“That works for me,” Viktor said. “And it will give Ember and me a chance to take a look to see if we can find the blueprints to the facilities. If we know the layout, it will help when we go in. I’m not sure we’ll be able to get hold of them, but we’ll try.”
“Shall I meet you here at around nine?” I asked. “I know you always have a staff meeting first thing in the morning.”
We agreed on meeting at nine, and I headed out, telling Herne I’d be back by about two. It was twelve-thirty, and though they asked me to stay and eat lunch with them, I wanted to take care of a couple other errands.
As I left the building, the streeps were out in full force, and it was so muggy that my clothes felt plastered to my skin. I glanced up at the sky. Even though it was clear I could feel thunder in the offing, and I hoped that it would come soon to break the heat.
I headed across the street to return the ladybug box to Nancy. She wasn’t there, so I left it with a note for her at the front desk and headed out again. I thought about contacting Trinity but decided to wait. Instead, I drove over to the docks, and walked out on the boardwalk to watch the ferries leave from the pier. As the seagulls dipped and swept through the air, waiting for the chance to grab a spare crumb from one of the numerous people on the boardwalk, I let the cool breeze coming off the water slide past me, bracing me up.
There were days when I loved the city, when I loved being on the water, and this was one of them. Behind me, Seattle hustled through the muggy day, the streeps playing music on the crowded sidewalks, the cars congesting the roadways and everywhere the persistent throngs of shoppers and bicyclists zooming by who were the lifeblood of the city itself. Yes, the city was beautiful even with a layer of darkness beneath it. And I was part of the darkness, part of the shadow side, and so part of the whole.
Chapter Ten
At two p.m., Herne texted me to ask me where I was. I texted back that I was outside, sitting on the stoop of the building, getting some fresh air. He answered that he’d be down in just a moment, so I gathered my things. Sure enough, less than a couple minutes later, he came clattering down the stairs, looking rough, tough, and ready to rumble.
Herne was handsome, I’d give him that. He had long wheat-colored hair and cornflower blue eyes. He had a scruff of a beard, more of a five-o’clock shadow, actually. He was wearing black jeans and a cobalt blue tank top, over which he had tossed a black leather jacket. It looked light, made for summer rather than for the cooler months. And he was wearing a pair of motorcycle boots, his jeans tucked into them.
“Do you have anything else you need to take with you?” He looked around.
I shook my head. “Just my purse. Is it okay to leave my car in the parking garage? We won’t get back too late for me to get it out, will we?”
“I think it should be fine. And if worse comes to worse, I can drive you home and then pick you up in the morning and bring you over to get your car.” He jogged across the street, and I followed at a slower pace. We walked the half block to the parking garage, where he unlocked the passenger door to his Ford Expedition and held it open as I scrambled inside. As I fastened my seatbelt, he swung into the driver’s seat and fitted the key in the ignition.
“How did the meeting with Ember and Viktor go?”
I shrugged. “We’re heading up to the veterans home tomorrow. Listen, Herne, will you please tell me what you have against Trinity? I like to think that I give people a fair chance, and so far Trinity’s been nothing but considerate to me. But you warned me about him, and Vixen’s warned me about him. If you guys want me to avoid him, you’re going to have to give me a good reason, other than you don’t trust him. After all, you’re the one who brought him into my life.”
Herne let out a sigh. “I knew you were going to ask that. I’ve struggled with this all night. I’d tell you willingly, except it’s Trinity’s secret and I feel like I’m invading his privacy. But in the interest of friendship, I’ll tell you why I have misgivings, and yet can say that I like the man.” He flipped the turn signal and moved into the left lane. “We’re headed to the portal near my home, by the way. It’s in the park behind my house, just a few yards over the property line. I’ve contacted Orla, who’s preparing it to transport us to Cernunnos’s Palace.”
I nodded, waiting for his story.
“All right, about Trinity. First, I do like Trinity, and he’s helped me out a number of times. And he’s never once asked for a reward, or payment. I think he just gets off on the adrenaline—he’s a big adrenaline junkie.”
“I can relate,” I said.
“Right. But Trinity is…special, even among the Ante-Fae. And I think that’s what causes your friend Vixen to dislike him so much. Trinity is more than Ante-Fae.”
“What do you mean, more than Ante-Fae?” As far as I could tell, Trinity wasn’t of mixed heritage. But maybe he had some sort of glamour to hide it.
“You’ve noticed that Trinity’s titles include not only the Keeper of the Keys, but the Lord of Persuasion?”
Again, I nodded. “Right. He’s able to get through most locks. I don’t know what the persuasion part is about.”
“While Trinity is Ante-Fae by nature and blood, his father was possessed by an incubus when he impregnated Trinity’s mother, and some of that essence passed on to Trinity himself. So Trinity is also part incubus, on a soul level. That’s where the Lord of Persuasion comes in. His father was Maximus, one of the minor lords of the incubi. He seduced Trinity’s mother, and quite frankly, I’d call it rape. He used his charm on her. Otherwise she would have said no.”
I frowned, staring out the window. “But that’s not Trinity’s fault.”
“No, but he carries the darkness of his father within him.”
I didn’t say anything for a moment as I processed what Herne had told me. Finally, I asked, “Who is Trinity’s mother? He’s never mentioned either of his parents.”
“Deeantha, the Rainbow Runner.”
That did startle me.
Deeantha was one of the most famous of the Ante-Fae. She was almost elemental in nature, tied to the rainbows, and she brought with her joy and light everywhere she went. She usually followed the storms of life—both actual storms and metaphorical storms, bringing relief with her. Deeantha wasn’t the type to settle down. She crossed the world, running from rainbow to rainbow, braving the lightning storms as she stood at the top of the arc of the rainbows, arms stretched wide, willing the clouds to part. In a sense, she was almost a goddess among the Ante-Fae. The thought that Trinity was her son blew my mind.
“Okay. That explains a few things. He’s never mentioned his family at all.”
“Perhaps that’s because his mother kicked him out when he was barely grown and his father wanted nothing to do with him. All Maximus cared about was having his way with Deeantha. I’m afraid Trinity got caught in the crossfire. As I said, I like Trinity, and I understand him. But he’s chaotic by nature, and I don’t think he’s decided whether to follow the path of his father or his mother yet. But Trinity knows his origins, and I think he resents both of his parents, as well he should. So perhaps he’ll just make his own way in the world, as he seems to be doing now. I just don’t want you getting hurt if he should suddenly start harkening to his father’s blood. Trinity does like you, I know that. I just don’t ever want him getting obsessed with you. He has the capability for it.”
That gave me a lot to think about. Part of me wanted to protest that Trinity was his own person, and he didn’t have to follow either his mother or father. But I also knew how with the Ante-Fae, including me, parental blood played a huge part in what we ended up becoming. I was a priestess of Arawn and Cerridwen because my mother was one of the Bean Sidhe, and because my father was one of the Black Dogs. I could no more devote myself to a goddess of springtime and joy than I could peel the birthmarks off my body.
“Are you all right?” Herne asked after a moment.
I shrugged. “Yeah, I suppose I am. I jus
t wasn’t expecting that. I thought maybe Trinity had done something, but I never realized the warnings came because of who he is. I have a lot to think about. I don’t want to evict him from my life just because of his bloodline. That just seems wrong. But I understand what you mean about wondering which path he’ll follow. The Ante-Fae are products of our heritage, perhaps more than any of the other races. I think even more than the gods,” I said, glancing at him.
Herne nodded. “I think you’re right. I’d say the only other beings who follow their heritage even more than the Ante-Fae are the Luo’henkah. The elemental spirits. Sometimes I think you Ante-Fae are actually closer in nature to them than you are to the Fae themselves.”
“I’m not going argue on that one either. Thank you. It actually helps me understand Trinity a lot better. I won’t tell him that you told me.”
Herne let out a sigh as he turned into his driveway. “I just don’t want you being disappointed if he ends up being…someone you didn’t expect him to be.”
I laughed, shaking my head at him. “If you knew how many times crap like this has happened to me, you’d understand that I can handle disappointment. I hope I’m not taken by surprise either, but if I am, I can deal with it now that I’ve been forewarned.” And with that, I got out of the car and straightened my skirt.
Herne led me around the side of his house, and past a chain-link fence that divided his yard from the park. He glanced back at my shoes.
“Are you going to be able to walk through the woods in those?”
I glanced down at my ballerina flats. “They’ll be fine. And they’re inexpensive enough that if I have to buy a new pair, it’s no great loss.”
“What about that top? Your arms are open to being scratched up as we—”
I stopped him right there. “Stop worrying about me, okay? I often go out in the woods dressed just like this. I’m pretty resilient, Herne. I know you mean well, but I don’t need to be dressed up in jeans and a sweater to manage a walk in the woods. Especially since you said it wasn’t far from your house. Unless your definition of far is different than mine?”
He grinned and shook his head. “I’m sorry. I just… Kipa threatened to wring my neck if you got hurt, and normally I’d give him a thrashing for that, but in this case, I understand. As to definitions, no, mine isn’t different than yours. It’s about five minutes up this trail and then another five minutes to the left. I was just worried about any stinging nettle that might hit you. It doesn’t bother me, but it plays havoc with a lot of humans and a number of the Fae as well.”
I shrugged. “Stinging nettle doesn’t bother me either. The Ante-Fae have a lot more resistance than the Fae do, at least for most things. So why didn’t they put the portal in your backyard? You own your house, don’t you?” I wasn’t sure if he was renting or if he owned his home, but somehow it seemed like the gods wouldn’t make for good renters. Although Kipa made an exception to the rule. He rented a house up in North Seattle, actually halfway around Lake Washington.
“Yes, I own it. I bought it not long ago. For a while I wasn’t sure that it was a good fit for me, but it’s grown on me, and Ember likes it.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Do you think you’re ever going to ask Ember to marry you?” I knew it was an impudent question, but I didn’t think he’d mind. At worst, he would blow it off and not answer me. But to my surprise, he gave me a long look, almost puzzled.
“I thought surely…” He paused, and I saw hesitation in his eyes.
Oh gods, I had put my foot in it. “You already have, haven’t you? And she hasn’t given you an answer yet, has she?”
He blushed and I knew I was right. I also knew that I had to somehow smooth over the conversation before it started nagging on him. Chances were good that Ember wasn’t ready yet and I didn’t want to make matters tense between them.
“You do know that it takes women a while to think about it? Especially when it entails such a huge change in life style.” I stopped on the pathway, my hands on my hips. “I hope you realize just how much she loves you.”
He let out a long sigh, the breath whistling between his teeth. “I have to admit, it’s been over a month since I asked her and she hasn’t given me an answer yet. I’ve been nervous—did I ask too quickly? Does she even want to marry me? Is my life just too much baggage for her to take on? She knows what it entails, and you’re right, it’s a huge step. For one thing, she’d have to become a goddess, like my mother. It’s fine for me to have a mortal girlfriend, but when it comes to marriage, the woman I offer my life must become immortal.” He pulled his face, shaking his head. “I probably shouldn’t have asked her this soon. We’ve been together for a year and I thought surely she knew how I felt—”
I could see he was working himself into a lather. I walked over to his side and grabbed his hands in mine, squeezing them tightly.
“Stop. Just stop. Ember loves you. You know that in your heart, and everybody who knows her knows that. When you guys are together you practically glow. And I know she trusts you, and that’s incredibly important to women. She’ll give you her answer when she’s thought it through. And my guess is that she’ll say yes. I don’t know for sure, but I do know Ember, and I know how much she cares about you and how much she loves you. Just give her time to work through all the ramifications. And then when she does answer, she’ll have no hesitation.”
He gazed down at me, his eyes piercing and yet gentle. I could almost see the stag behind those glacial pools of blue. I could feel the Wild Hunt within him, coursing through his blood. It reminded me of when I felt the wolves racing within Kipa, the high crags and snowy mountains that he so loved. They were two of a kind, now that I thought of it. Herne and his cousin Kipa were two sides of a coin, summer and winter, oak and holly. And Ember and I were just lucky enough to each hold one side of the coin in our heart.
“Thank you,” Herne said. “Thank you for saying that. And I know you mean it, and I know Ember loves me. You’re right, she’ll give me her answer when she’s ready and I can wait until then. I won’t push her and I won’t rush her.”
“Good, because that is the worst thing you could do. All right, let’s get on with this. Ferosyn’s waiting for me.” Giving Herne a final smile, I let his hands drop and stood back. He took up the lead again and we headed up the trail, and then to the left on a side trail that led to a clearing not far beyond.
Twin oaks stood in the clearing, huge and magnificent, sentinels over the rest of the park. There was a crackling energy between them, and I could feel the essence of the portal reaching out. It was like a web drawn between the trees, a network of scintillating threads, snapping and crackling as they created a vortex.
The portal keeper was there, and he gave Herne a nod.
“Everything’s ready for you, Lord Herne.”
“Thank you. We’ll be back later on this evening, or at least Raven will. This is set for my father’s palace?”
The portal keeper nodded, and stood back. Herne turned to me and held out his hand.
“Take my hand if you like. I’m not sure how often you’ve traveled through the portals. They can be quite disconcerting if you’re not used to them.”
“Oh, I’m fine. But thank you, anyway. I think it might steady me, now that you mention it.” I placed my fingers in his, and with him holding my hand firmly, we stepped between the oaks, into the portal, and in a flash we transported to Annwn.
Summer in Annwn was beautiful. We came out not far from Cernunnos’s Palace. The portal keeper there waved us onto the path, bowing as Herne passed by. The keeper was an Elf, as were most of the people bustling by. It looked to be an active day, and I glanced down the road when I caught sight of the marketplace. I wanted to go explore, but we didn’t have time.
“Is that a bazaar?” I asked, pointing toward the market.
Herne nodded. “Yes, it’s actually the Eselwithe bazaar, and it’s open every day from sunup to sundown. You’ll find vendors of all sorts the
re.”
“Is Eselwithe a village?” I wasn’t too clear on how things worked over here in Annwn.
“Yes, it’s actually the village that surrounds my father’s palace. Mostly Elves live there, although a few Fae make their homes there as well. Someday I mean to bring Ember over here and stay for a week so she can explore the area.” He looked around, a gentle smile on his face, and I realized he was glad to be home.
“You love it here, don’t you?”
“Does it show that much?” he asked. “I do love it here. And I miss being over here more. I’ve lived over on Earth for so many years now, but every now and then I take a few months and come back here. Now and then I’ve taken a year or two, but not since I moved to the United States. It seems like my duties with the Wild Hunt have grown more perilous as the days have gone on. Some days, I wish I could just hand it off to somebody else and return here for good. But I think I’d miss my home there too.”
“You’ve acclimated and now you’ve essentially got dual citizenship in your heart.”
He glanced at me, a sad look on his face. “Yes. I’m torn between worlds. I love both my homes, and I’m not sure if I was forced to choose which side I would return to.” He paused, then added, “You’re easy to talk to, Raven, and that’s a compliment. I don’t know why, but I find myself telling you things I haven’t even told Ember yet.”
“Perhaps because you don’t have as much to lose when you’re talking to me. If you tell her something that makes her upset or question your relationship, there are severe ramifications. If I question what you say, it doesn’t matter so much. That’s why. But I think you should talk to Ember about some of this. I think she needs to know how you feel.”
We backed away as a cart trundled past, the back of it heaped with vegetables and large bottles of what looked like milk. I frowned, leaning closer.
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