“No. I think I am going to need a little more incentive. Especially after being here, I may have to bath in bleach and that will cost you extra.”
“Don’t fuck with me Drella. You may be able get your way by wiggling your little ass at Rickon, but honey, amateur hour is over. When it comes to manipulating men, I wrote the book. And your ass gets you nowhere with me. If you cross me, I will end you. Now give me the scrolls.” Amiee growled.
“Ok, fine, here. You don’t have get all twitchy about it.” Drella said, a little rattled. She reluctantly handed over the small cedar box containing the scrolls. She also gave her a small spiral notebook. “Here are the translations. Look, this place is making me itch. Can I get the money and get out of here or what?”
Amiee gave her an envelope filled with cash. “Don’t go far,” she said. “I may have further need of you and your boy toy.” With that, Amiee got up and swept out of the bar. Drella shivered. Amiee was one scary bitch. She felt a little bad for Crimson. For one brief moment, she thought of warning her, but her attention quickly moved to the envelope of cash. She had to get back. Rickon would be waiting, and keeping Rickon waiting was not something a smart girl did. Amiee was wrong about one thing, her ass didn’t get her anywhere with him either.
Chapter 15
Kate stepped through the portal and into Black Thorn Forest. It had been so many years since she’d been there, it was almost alien to her. The Human world had truly become her home and she hated to leave it, but times were getting desperate. She had tried to reach Illiana through all of the normal ways, but it wasn’t working. Her only option was to go Court herself and hope for the best.
Portalling directly into Court was not allowed, so Kate came in about a mile away and had to walk the rest of the way. As she came upon the gates, she knew something terrible had happened. The iron gates were open. There was no Gatekeeper. In fact, the place looked deserted. Glad for the swords strapped to her back, she cautiously went in. Never failing in their duty, the Doormen had not left their post, instead, they lay dead, their throats cut. Who ever had done this, had caught them by surprise. It didn’t look like they had even attempted to struggle.
Kate was torn, not knowing what else she would find inside, if she went in alone, she could be taken herself, but if she didn’t go in, maybe someone waiting for help would die before they were found. As she pondered her options carefully, she heard a noise just from the hedge near the gate. It was a sort of whimpering noise. Someone was hurt. Kate checked all around her, drew a sword, and crept over to see who it was.
She found Ivy, semi conscious, covered in blood. One of his legs was bleeding freely, and along with a nasty gash to his head, one of his horns appeared to be missing. Ivy was coming around. “Ivy, wake up,” Kate pleaded, “Tell me what’s happened here, lad.”
“Kate?” Ivy said weakly. “Why are you here?” Shaking his head and wincing, he seemed to gain a little bit of clarity. “You can’t be here! You have to go! It’s not safe.”
“I can’t go until you tell me what happened here. Let me help you, you look awful.” Kate helped Ivy to his feet. “You are a mess you need a healer. Let me get you inside.”
“No!” Ivy almost shouted. “No, don’t go inside. You don’t want to see that, Kate. They are all dead in there.” Tears started to stream down his face. “The wards are down, can you portal us out of here? As soon as we are safe I’ll tell you everything.”
“Of course,” Kate replied, as she set about opening the portal. Within seconds, they arrived in Kate’s kitchen. She helped Ivy to a chair and went to the pantry for supplies to bandage his leg, which was now bleeding all over her battered linoleum. “Now, tell me what happened,” Kate implored as she cleaned the cut on his leg with antiseptic. It wasn’t very deep, but it was jagged and Ivy winced every time she touched him.
“There was a meeting, and I was late as usual because I was busy in my shop. I finally got there about halfway through the meeting, but right after I got there, the doors burst open and a band of Dark Hunters attacked. I’m ashamed to say I hid. But I saw it all. They had a Draakki with them. She was yelling at Illiana about Crimson. I couldn’t hear exactly what she wanted, but I guess, she didn’t like what Illiana told her, because she reached out and cut her throat with her nails. Illiana collapsed, and all hell broke loose. They killed everyone, Kate. It was brutal.” Ivy was nearly sobbing by this time. “All I could think of was to get away to warm Crimson, but when I came out, someone hit me on the back of the head, and the next thing I knew, you were waking me up in the hedge. My stars, how long was I out?”
“I don’t know, but the Doormen looked like they had been dead a while, days even.”
“We have to warm Crimson, Kate. The Draakki will kill her.”
“No,” Kate said quietly, “she won’t. Us, she might kill, well, she can try, but Amiee won’t kill Crimson.”
“You know her? How? What the hell am I missing here?”
“She was here, last night. She must have come here when Illiana wouldn’t tell her anything. Damn it, why didn’t I see this coming?” Kate began to pace. All of a sudden, Kate went pale white. “Ivy, where did Crimson get those Dragon skin boots?”
“I made them for her, out of that skin you sold me last year. Why?”
“No, no, this can’t be happening. I’ve got to get Crimson here right now!” Kate dialed her phone, still pacing the kitchen. “Damn, no answer at her place. I wonder if she’s at Finn’s . Furiously, she punched in the numbers. After a few rings, Finn picked up.
“Morning Katie, it’s kind of early. What’s up?’ Finn said.
“Look Finn, you and Crimson need to come to my house right now. I don’t have time to explain, just get here as fast as you can!” Kate said all in one breath.
“Are you ok?” Finn asked, “What’s going on?”
“I’ll tell you when you get here, I promise, but hurry, please? And be careful.” Kate hung up the phone.
By the time Finn and Crimson showed up, Kate had Ivy cleaned up and bandaged, and settled on the pullout couch in her living room. Crimson was startled to see Ivy there, and then horrified to see that he had been hurt. Ivy was the most peaceful creature she had ever known. She couldn’t imagine why anyone would try to hurt him.
“Ivy, you look awful! What happened to you?” Crimson demanded.
“There was an attack. The Council is dead, all of them. It was awful. Kate found me.”
“What the fuck? Kate, what’s going on?”
Kate gathered them all in the living room. “I think it’s time we all sat down and got some things out in the open, “ she said. “I’ve kept secrets from all of you, and I can see now that I can’t do it anymore. Crimson, I have done you a disservice, and I want you to know that despite how you may feel after I have told you everything, I did it because I wanted to protect you. I’ve spent your entire life trying to protect you, and now, I see it’s time for you to protect yourself.”
“What do you mean, Kate?” Crimson asked. Finn took her hand and looked at Kate expectantly.
“I’ve known you since you were born, lass. I raised you until you were 3, and then the Thorns took you in.”
“No, that’s not true. I’d remember, why are you saying this?” Crimson’s eyes filled with tears at the idea that her parents were not really hers. Kate began to sing softly. She sang a slow and melancholy ballad that seemed hauntingly familiar to Crimson. It was a song she had dreamt about, but didn’t remember ever actually hearing. The song made her think of a warm quilt, a crackling fire, and the smell of a peat fire. She remembered soft warms surrounding and comforting her. She looked up at Kate. “Are you my mother?” she asked quietly? “Did you leave me?”
“No, child, I’m not your mother. Your mother left you when you were just a babe. Your father was my closest friend, and when he died, I took care of you for a time. I loved you very much, but I couldn’t keep you safe on my own, so your Aunt Illiana and I arranged for the Th
orns to raise you as their own. You were so young, we charmed your memory a little, but not much. “
“Illiana is my Aunt? Who are my parents, Kate? Why did you have to keep me safe?”
“Your father was Jared Oak, Illiana’s brother. We were all very close once, as children, but then I came here. I was too late to save your father from your mother’s grasp, but when she left and he died, I swore to him I would keep you safe. The swords, the ones on the wall in the shop, they belonged to your grandfather, and I’ve kept them for you all this time.”
Ivy was looking strangely at Crimson, as if he was just seeing something in her for the very first time. “Kate, do you have any shoes that Crimson could borrow?” Crimson looked at Ivy like he was crazy.
“Why do I need shoes? What’s wrong with my boots?” she demanded. “Kate? What is he talking about?”
Ivy looked to Kate. “We need to burn them, don’t we? Stars, Kate, why didn’t you tell me? I’ve put her in danger. I’d never have used it if I’d known.”
“Someone needs to tell me what the hell you are talking about and why I need to burn my favorite boots.” Crimson stood up, furious now and needing answers.
“What do you know about Dragon lore, Crimson?” Ivy asked.
“Not much, I was never very interested in extinct magical creatures, why?”
“You know that your boots are Dragon skin?” Crimson nodded. “Do you know where Dragon skin comes from?”
“Dragons?” Crimson asked, looking confused. “But wait, I’m remembering something. When Dragon’s die, they turn to ash, so how would someone get their skin?”
“That’s a good question. There haven’t been any Dragons in the other realms for millennia. While they were once allies, when rumor spread about the magical properties of their skin, they were hunted almost to extinction by Dark Hunters. The problem was, the Dark Hunters were never able to retrieve the skin because as the Dragon died, it turned to ash, burning from the inside out. As their numbers dwindled, the last few Dragons fled to the Human world, where they took the shape of Humans and mixed with them.
At first, they could shift at will, and that is why there are stories of Dragons even here, but after many generations of mixing with Humans, the blood lines were thinned down so much that fewer and fewer could take the Dragon form. This is how the Draakki came to be. They are mostly Human, but there is just enough Dragon blood left in the line to give them some pretty scary powers.”
“But that still doesn’t explain why I have to burn my boots,” Crimson said, annoyed.
“Don’t be so impatient,” Ivy said, wagging his finger at her. “I was getting there. The Dark Hunters were stupid, they were never able to get Dragon skin, but there is a way. It has to come from a live Dragon.” Crimson looked at Ivy like he had lost his mind.
“I get it,” Finn spoke up. “Live Dragons shed their skin when they grow. But what does this have to do with Crimson’s boots?”
“You two really know how to ruin a story. I give up, Kate, will you take it from here?”
“There aren’t any more Dragons, even in the Human world.” Kate started, rolling her eyes at Ivy. “But there are Draakki. And, while adult Draakki can’t shift at all, they do when they are babies. Until a Draakki is about three, they shift as they grow, shedding their skin several times. Traditionally, Draakki mothers make the babies clothes out of the skin because it is connected to them and it is a way to track the baby if anything happens to them. A baby Draakki’s skin will always be recognized by its mother.”
Crimson made a weird face, “So you are saying my boots are made out of baby Dragon skin? Ew.”
“Your boots are made out of your skin. I kept it for a very long time, but a few years ago, I almost lost my shop, so I sold it. Ivy bought most of it, and that’s what he used to make your boots. That’s why you have to burn them. Amiee can track you by those boots, and it would be very very bad if she were to find you.”
Crimson just sat there, dumbfounded. It was a lot to process. Finn held her tight, looking almost as shocked as Crimson. “Katie, are you saying that the crazy bitch who killed the Council is Crimson’s mother? How can that be?”
“Yes, Amiee is Crimson’s mother. She seduced Jared’s father, killed him, and then moved on to Jared. After she had you, she disappeared, but it was too late, your father was already dying. I couldn’t save him. I tried, I loved him so much, but I was just too late. I’m so sorry Crimson. I’ve failed again.” Kate ran from the room sobbing.
Finn crushed Crimson in his arms. “We’ll figure this out, babe. I swear. I won’t let her take you.” Finn lifted her face up and kissed her softly. “You know that don’t you? I’ll always keep you safe.” Crimson nodded silently, and held him tighter.
“Uh hum! I’m still here!” Ivy said loudly. Crimson and Finn broke apart. “I’m Ivy, by the way. You must be Finn. I’ve heard so much about you.”
Crimson blushed. “Really?” Finn replied, “How much has he heard about me Crimson?”
“Relax, big boy, she doesn’t tell tales, well, not much,” Ivy winked lasciviously.
“Well, um, nice to meet you too.” Finn sat back down on the couch. “I don’t mean to be rude, but what are you? A Unicorn?”
“A Unicorn? Are you kidding me? Crimson, he may be cute, but I think he’s kind of…” Ivy twirled his finger near his ear. “A Unicorn. Hmmmph. No, genius, I’m a Faun.”
“Don’t Faun’s usually have 2 horns?”
“Those bastards broke one off, seriously Crimson, can I slap him? Will you do it for me?” Ivy looked Finn over, frowned and covered his eyes with his hands. “What do you have on your feet? Is that…no, don’t tell me, plastic? I can’t take it, it’s so wrong!” Finn looked down at his flip flops. He’d been in a hurry, and they were the only pair of shoes he could find.
“Shut up Ivy,” Crimson said. “Sorry, Finn. It’s not you. He’s very sensitive about some things.” Crimson glared at Ivy. “Behave!” she mouthed. “Why don’t you go check on Kate. She seems really upset.” Finn nodded and went to find Kate. He found her in the back yard on the swing set, still crying.
“Katie? Are you ok?” Finn asked, sitting down on the other swing.
“No, laddie. I have really made a mess of things. All these years, I thought I was doing what was best. I thought I could make a difference, but I was wrong. And now, everything is coming down around me and it’s all my fault. The entire Council, including my dearest friend, is dead, murdered by Amiee. I should have stopped her then, before she got so strong. But I thought I was doing the right thing.”
“You can’t blame yourself for something someone else did. What I don’t understand is why she would murder the entire Council just to find Crimson. It just seems so extreme.”
“I don’t know. I don’t understand it at all. When she showed up in the shop, I thought I’d run her off, but she had already killed the Council. I don’t get why she let me live. My prowess with a sword is not nearly a match for her, even with the charmed silver blades. It just doesn’t make any sense.” Kate got off the swing and started to pace the yard. “We can’t let her find Crimson. Crimson is such a good girl. Amiee would have her turned dark and cold just like her. I just can’t stand the idea of letting her win at the expense of that sweet girl.”
“I love her Katie. I’d die before I let that happen.” Finn was startled by his own admission. He knew he’d allowed himself to care for her, more than he ever thought he could, but it was true, he was in love with her. He wanted to spend his life with her, raise a family, have a future. It wasn’t fair that he’d found her and now might lose her.
“Aye, I know. I’d hoped you two would find each other. I’m sorry, I’m just a meddling old woman, but I’ve hoped for this for a long time.” Kate smiled, and patted his arm. “We’ll figure this out. We have to.”
Chapter 16
Rickon looked up from his work as Drella came in the door. He stood up and turned his back to the table,
shielding it from her view. “Did you get the money?” He demanded. Drella handed his the envelope. He opened it and thumbed through the bills. “Where’s the rest of it? I told you to get an extra $500 from her.”
“I tried, she just wouldn’t go for it.” Rickon slapped her, hard. Her eyes watered, tears threatened, but she knew crying would only make it worse.
“You should have tried harder. I knew I should have gone myself instead of leaving this to a stupid whore like you.” He spat. “After all I’ve done for you, this is what I get? You are useless. Go get the girls ready. Somebody has to make money around here.” Rickon turned back around and went back to work, weighing and packaging the white powder on the table.
Drella lingered, watching him expectantly. “I need a little,” she whined. “It’s been hours. Please, baby? I’ll do whatever you want.” She got down on her knees in front of him, reaching for his belt. He slapped her again, this time hitting her eye. That was going to leave a mark. He was getting careless, he’s never left marks where they would show before. Without a word, he threw a baggie at her and went back to work.
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