by Amy Sumida
“Which they must love,” I concluded.
“Quite,” he said crisply. “And due to the way the diamonds are formed—products of this dominant, fiery, earth-shifting energy—they are magical gold mines of power.”
“What do you think Mimir's going to do with that power?” I whispered.
“Well, here's the whole of my horrifying theory, Elaria,” Odin said softly. “Years ago, when I was young and so very stupid, I wanted to rule a world. I created a spell to reform a planet and make it mine.”
“What the fuck does that mean; reform a planet?” I asked.
“It means that the spellcaster can alter landscapes to his pleasure,” Odin said. “Oceans and mountains moved, forests replanted; the possibilities are endless.”
“But what happens to the living creatures on the planet when such reformation takes place?”
“The caster can save whatever and whoever he chooses,” Odin went grim, “and who he lets die.”
“Fuck,” I hissed.
“Yes, indeed.”
“And let me guess,” I said with a scowl, “it requires a Drachen diamond to power it?”
“Precisely,” Odin confirmed. “Not only that; Mimir knows the spell. I created it back when I was with the Norse Gods, and I shared it with him.”
“What? Why would you do that?” I gaped at him.
“Because I was under the impression that we were friends,” Odin huffed. “And I wanted him to help me take a planet. You can't rule a world alone.”
“It looks as if Mimir has adopted your plan and found himself some new partners,” I muttered.
“So, it does.”
“How fucked are we?”
“If we can find Mimir before he casts the spell, we'll be fine,” Odin said calmly.
“And if we can't?”
“Then Tír na nÓg is as good as his.”
Chapter Forty-Three
We went back upstairs and let Vivian, Cerberus, and my consorts inside. Vivian sent the other Witches away. Then Odin explained the situation to everyone, while I sat to the side and tried to come up with a plan. Before we did anything else, we had to find Mimir. The obvious place to look would be Primeval; but that was a large search area unless he was dumb enough to go back to the Amber Temple. I had offered to sing-search for him, but Odin pointed out that Mimir was most likely the one to lock me out of my previous searches. Even if he wasn't, he'd know better than to leave himself unwarded. We'd have to find him the old-fashioned way.
The Shining One men had looks of horror on their faces when Odin finished, while the rest of the group just gaped at Odin. Then they all burst out shouting. Odin waited for them to calm themselves; looking at me with a pained expression. I nodded in commiseration; sometimes people needed to vent before they could speak rationally.
“So, what do we do about this?” Banning was the first to come to reason.
“We kill that son of a bitch,” Torin snarled.
“But we must hunt him first,” Gage added.
“Where do we hunt?” Declan asked.
“Wouldn't he be in Primeval?” Vivian asked.
“He'll end up there eventually,” Odin agreed. “But I don't think he'll venture into Primeval until his spell is prepared.”
“How much preparation does it take?” Banning asked.
“Now, that's a good question.” Odin smirked. “It's a complicated spell, and Mimir isn't the most talented caster. It would take me weeks to prepare it.”
“And him?” I asked. “How long do you think it would take Mimir?”
“I can't know that for sure,” Odin admitted. “From what I know of him, I'd say months, but without any of his recent work to judge by, I can't be certain.”
“Would his spellbooks have enough information for you to make that kind of conclusion?” I asked.
“Shit,” Odin huffed. “You're right; I should have grabbed some of his books. They would have had notes in them that I could have used to determine his level of skill.”
Declan smirked at me.
“Go ahead,” I said to the Alexandrite King. “It was your idea; you take the credit.”
“What was your idea?” Odin asked.
“To bring Mimir's spellbooks with us,” Declan said as he headed for the door. He opened it and bent over to retrieve a stack of books. “We took as many as we could carry.”
Declan set the books down before Odin while the rest of us went to bring in the rest of them. Odin began to smile.
“Good thinking, King Declan!” Odin immediately snatched up a book and started flipping through it.
“I can help with this,” Vivian said as she started searching spellbooks too.
“That's great, but we still need to find Mimir,” I said. “And Eileen. Fuck; I really thought she was innocent, and all along she was only wasting our time until Mimir could lure us away from Coven Cay.” I shook my head. “Then she grabbed the diamond and ran; a fucking Shining One queen turned into a jewel thief. There's some irony in that.”
“Well, there's one way to find a Drachen diamond,” Vivian said absently.
“What is wrong with me?” Odin cried to the ceiling.
We all stopped to stare at him.
“I should have thought of that!” He wailed at Vivian.
“Odin,” Vivian said gently as she laid her hand over his. “You have ever been this way with Mimir. He simultaneously makes you feel superior and inferior. He has a brilliant mind, but a complete lack of finesse for witchcraft. Mimir was your most challenging pupil as well as your most challenging rival, and that sets you off your game.”
“Thank you, Vivian,” Odin whispered. “You're right; I need to focus on the matter at hand, and not the man behind the chaos.”
“Yes, wonderful,” Torin drawled. “Now, would either of you care to let us in on the one way to find a Drachen diamond?”
“With a Drachen, of course.” Vivian shrugged.
“It has to be a specific Drachen,” Odin amended. “Drachen diamonds are imbued with the energy of their creator. They can be tracked by the dragon who formed them.”
“So, you wouldn't want to go stealing one from a dragon,” Gage noted.
“Which is why it's so difficult to acquire a Drachen diamond.” Odin nodded. “I did a favor for a Drachen once, and in exchange, I received a diamond.”
“Do you know where we could find this Drachen?” I asked.
“I do.” Odin smiled softly.
“Well?” I asked. “Where is he?”
“She is on her home planet of Drach, I would imagine,” Odin said. “In the Dragon Realm.”
In the Beneath—the secret world of supernatural beings on Earth—there are two types of dragons, but they had both originated from the same realm; the Dragon Realm. In their universe, there are two habitable planets. The Drachen come from planet Drach. When they first arrived in the Human Realm, they landed on what is now Germany. They influenced the people there and helped to develop the language and the culture. Thus, the German word for dragon is “Drachen.” The Ryū come from planet Ry—pronounced Ree—and they landed in Japan; having the same influence on the Japanese as the Drachen had on the Germans. And so, the Japanese word for dragon became “ryū.”
Both planets are known to be dangerously beautiful; full of wild creatures and even wilder people. Most Dragons returned to their home worlds and only visit Earth on occasion. Though some remained and live as humans in their alternate, human shape which allows them to blend in. Being in human bodies for prolonged periods of time can be taxing on dragons, which is why beneather Drachen are known to be volatile. Their Ryū cousins learned to meditate and control their emotions, and are less prone to outbursts of violence. I've worked with Ryū before; they are lovely, well-mannered people. The Drachen, however, are another matter entirely. I've interacted with enough of them to know better than to go traipsing onto their planet asking for help. Especially without an invitation.
“Odin,” I said in a
low tone.
He smiled brightly. I didn't have to express my concerns to Odin; he obviously knew the Drachen better than I did.
“It will be all right, Elaria,” Odin said. “I'll get us an invitation.”
“Just when I thought I knew you, you go and say that you can get an invitation to Drach,” Vivian said with wonder.
“I have many secrets, my dear.” Odin winked at her.
“Fine,” I huffed. “But you're coming with us, Odin.”
Odin blinked in surprise. “I can't go; I need to look through these spellbooks.”
“I'm not going to Drach on an invitation made to the Earthshaker, without the Earthshaker!” I growled.
Odin sighed deeply. “There's no need to be so melodramatic, Elaria.” He got to his feet. “I'll contact Ilis now, and if she'll receive us, we'll leave as soon as possible.”
“Thank you,” I muttered.
“You know that I want to stop Mimir as much as you do,” he chided me.
“Odin, why do you have to go all daddy on me?” I asked. “It gets weird.”
“Well, they do call me the Allfather.”
Chapter Forty-Four
Drach was a planet of deserts, oceans, and a few forests. The most populated regions were the driest. But perhaps I'm doing Drach a disservice by calling them deserts. There weren't mountains of sand; it was more like Arizona than the Sahara. Massive rock formations dominated the landscape, with hardy plants clinging determinedly to the stone and to life itself. But there was more to Drach than what you saw on its surface.
We arrived on Drach in one of the drier zones; standing before a mountain of bare rock. The stone wasn't the auburn color you're probably imagining. When I said it was like Arizona, I only meant it in the most basic way; the shape of its terrain. The natural monuments around us were colored in shades of green and blue; from cypress to cyan with some cerulean thrown in. There were mineral deposits in the stones that glimmered in the sunlight, but despite the sparkle, the color tricked the eye into thinking the land was a lush paradise covered in foliage.
The heat was high and the humidity low; perfect for reptiles, I suppose. As I stared around at the rocky soil and looming stones, a panel in the mountain opened, and a woman stepped out through it. I gave a little start and focused on her sharply. She was muscled like an athlete, but not a body-builder; perhaps a tennis player. In spite of her obvious strength, she wore a very feminine gown of glittering teal silk. The color made her green eyes even brighter, and her strawberry-blonde hair seem almost auburn. Her skin was fair, but not pale; a perfect counterpart to the bright hair that flowed past her waist. She stepped forward with confidence and a warm smile.
“Odin!” She held her arms out to him.
“Ilis,” Odin said as he went into her embrace. “It's been far too long, and yet you're as breathtaking as ever.”
“Thank you,” she said softly as she eased away from him. “I cannot say that you haven't aged, but I will say that the years look good on you.”
Odin chuckled. “It's the eye patch; it gives me that bad boy appeal.”
“What happened?” She asked as she looked over the leather patch.
“An accident.” Odin sighed. “Though I'm not sure of that anymore. Coincidentally, we are here with the hope that you will help us find the man who may have been behind the accident that took my eye.”
“You want me to help you get vengeance?” Ilis smiled like Odin had brought her jewelry and roses.
“Not exactly,” Odin said with a matching grin. “Though that will be part of it. Ilis, this is about the diamond.”
“What about the diamond?” Her face hardened.
“It's been stolen.”
“By the same person who did this to you?” She waved her hand at his eye.
“The very one,” Odin affirmed.
“It sounds as if we have much to talk about,” she said firmly. “Introduce me to your companions, and then we may go inside for refreshments.”
“Drachen are big on adhering to their laws of hospitality and social etiquette,” Odin said to us as he smiled at Ilis.
“Yes,” she agreed. “We want to make you feel nice and relaxed before we eat you; fear taints the meat.”
We all stared at her in horror, until she burst out laughing.
“I'm teasing,” she said while she and Odin shared a chuckle. “You are most welcome and safe here.”
“Elaria is the Spellsinger I've mentioned to you.” Odin waved toward me.
“Oh?” Ilis' eyes widened and she reached out a hand for me to shake. “It's a pleasure to meet you, Elaria.”
“I thought you hadn't talked to each other in awhile?” I asked Odin as I shook Ilis' hand.
“We haven't seen each other in years,” Ilis corrected. “But we speak often. Thank you for saving the realms, Elaria Tanager.”
“Sure, no biggie,” I said casually.
Ilis chuckled and looked at Odin. “She's exactly as you described.”
“I try not to embellish.” Odin motioned to Cer. “This is Cerberus, previously of Hades.”
“My lady,” Cerberus bowed over Ilis' hand and gave her a sexy smile.
“Oh yes; I've heard about you as well, Hellhound,” she said with a knowing look.
“Damn it all,” Cerberus huffed good-naturedly. “My bad reputation precedes me.”
“And these are Elaria's consorts; King Torin, King Declan, Gheara Banning, and Gage of Torr-Chathair,” Odin introduced each man.
“The Shining One Kings, the Blooder Prince, and the Griffin,” Ilis nodded to each man. “Yes; I recall. What a lovely collection you have, my dear.”
“Thanks,” I said flippantly. “I like them.”
“Come in, all of you,” Ilis offered warmly “We love visitors.”
We followed Ilis into the mountain, and the door slid back into place behind us. As soon as the mountain was sealed, little lights came on. These pinpricks of illumination emanated from the stone walls, and there were so many of them that it created more than enough light to navigate by.
Ilis took us through winding corridors, past cavernous rooms full of luxurious décor and beautiful people, and then into an enormous atrium. Light poured in from above; shining through glass panels that stretched across the entire room. The room itself was full of tropical plants; fruit trees spreading out over fields of flowers, beds of vegetables, and wild herbs. A stream flowed through the center of it all, and a stone path bridged over the gurgling water. Couples strolled hand-in-hand, and children played in the open meadows.
“Whoa,” I whispered.
“We have learned to work with what we have,” Ilis said to my reaction. “We tap underwater rivers and lessen the sun's heat with translucent panels so that we can grow food and have sanctuaries such as this to enjoy.”
“It's amazing,” I said.
She nodded her thanks. “Let's sit here,” Ilis waved to a circular collection of stone benches. Help yourself to fruit or water.”
She waved first to the fruit heavy in the trees around us and then to a discreet table set near the stream which had several golden cups placed on it.
“Thank you.” Declan went to fill some goblets with water. He came back and handed one to Ilis and one to me. “I'm honored to be invited into your home, Lady Ilis.”
“Oh, how gallant,” Ilis noted, then looked at Odin. “This is the overly-sexual one, yes?”
“Oh yes,” Declan answered before Odin could. “But I'm a one-woman pervert now.”
“A shame,” she teased him.
I cleared my throat.
“Will you be wanting me to—” Ilis started to ask Odin.
“Elaria?” A startled male voice interrupted us.
I turned to see a male Drachen; auburn hair, green eyes, and a smokin' hot body. He walked into our group with a bright, surprised smile; his stare set on mine. I didn't recognize him in all of his finery and with his long hair, but then I got a good look at his face, and I
inhaled sharply. I haven't had a lot of romances—mostly, I just had sexual partners—but one of my few affairs had been with a Drachen; this Drachen.
“Oh, damn!” Cerberus exclaimed in a giddy tone. “Shit just got interesting.”
Cerberus knew all of my exes; not the meaningless sex partners, but the ones who I had allowed to stick around for awhile. So, he knew this guy, and he knew how things had ended; with me giving the dragon the boot.
“Hi, Cal,” I whispered. “How are you?”
My consorts turned to me with wide eyes.
“You know Elaria?” Ilis asked Cal—short for Calex—her expression just as surprised as my consorts'.
That's when I saw how similar they looked. Calex's hair was a bit darker, and his eyes a little lighter, but his features were close enough to Ilis' to mark them as relatives.
“Yes.” Calex gave Ilis a weighted look. “This is Elaria—the woman I was with in the Human Realm.”
“You're that Elaria?” Ilis asked me in surprise. She looked back at Calex before I answered. “You never told me she was a Spellsinger.”
“I didn't want you to think poorly of her,” he said.
“Hey!” I scowled. “What the hell is wrong with being a Spellsinger?”
“Brother, Elaria saved the realms recently,” Ilis said gently. “I can hardly think poorly of her, despite the fact that she isn't a Drachen.”
“You did what?” Calex looked back at me.
“Funny; that's exactly what I was about to ask.” Torin looked at me as well.
In fact, everyone was staring at me. I swallowed past my dry throat nervously.
“Cal, you already know Cerberus. This is Odin Earthshaker.” I waved at Cer and then Odin. “And these are my consorts: Torin, Declan, Banning, and Gage. Everyone, this is Calex, my ex-boyfriend.”
“Your what?” Calex and my consorts all asked at once.
“I'm over two-hundred years old, guys,” I said to my lovers. “I've had boyfriends before.”
“I didn't think you had anyone serious enough to label,” Torin growled.