Slip Song (Devany Miller Series)

by Jen Ponce

  I took Kroshtuka’s hand, warm and strong, then had him picture his home. When he had it firm in his head and shared it with me, I formed the hook. I didn’t know if it was the contrary nature of the Wilds or some other force at work but we stepped out in the Dreaming Place, not the meadow outside the village as he’d pictured.

  “I think the Dreamers called you back.” The old woman stood naked by the pool, her hair dripping. She didn’t look embarrassed by her nudity and so I tried to be cool about it too. She didn’t ask how we appeared out of nowhere, nor seemed concerned that we’d done the appearing act into the middle of the Meat Clan’s sacred space.

  “I brought Kroshtuka home.”

  She smiled. “Perhaps this will be your home too, someday.”

  The idea stopped me short as my brain picked through it. I had to shove it aside for now. Too crazy. To Krosh I said, “I hate to hook and run but—”

  He pulled me close and pressed his forehead against mine. “You will return.” It wasn’t a question but neither could I hear complete confidence in his voice.

  “I’ll try. Not sure how I’ll find you again, you know. Hooking doesn’t work well here.”

  “My people patrol the Wilds, to keep it free from encroachers. I will stop at the tavern in Banishwinds every time I’m close. You know the place, I think.” His hands were warm against the small of my back. I wished he would press me close to him and kiss me until I couldn’t remember my own name. If only I knew for certain I would see him again, I might feel better about keeping him at arm’s length and letting things progress slowly.

  “I do. And when I can, I’ll stop.”

  “We must have a rematch of our hunt.”

  “I think I won.”

  He laughed. “The white stag still lives. You were close, I’ll give you that, but close does not put meat on the table nor frees you from our bargain.” He pulled away, leaving an empty place inside me. “For that, if nothing else, you will return. I believe you are a woman who fulfills her promises.”

  “I try.” I started to form the hook but Lizzie put her hand out to me.

  “Wait. Kroshtuka, can you give an old woman a moment of privacy, please?”

  He nodded, a slight wrinkle in his brow as he took his leave. I don’t know why but I felt better knowing he didn’t want to leave me anymore than I wanted to go. When his footsteps had faded, Lizzie took both my hands in hers. “I did not think you would want him to hear what I needed to tell you.”

  My stomach did a flip flop. That didn’t sound good. I hated bad news and hated it even more when it was delivered with such a look of concern. “What?” Would she take it wrong if I stuck my fingers in my ears and went, “La, la, la, la, la?”

  “Someday you’ll have to choose. It’s not for me to say how you make that choice. Who knows what the circumstances will be once that pathway forks? I only ask that you give him a chance. A real chance.”

  Uh. I had no idea what to say. I’d never had the urge to dive into a relationship before. Tom and I had dated a long time before we married. Through work and my experiences with victims, I saw what could happen if you jumped into a relationship too soon. It was risky. “I can’t make any promises. I have a home, kids. A whole other life away from Midia.”

  “Are you already mated?”

  “I was. He was murdered.”

  “I’m so sorry.”

  The kindness in her voice almost made me cry. “Thank you. That’s part of the reason I’m here. To stop the people who killed him and a lot of other innocents for their own gain. I asked Kroshtuka to get word about about the domar berries. The witches I’ve talked to don’t even know about them.”

  “We might be able to do this. The witch-folk don’t like our kind or the Wildsmagic. It would take some work but I believe the time may have come for us to stop hiding in the Wilds.”

  “Please be careful. I would hate for something to happen to the people here. They seem like good folks.”

  “We’ve lived a long time with the hatred and bigotry the witch-folk have for us. We’ll take care of our own.” She bent and scooped up her gown. “Come. I want to give you something.”

  I followed her down the path to the room where I’d first met the elders. It was empty but for Lizzie and me. A gown was draped across the table and she pulled it over her head, freeing her wet hair from the neckline. Then she walked across the room to a small alcove I hadn’t noticed before. She hummed, rummaging for a moment, then turned back to me. “You may not tell anyone I gave this to you. Not even Kroshtuka. I’m afraid his sense of duty would compel him to mention my indiscretion.” She dropped a sliver of crystal in my hand. “Like calls to like, you understand. It will lead you back to its home because any crystal from the caverns is called back to its home by the Dreamers.”

  I nodded like I understood, and in a way I guess I did. “Thank you. I won’t tell a soul I have it.”

  “Be sure you don’t. They respect elders too much here to believe I am just a batty old lady who forgot the rules.” She clapped her hands together. “You’d best be getting along. Don’t forget what I said.”

  “I won’t. If I can come back and if circumstances allow, I’ll give him a chance.” I couldn’t imagine what my kids would think of the place, though I thought they would enjoy it. What kid wouldn’t want to learn magic, mermaids, unicorns, fairies and the rest were real?

  Stop, Devany. Don’t even go there. I made a hook and stepped through.

  -TWENTY-

  When I stepped through on the other side of the barrier, Jasper, Nex, and Cyres were surrounded by three fleshcrawlers. The beasts were crouched in wait outside the bubble, their fangs showing as they panted in the heat. Well shit. I couldn’t get my people out of there because I couldn’t hook within the bubble. If I went in, would they attack or think of me as one of their own? I had the queen’s damn gift after all.

  I decided to risk it, unwilling to waste more time being cautious. I stepped through, bringing the fleshcrawlers to their feet. They hissed, showing fang. I tipped my head to one side, showing off my gills. “Your queen granted me safe passage,” I lied. I didn’t know what this gift granted me besides ugly-ass holes in my neck but if I had to have them, they ought to be useful for more than just swimming around in swamp goo.

  They didn’t attack but neither did they back down. I surrounded us all with protection and Jasper lowered his so that I could get close to them. “Every day in Midia is so much fun,” I said. I got a ghost of a smile from him.

  “They want Tam.” The tone of his voice implied, ‘over his dead body,’ and I knew he wouldn’t leave without her. It was fine with me, anyway. Tam deserved a burial, not to be dinner for some hungry swamp vampires. “We can use a traveling circle, right? Just like on the wagon train. Can you carry her, Jasper?”

  He nodded and scooped up her body. The fleshcrawlers didn’t like that. They swarmed our bubble, looking for weak spots. I remembered what Zed had told me and said, “You guys overlap your power with mine. Just in case.”

  They did, grey and sunshine yellow weaving through my own energy. I wasn’t sure what color mine was, though I usually pictured it blue or purple in my head. “We’ll just ease our way to the edge of the big barrier and work our way through. Nice and easy.”

  It took some doing but we managed to get out unscathed. Then all I had to do was figure out where to go.

  Home.

  I pictured my basement and took us there. The house was quiet and a quick glance at the window told me it was night. “This is my home on Earth. My family is upstairs and I don’t want anything to happen to them. Jasper, can you and Cyres maintain a strong enough circle to keep out a Skriven until I get Nex back to the Slip?” He was already sinking lower and lower, the magic draining from him at a rapid rate. “I want to drop in on Vasili too and see what I can found out about Ty.”

  “We will hold your home and keep your children safe.”

  I made a quick trip upstairs to grab a lo
destone from the upper hallway table and dashed back down. I so wanted to check on Liam and Bethy but told myself I would be able to soon. Soon. “Here. This will help. I also have stones buried around the house. Use them.” I considered for a moment, then decided I needed to let Arsinua know that we were there. She would be able to add her strength to the pot and reinforce the barrier.

  I ran back up the stairs and paused, unsure where I would find her. I crept to the second floor, pausing to look into my kids’ rooms. Liam was in Bethy’s bed, curled around his sister. My heart nearly broke and it took all the strength I had to ease my way away from them. Ann slept in the guest room. Liam’s room was empty. Where were Arsinua and Travis?

  I found out when I opened my bedroom door. They were very clearly sharing my bed. My brother’s clothes were strewn over half the room, hers were stacked neatly on my dresser. Huh. I soft-footed to Arsinua’s side and put my hand on her shoulder, hoping she wouldn’t wake screaming.

  She didn’t, though she jerked hard into Travis and nearly knocked him off the bed. Magic glowed in her hands until she realized it was me. Then she said a bad word in a language I didn’t know and took a breath. “We should have worked out a better way for you to get in touch with me.”

  I fought back a smile as she pressed her hand to her chest. Travis pushed himself up on an elbow and blinked at me. “Dev?”

  “Yep. I can only stay for a moment or two. How long?” I didn’t have to finish the sentence. Arsinua understood.

  “A week and a half.”

  God. It was only a few days until Christmas. “I bought the kids’ gifts. They’re in the attic.”

  “Travis found them. He has them all wrapped and under the tree downstairs.”

  That made me feel good in a way but deeply sad at the same time. “Thank you. Arsinua, I found Tytan’s soul. She’s downstairs with Jasper. They’re both … “ I had to think how to put it. “Damaged,” I chose finally. Arsinua knew Jasper and knew some of his story but I wanted to make sure she knew he didn’t come back unscathed. “Anyway, they are going to put up a barrier around the house but I thought you could help strengthen it.”

  “You’re expecting trouble?”

  “There’s another Originator helping my spawn find their souls. So yeah, I expect she’ll figure out where they are sooner or later. I hope that I will have fixed the problem by then, but just in case. If I find a better place, I’ll move them.”

  She nodded. Tipped her head. “Is the fleshcrawler queen appeased?”

  “No. I made a barrier instead of fading them. She’s pissed and suicidal. I did have a breakthrough with the heart. It won’t be easy but at least I have a start to figuring it out.”

  She didn’t look happy but I wasn’t too surprised by that. She’d made the heart out of a misguided attempt to help her people and thought of it as a world-destroying explosion waiting to happen.

  “Better than dying because I was too ignorant to use it.”

  “There is that,” she said.

  “Make sure you guys wash the sheets before I get home, will you?”

  I could see her blush and my brother’s embarrassment even in the dark room.

  Jasper and I went outside in the cold back yard. The snow had mostly melted, the only piles remaining had survived in the places that rarely got sun. We wrapped Tam in a tarp and laid her in the back of the shed to be buried when we had time to dig the hole in the frozen earth.

  “Stay safe. Don’t leave the house. Okay? And be easy on yourself.”

  “My sister and I spoke and we both think it would be better if we were in stasis with the rest of the souls, rather than a risk to your family or life.”

  I locked the door behind us and we went to the basement. Nex was sprawled on the floor looking uncomfortable. Cyres was sitting an inch from the TV and watching the flickering images with utter fascination. “I’m not shoving you down in that swamp just to make life easier for me. So forget it. If it’s what you truly want, I’ll do it. But you aren’t going to sacrifice your life for me. No way, buddy.” I hugged him again. “Get those barriers up. And if they’ll let you, give Liam and Bethy hugs from me. Okay?”

  He nodded. I scooped up Nex and cradled him in my arms. “Goodbye Cyres.”

  She waved her hand at me, not looking away from the TV.

  I dropped Nex off at Ty’s home then pictured Vasili’s hovel in my head and hooked there. He wasn’t home. I suppose I could’ve hooked right to him but I hated to interrupt him if he was doing something to stop Amara.

  Maybe that was who I should hunt down next.

  I hooked to the stadium, which was empty but for the Originator that stood tree-like near the stands. Most of his eyes rolled to watch me approach. “I have some questions,” I said without preamble.

  “I may have answers.”

  My insides did a slow flip then vibrated wildly for a moment before settling down. Tom. I hadn’t felt him for a while. I wondered if being near the place where the Originators purged their collected souls had woken him. I put a hand on my belly. “What can I do about another Originator taking one of my spawn?”

  “Take him back.”

  Yeah, no duh. “There aren’t any rules saying she can’t do that?”

  “No.”

  “So there’s nothing stopping me from taking another of her spawn?”

  “If you are strong enough to do it, you can take them all. I doubt they would care one way or the other but you’d better have a place to hold them.”

  Would they all fit in my basement at home? I clamped down on the laughter that threatened to make me sound like a crazy person. “Do I own any place that would work?”

  “If you haven’t explored all your properties, I cannot help you.”

  I didn’t even know where to begin to look for my properties but I left it as one of those things I’d figure out later. “Can I challenge her directly?”

  I had the attention of all his eyes now. Getting somewhere, finally. “There are no rules against it, though I don’t know why you would do such a thing.”

  “Why not? Don’t you guys get pissy with each other? I can’t imagine you all hanging around in peace and harmony.”

  “There’s balance to be considered. Another Originator would have to be called. Why upset the status quo?”

  Why indeed? It was the only reason I was an Originator, because I’d killed Ravana and left a void that they insisted must be filled. As soon as I could figure a way out I would. “What happens to the souls that are Purged?”

  “They rejoin the Source, where all souls are born and where they all return.”

  He wasn’t going to give me anything I could use. I wasn’t sure why I was trying. I started to say thank you then thought of another question. “Where is Amara? Is there an easy way to find my fellow Originators?”

  Would there be a time in my life when I didn’t have to ask a million questions to get a single answer?

  “I do not keep track of my brothers and sisters.”

  Figures. “Thanks. You know, as a teacher you suck.”

  There was a sound like wind through leaves. A laugh? A disapproving sigh?

  I got to the entrance of the stadium when it hit me what I could do. “Neutria? Can you help me smell her out?”

  All ready there. Use.

  I sucked in air. All sorts of odors assaulted me, to the point where it became a “Where’s Waldo” of the sniffer world.

  Stupid human.

  Fine. I’d figure it out myself. I sunk down into the heart and looked around the room for a clue. A small fan with green lights around the edge was working double time. It had a dial at its base and right now the arrow sat in an area marked ‘High.’

  Got it. I sucked in a deep breath and then sorted, searching for Tytan’s smell. I didn’t expect it to be easy and I wasn’t disappointed. I wandered through the Slip with my nose in the air, searching. When I found nothing, I hooked to Ty’s house. “Nex? I need help.” He didn’t answer. I s
earched the house, slowing when a waft of odors assaulted my nose. In my mental control room I dialed the scent fan down. It worked, the smells dulled until all I could pick out was a particularly virulent case of B.O..

  The living room was packed full of Skriven. Nex floated in the middle, his entrails dangling on Ty’s coffee table. I stopped in the doorway. “What’s going on here?”

  “Master.” One by one they said that word. Some bowed, some knelt. I protested but that didn’t do any good. They made their obeisance whether I liked it or not. Or believed it or not for that matter. Most of them would kill their souls and challenge me to be Originator if they could. I couldn’t trust any of them.

  “Not that I’m not happy to meet you, but—” I looked at Nex. Mouthed, “What are they doing here?”

  “You have not asked us for tribute nor have you responded to our requests for power. We came to find out why.” This from a night black Skriven with gold hair and eight arms. Kali?

  I so didn’t have time for this. “I’ve been busy.”

  “And we are not, because you have blocked our access to the Source.”

  “We cannot collect souls if we are trapped here,” said another.

  Oh good lord. “Let’s get one thing straight right now. It’s forbidden to collect souls unless the person is already dying.” An evil thought came to me. “Or they are Theleoni. But even then, no torture. Ever.”

  Grumbles started around the room.

  I put a hand on my hip. “I could just let you all rot up here.”

  “I could find my soul and replace you.” There was more protest at this. Most of them thought they should be the one to kill me and take my place. Nice to know I was loved.

  “Listen. Listen!” When they shut up, I said, “I know what Ravana was like. I’m guessing most of you wear scars from her ideas of fun. Am I right?” I watched them and several touched spots on their bodies or looked to one another as if to confirm their thoughts. “I won’t do that to you. Ever. And I will work hard to make sure none of the other Originators touch you either.” I wasn’t sure how I could do it unless I killed them all. I did know how to do that.