have need!” Madame Hesper shouted into the empty hallway as the portal behind them closed, encircling them in stone.
A startled Faery buzzed into the room. It took one look at the blood-soaked Ekoli and the Vampyr and flew right back out. It seemed everyone was a bit twitchy at the Fold. Cursing under her breath, Amanda put pressure on the goddess’s wound. The agitation had caused her injury to gush blood again.
Emerald darted into the room, flanked by half a dozen Faeries. Each one was ablaze with orange. “How dare you override my ward!”
“Get me bandages, corn starch, and a blanket. Quickly!” Madame Hesper ordered.
“I will tolerate your family’s insolence no more!’
Madame Hesper caught Emerald by the legs and jerked the enraged Faery to face her. “This is Ekoli, the Great Goddess given flesh. She now lies dying because she saved me. If I hear another word out of you, I will snap you in half. Do we understand one another?”
The Faery drained of all color and flittered away once Amanda released her grip. The other Faeries bustled about, carrying out Madame Hesper’s requests. Holt, or more accurately, the Vampyr that possessed Holt’s body, cowered in the shadow.
“Take Holt to a safe room and douse the lights.”
Emerald’s voice was shaky and uncommonly helpful. “We will find some blood. Does he wish to rest beneath ground or above?”
Before Madame Hesper could respond, Holt was able to respond in a garbled tone, “Above, on a bed.”
Amanda flashed a supportive smile to her son. He was trying so hard to remain human. But had she pushed him too far already? After all these decades, would she finally lose him to the Curse?
Madame Hesper whispered to Emerald. “Get him some clothes. And post a guard. No, three or four, on his
room.”
The Faery’s smug look returned for an instant, but equally rapidly it disappeared, and Emerald nodded. While Amanda worked on Ekoli’s wounds, the Faery flit around her head.
“Why have you not sealed the skin with the spell of Moulin?”
Amanda knew Emerald was trying her best to rebuild rapport, but at the moment, Madame Hesper only wished to be left alone to tend the fallen deity.
“Her flesh resists any magick. It is why she could not open the portal.”
Emerald had no witty, sharp response to that statement. How could she? In her ire she had almost denied one of their most esteemed goddesses entry into a Fold that Ekoli had helped create. If any were to survive this ordeal, Emerald would pay dearly for that transgression.
“I... I would offer you the hospitality of this Fold for eternity, but events have been set in —”
Madame Hesper carefully examined the puckered wound on Ekoli’s abdomen. How she wished the Faery would just go away. “Twig informed me.”
“Then you head east upon her recovery?”
Amanda had enough of the Faery’s chatter and lack of focus. “Nay. I join my daughter at the Gullet.”
“Are you daft?” Emerald blurted out before she could compose herself.
Madame Hesper tried to rein in her frustration. “Nay. Sele’s plan is sound. I am sorry that it requires the sacrifice of this Fold, but we are headed towards dark times, and dark actions are needed.”
The Faery hovered in front of Amanda’s face. It was obvious that having to remain civil was difficult for Emerald. “I have accepted the Fold’s loss, Madame. I was thinking more of the world at large.”
“The Ice Princess must be stopped —”
“I, of all beings, have no quarrel with that goal. I say feed her to the Gorlonn.” Emerald stopped her ranting and calmed back down. “Do you not wonder why all is happening so quickly? Why is the event horizon converging with a speed unheard of?”
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