by Lish McBride
“I’m not going to demonstrate,” Parkin said in that rough, tumbling voice of his. “Let’s just say I get big.”
There was a general sniggering amongst the drove at that, but my reaction was more surprise than anything. “You get big? Does that mean you think you’re small now? I already want to call you Paul Bunyan.”
“I am small now.”
I held up my hands in surrender. “You’re right—don’t demonstrate. This kitchen is too full as it is.”
The girl’s name was Bianca, and with the exception of her clothes, which were all black, she was a study in petite and pale. What I could see of her hair peeking out of her watch cap was closer to white than yellow, her bangs hanging in a jagged cut to her chin. I couldn’t tell if it was natural or not. She’d lined her eyes heavily in thick black liner so that you were instantly drawn to the gray of them—the color of the sea when it reflects storm clouds, like at any minute there might be rain. Her elfin features were twisted in disdain.
“Bianca,” Alistair said, a warning in his voice.
“I’m not a trained monkey,” she said. “And I don’t perform.”
Alistair leaned back, hands folded in his lap, and waited.
“Ugh, okay, fine.” She blew her bangs out of her eyes. “I’m a caulbearer,” she said, scowling at us like we’d bullied her instead of Alistair.
I must not have been the only person looking at her blankly, because she curled her lip and then just disappeared. There were a lot of surprised noises and people withdrawing from her empty chair. Except Sid, who moved closer, his nose twitching as he sniffed the air. “I can’t even smell her. Where did she go?”
Bianca reappeared, her face so close to his that too deep a breath would’ve caused them to collide. A strangled noise escaped Sid as he scrambled back from her. Her laughter was a whispering thing as she watched him skitter away.
Olive, who had snuck in when no one was looking, was eyeing her like she was livestock. If she’d reached out and checked Bianca’s teeth, I wouldn’t have been surprised. “I thought a caulbearer was when babies were born with stuff on their faces.”
“That’s amniotic membrane,” Ikka corrected. “Not ‘stuff.’ At least act like we educate you.”
Bianca, shifting somewhat uncomfortably under Olive’s bold stare, shook her head. “It’s not the same thing.”
“Caul means ‘veil,’” I said, getting it at last. Bianca didn’t exactly throw me a grateful look so much as tone down her open contempt before she gave me a slight nod.
“Like the kind brides wear?” Olive said, her features arranged in the pinched tilt of skepticism.
“More like a covering.”
Duncan set down his newest whittled creation, this time a hulking bear, with the earlier fox. He was really churning them out. “I’ve seen bearers who can throw a caul over themselves, but never one that tricked more than one sense.”
Bianca crossed her arms, and for someone who didn’t “perform” she sure preened under the attention. “I can do sound, too, if it’s soft enough. Anyone around me will still hear something, but I can morph it to be a sound that isn’t out of place.”
Olive rested her hands on her hips, evidently not as impressed as Duncan. “So you can go invisible. That’s cool if you want to steal something, but how’s it going to help us?” She jutted out her chin, her body stiff and protective at Duncan’s side, as if she were the only person protecting the old man. “We can steal stuff on our own.”
Bianca twisted her hand in a circular motion, and though I didn’t see any motion, and nothing seemed different to me, it was quickly apparent that something had changed for Olive. Her eyes grew big as goose eggs as she looked around, her bangs swinging. “What did you do with them?” A brief flicker of panic fluttered across Olive’s face. “I can’t smell them,” she said. “I can always smell them. Ikka? Sid?” There was more fear in her voice and in the clenched shiver of her body now than there had been when we fought the vodyanoy.
“We’re still here,” Ikka said, but Olive obviously didn’t hear her.
“Cut it out,” Sid said. “You’re scaring her.”
Bianca reversed the hand motion, and Olive threw herself against Sid’s side, keeping the caulbearer in sight. I don’t think Olive underestimated people very often; that’s what seemed to have scared her more than anything. She’d screwed up and written Bianca off, and if it had happened out in the real world in a combat situation, Olive would have lost.
Bianca didn’t apologize for scaring Olive, but the aggression left her voice and she softened into her chair. “Now you see the applications?”
Olive leaned her face into Sid’s side, and he threw an arm around her, squeezing her close. “You could hide an army,” she said.
“Not an army, I don’t think. But a large raiding party, definitely,” Bianca answered, her lips a smug line. “With me, you regain the element of surprise.”
Alistair held his arms out like a game-show host or a televangelist. These prizes could all be ours, he seemed to say, if only we played the game. I gave him a small nod even though it was unnecessary. He already knew he had us.
“Power, muscle, and stealth,” he said, rubbing it in.
“And in exchange you get a kingdom,” I said. “We get it, Alistair.”
Duncan flicked his knife closed before stowing it in some unseen pocket. The fox and bear vanished in similar fashion. “Time to get moving,” he said. And just like that, the meeting was over. Alistair and I might have played at it, but Duncan was really in charge while we were still in his cabin. Besides having the entire drove at his back, the quiet authority with which he dispatched orders announced exactly where he stood. No wonder Venus wanted him dead. She ruled through established cruelty and fearmongering. All Duncan would have to do is walk in and talk in that tone he had and the entire Coterie would be jumping to, ready to sacrifice themselves out of devotion. Out of loyalty. I couldn’t tell which method was scarier. But then, why choose? It made me wonder, if we managed to pull this off, who would really be in charge. Lock handed me my stocking cap, whistling softly as he did. It took me a second to realize it was a tune from The Wizard of Oz. The part that goes, “We’re off to see the wizard.”
“For some reason, I have a hard time picturing Venus offering us a hot-air-balloon ride,” I said, tugging my hat down over my ears, hearing Cade’s voice in my head as I did so, lecturing me about the necessity of covered ears and the amount of body heat lost through your head.
“No,” Lock said, reaching down to adjust my hat. “More like a field of poppies. But if you picture Owen as a flying monkey, things get real interesting.”
17
SLOW BURN
SEVERAL HOURS LATER, we were settled in a skiff, and as I looked behind me all I could see were rowboats, kayaks, canoes, and other small boats spread like a wave. They cut through a layer of lobster-trap buoys so thick, you could almost walk across it. Our craft was out in front, Bianca at its prow, her pale skin practically glowing in the darkness, her voice a floating whisper assuring us that no one from the island could see us approach. And that’s where we were heading—a tiny private island off the coast.
It was a smart move on Venus’s part. Isolated, quiet, no one to ask awkward questions. Hard to sneak up on, and even harder to escape from. Plus, it irritated me. I’m not a fan of being isolated by water. There wasn’t a whole hell of a lot I could do at the moment except burn down our own boat, which seemed counterproductive to me. Sure, once I hit the island I’d be fine and dandy and ready to go, but the trip over was unnerving me. It set me on edge. I would be rattled before I even showed up. Venus never did things accidentally—even on the fly, she would be thinking and rethinking approaches. So this emotional upset was definitely planned. It served as a subtle warning: This is just the beginning, it said. See how well I know you? How much I can anticipate your reactions? Better just pack it in now, child. I could almost hear her obnoxious voice in my head.<
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I looked over at Parkin, encased in a life jacket and holding on to one of those little lifesaver rings. Apparently he couldn’t swim and he sank like a freaking rock. Yup, we sure looked scary. Feel our impending wrath, Venus, you frosty bitch.
As we got closer, Bianca pushed her veil back so that it covered all the boats but ours. After all, it would look awfully suspicious if I appeared out of nowhere. So my boat was filled with the small team that Venus would see—Sid, Ikka, Lock, Bianca, Ezra, and me. The faces of my companions were drawn, tired, and wary. I was struck suddenly by how young we all looked. Yeah, everyone in the boat was older than me, if only by a few years, but compared with Venus we were practically fetuses.
Disembarking was done in relative silence. We didn’t want to overload Bianca by creating more noise for her to morph than necessary. I may not have liked the caulbearer much, but even I had to admit she was dead useful.
Lock and Ikka yanked the skiff onto land, grinding the hull against the rocks. Sid winced at the sound. “Be gentle, you brutes. I told Lonnie I’d get it back in one piece.”
“Don’t worry, we won’t hurt Lonnie’s baby,” Ikka said.
“Yeah,” Lock said. “We need it to get home.”
We all should have laughed at Lock’s lame joke, but the comment sank down into the ground, dragging us all with it. There was a good chance none of us would need the skiff, and we all knew it. And it wasn’t because we were going to suddenly grow wings and fly.
The beach didn’t last very long—without much transition, it abruptly became forest. The trees jutted up, a black outline of spruce and pine clearly visible against the bright dusting of stars. The drove tied lines and did their last-minute preparations, all of them probably wondering if it was necessary or if, come morning, someone was going to discover a lot of abandoned boats along the shoreline of a deserted island.
For now, Bianca would keep all but our skiff hidden. She’d assured us in that huffy way of hers that she could maintain the veil after we left the beach. We were going to have to trust that she was right about her abilities and wouldn’t accidentally slip and reveal our numbers to Venus.
My team lined up next to me, their eyes on the trees. All except Bianca, who was turned and watching everyone else. I could feel Lock’s warmth at my back before I felt his shoulder bump mine.
“Lock,” I said, not looking behind me. “Do me a favor?” When he murmured assent, I said, “If I don’t make it out, make sure Cade and Ryan do.” I reached back and grabbed his hand. “Don’t argue. Just say you’ll do it.”
He snorted. “Don’t be stupid—of course I would. Even Ryan, if only so Ez and I can thrash him properly. But you need to stop listening to it.”
“Listening to what?”
It was Sid who answered. “The forest,” he said. “It’s too quiet. No owls. No bugs. No bats. They’ve all gone a-hiding. A predator is in residence.”
Lock laced his fingers into mine, getting a firmer grip on my hand. “You’re picking up on it. The fear will start chipping away at you before you even catch sight of Venus.”
I breathed in deeply through my nose and let it out my mouth. I hate psychological warfare. Give me a good ol’ brawl any day—vicious and over quickly. Much more my style.
“I think we’re ready,” Bianca whispered. There were probably thirty drove members grouped behind us—a motley crew, but all standing with silent uniformity that told me they were used to working as a team. Les, Duncan, Alistair, and Parkin were leading small groups. Bianca was right: we were as ready as we were going to get. I took one last look at Olive, her tiny form standing next to Les. Somewhere deep in the pit of me, I said a tiny prayer and threw it out into the night. I’m not sure who or what I was saying it to, but the instinct was there. Please. Let us make it out. Let me have this. I wanted those boats just as full when we left as when we arrived.
But even as I prayed I knew it wouldn’t happen. Coups were bought with blood. And no whispered entreaty to nameless deities would change that.
Ezra dropped a small cloth bag onto the ground. There was a muted clank when it hit. Knowing Ez, it was probably a set of throwing knives. He stripped off his clothes and didn’t even strut, which showed how serious things had become. Ez shifted, and Olive picked up his clothes, then put them in the boat. The fox picked up the bag in his mouth, and with a twitch of his black ears he melted into the forest.
I let go of Lock and flicked my hands out, setting off sparks as I did. To anyone watching from inside the woods it would look like a nervous gesture. But to everyone lined up on the beach, it was a signal. Almost as one we surged forward, ready to meet whatever was waiting for us.
Naturally, my foot slipped on a wet rock as soon as we moved, completely ruining the image. Lock caught me before I slipped too far. “That’s what I love about you, cupcake, your natural grace and class.”
“I’ll show you grace and class,” I said as I gave him the finger. With a soft laugh he pulled ahead, leading us into the forest. It was dark and I didn’t want to ruin our night vision with a fireball. Of course, the darkness didn’t bother Sid or Ikka much because hares see better at night than people do, and Lock would be fine because the forest would probably speak to him or some such nonsense. But Bianca and I were blind as bats.
She surged forward, latching on to Lock’s arm so he could lead her. Of course we were supposed to grab on to one of them so we wouldn’t trip, but I suspected that she had specifically picked Lock even though Ikka was closer to her. If we didn’t need her, I’d have tripped her.
Sid’s hand snagged mine, palm to palm, dragging me closer to him. It dwarfed my hand, and I could feel his callused fingers.
“Pay attention,” Sid said, his voice a natural murmur of the forest, like the wing beat of an owl. I wished I had somewhere I fit in like this—the forest was so obviously his element. “Seriously, Ava—these trees have an extensive root system and I’m afraid you’re going to trip.”
Which, of course, I did. I had to clutch his arm with my other hand.
“See? The epitome of grace,” Lock whispered.
The forest remained unnaturally quiet as we moved through the woods, the half moon doing nothing to light our path. The trees were too thick for that. I still stumbled a little, but not nearly as much as I would have if Sid hadn’t been leading me. Bianca didn’t falter once, but then again, I thought Lock might be cheating and asking things to move out of the way.
Ezra darted from the woods and gave a soft yip. He hopped in place until Ikka moved closer, examining the thing he was dancing around.
“What is it?” Sid whispered.
Ikka picked up a rock the size of a cantaloupe and dropped it onto the ground while Ezra disappeared back into the undergrowth. There was a flash followed by a loud snap. “Bear traps,” Ikka said, hefting the neutralized trap for us to see, then dropping it with a hiss. “With a high silver content.” I couldn’t see it, but from the thump that followed, I assumed that Ikka had tapped the ground with her foot. Olive appeared and Ikka showed her the trap. “Carefully go down the line and spread the word.” Olive left without a sound.
We walked for a few more minutes before we crested a gentle slope. The trees ended at the top, leaving a man-made clearing ahead of us. Light flared, and my eyes stung at the sudden shift from pitch-black to bonfire glow. I let go of Sid’s hand so I could wipe my eyes. The flare had caused them to water. When my vision cleared, I could see three large bonfires, maybe ten feet tall, and wide enough that my team could have grabbed hands and danced around each one. It was all very dramatic, but then, Venus has always been flamboyant.
They were spaced evenly throughout the clearing, and I could see people’s darkened silhouettes in front of the middle one. As we walked slowly closer, I could make out Venus and Owen, the bound and kneeling figure of Cade, and the very unbound figure of Ryan behind Venus. Warm anger flared in my chest at seeing Cade treated like that, burning hotter when I set my sights on Rya
n. There was no question now. There he stood, willing, unhurt, right behind Venus. So much of this stemmed from Ryan’s betrayal. I would be home with Cade right now, sitting on the couch and eating popcorn, if I’d just stayed away from Ryan James.
We had to get close enough so that we could draw Venus and Owen away from Cade. Ryan could get his own ass home. Whether he was ignorant or not, I couldn’t argue for his safety while looking at Cade bound at Venus’s feet like an animal.
We got close enough that I could see Venus’s amused smile. Her blond hair was twisted into an updo, the sparkle of diamond pins winking whenever she moved, like tiny floating sparks. She appeared to be wearing some sort of white leather body suit with boots, as if someone had dipped her in white chocolate. Her fashion version of a big middle finger. We were all dressed in dark colors—muted browns, greens, dark blacks—the better to blend in to the night. Stealth fighting, not to mention that it made it easier for Bianca to push and pull reality around us.
But Venus was a creepy angelic vision next to the bonfire. No matter where she moved, she’d stand out. Clearly she thought this fight had a forgone conclusion. I can’t say I didn’t see her point. I knew that, even though I could only see her and a small handful of people, the woods were full.
Next to me, Lock had his head cocked, listening to the trees and plant life. “Thirty to the left,” he whispered, and it was passed on with more of the drove’s flashing hand signals, down to the end of the ranks. “Forty behind, fanned out. About twenty-five on the right.…” He tipped his head again. “And about fifteen or so creeping up behind us. We’re being surrounded, Aves.”
We had guessed as much, so no surprise there. That’s why small teams of were-hares had been slipping away as we’d crept closer. Eventually we’d be ringed like a bull’s-eye, with Venus in the center. It didn’t really matter, though. In the end it would come down to Venus and me. I was sure of that.