by Eric Asher
The newer cuts still showed pink and angry red. The shadow folk hadn’t healed her as thoroughly as some of the fairies tended to. She frowned down at her hand and pulled open the aged medicine cabinet on the wall. It only took a moment to wrap her hand, covering the cuts on her palm, but that would be enough to deflect the questions of any commoner she ran into.
Out of the shower and into the chill air, a new urgency pushed Beth to hurry. She didn’t completely dry her hair, instead pulling it back into a ponytail. Beth grabbed a green sweater, one of Ashley’s favorites, and a pair of jeans that wasn’t ripped and stained with blood.
She picked up her phone and composed a new text message. She’d rarely spoken to the vampire, and wasn’t sure how they’d react now. But she’d put it off long enough, and she wanted everyone in one place.
Beth needed to get to Rivercene, she needed to get to Ashley, and the rest of them needed to know about the blood rune.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Beth marveled at the interior of Split Log’s truck. To say it was old would be a vast understatement, considering the original 8-track player was still installed. But he’d clearly done a high level of maintenance, or replaced the engine at some point. Even at highway speeds, the truck handled like a dream.
It was a little odd trying to get used to the lack of power steering, but that wasn’t much of an issue on the highway. The lights and hum of the road were almost mesmerizing at night, leaving Beth with her thoughts as she traveled down 70 toward Boonville.
She made it in just under an hour and a half, pulling off the road and heading into the old town. She’d learned to judge the distances better with the wheel, and instead of making broad, overly wide turns, was able to get the truck into the tighter turns she needed.
The town was quiet, and she could have sworn there were more trees along the road than she remembered, but she understood why when one of those trees turned and looked at her. Green men lined old Main Street, standing sentinel all the way to the bridge, and even there they stood in the gleaming lights of the casino.
Beth turned right soon after the bridge. She bounced her way past the industrial site and pulled into the loop that formed the driveway to Rivercene. The old inn looked as majestic as ever, and she saw Stump in the distance past the house.
She shut the engine off and headed toward the front door. Beth took one glance back in appreciation at the odd orange tint Split Log had chosen for his vehicle. She twisted the doorbell and listened for footsteps.
What she hadn’t expected was the snow-white tuft of the death bat. Luna peered up at her, her wide black eyes narrowing for a moment before the bat’s face split into a wide grin.
“You made it back!”
Beth offered her a smile she didn’t entirely feel. “Can I come in?”
Luna’s ears stood straight up. “Of course, of course. Come on, Ashley’s been waiting for you.”
Beth’s boots cracked against the wood of the front hallway, a contradiction to the silent footsteps of the death bat. She followed Luna past the old couches and the sweeping staircase, around the corner by the old piano under the stairs, until she found herself in the kitchen.
But the person she’d hoped most to see wasn’t there. There was no sign of Ashley, only the innkeeper and Foster stood inside the room.
Foster smiled up at her. “I’ll get the others. Luna, grab Ashley from out back.”
That brief flicker of disappointment fled at Foster’s words. When the other two had left, the innkeeper stepped close to Beth. “I see sadness in your eyes, child. All is not well?”
Beth shook her head. “Cornelius …”
The innkeeper nodded, and that simple gesture felt as if she knew everything Beth could possibly say. “Wait for the others. There is no need for you to tell this tale twice.”
And so, before she realized what was happening, Beth found herself seated at the kitchen table with a mug of hot cocoa in her hands. It reminded her of Sleeper, and the bowl he’d given her after the loss of Cornelius.
Beth sipped at her drink while the innkeeper worked around the kitchen. Travel had always been odd to Beth, even when it wasn’t between realms. The fact she could be in one place in the morning, and then by night be on the other side of the world, always felt surreal.
The feeling was stronger now. Her world had changed, and she knew nothing would ever be quite the same without Cornelius. The conflict with Nudd had taken so much from so many, but she’d always hoped it wouldn’t be her. That somehow her friends and family would escape further harm.
“I’m coming,” Zola’s irritated voice echoed down the hall as the old Cajun came down the stairs. Her staff clicked against the hardwood, and Beth could just make out Foster’s whispers.
“I’m just saying. One of her hands all bandaged up. Something’s … She didn’t … about the cale. I’m worried.”
“Well, then we’ll just wait and see what she has to say. Now calm down and try not to upset the girl.”
Beth smiled into her mug. She offered Zola a nod when the necromancer came around the corner.
Zola stiffened. “You heard every word of that, didn’t you?”
“Not … every word.”
Foster hopped off Zola’s shoulder and glided to the table. Luna bounced in through the back door, silent except for the squeak of the spring.
A halo of brilliant red hair followed behind her, and it struck Beth how much older Vicky looked. Mary Ann, one of the youngest members of the coven, had only been nineteen when Beth first met her. But now she’d bet her life on the fact that Vicky was older. It was a hard thing to reconcile, both what had happened to her, and how much time had passed.
Vicky slid into a chair beside Luna. She drummed her fingers on the table, clearly wanting to ask a question that she held off on. But Beth didn’t miss Vicky’s frown when she saw the bandages on her hand.
The back door squeaked open again, and Ashley stepped inside. Beth almost knocked over her chair as she stood up and Ashley hurried over to her. Ashley held her hands to either side of Beth’s face, and as the blood mage brushed Ashley’s hair behind her ears, the bandages caught on a few strands.
“Ouch,” Ashley whispered.
Beth laughed as tears came to her eyes. “You have new robes.”
Ashley glanced at the innkeeper before returning her focus to Beth. “It’s just a cloak, but it’s the finest cloak I’ve ever had.”
Emerald green thread worked its way through the shimmering black material. It clung to Ashley, accentuating each curve until it fell against the bulk of the nine tails at her waist. Beth’s fingers brushed the weapon, and she smiled at Ashley.
The priestess was of two worlds, and Beth had never thought that her inclusion in one world had discredited her in the other. Ashley had worried for so long that she was no longer truly a green witch. And perhaps there was some truth in that, but Beth knew her better than most. She hoped the innkeeper had finally talked some sense into her.
Beth opened her mouth to speak.
“Shut up and kiss me,” Ashley hissed.
The words died on Beth’s lips as Ashley pressed herself against her. And Beth didn’t care who was in that room. She lost herself in that kiss for a moment and escaped the horrors of what she’d seen that day.
“Should we leave?” Vicky asked. “I don’t know if Luna’s old enough for this movie.”
Luna huffed.
Beth grinned and leaned her forehead against Ashley’s before breaking away, dragging Ashley to sit down in the chair beside her.
“Where’s the rest of the coven?” Beth grabbed Ashley’s hand and slid her the mug of cocoa.
“Out back with the green men. You might say it’s a rather unique opportunity for them.”
“That’s an understatement.”
The doorbell rang, a frantic twist of the bell making it sound like someone had had a bit too much caffeine. The front door opened and slammed. Rapid footsteps echoed down the hall.
Zola and the innkeeper both turned toward the ever-louder steps. Beth smiled knowingly when she heard mumbled irritation echoing up from the hallway, and a moment later, a figure appeared in the doorway.
“Samantha?” Zola asked, her forehead crinkling.
Sam’s jet black hair fell just below her ears, brushing the collar of her black leather jacket. Aideen stood balanced on her shoulder, garbed in brilliant silver armor.
“What happened? Why did you call me here?”
Beth gave Sam a slow smile. She reached into the pocket of her jeans and pulled out the blood rune. “To give you this.”
“That’s not the cale.” The innkeeper’s voice held an unusual edge of curiosity as she stepped closer to Beth. “What is that?”
“This is a blood rune from the Shadowed Lands. Whoever brings it to life, it will show them to their heart’s greatest desire. And that’s why I brought it here for you, Sam.”
Sam frowned. “I don’t understand. What I want is the cale so we can save my brother.”
Beth nodded. “Vassili stole the cale from the sage of the shadow folk.”
Two huge black eyes peeked out from the collar of Sam’s jacket. Beth blinked at the sudden appearance of the gray fur and shining silver teeth.
The room fell silent. And with that, the floodgates opened. Beth told them of Sleeper and the sage, of the Eldritch shadows that lived beyond the stars of the Shadowed Lands, of the sea of glass, and of the oily titan that came to devour their world. She didn’t fight the tears, didn’t pull away from Ashley’s hug when she told them of the end of Cornelius, told them of the ceremony, and how she left him there. Most importantly, she told them of the blood rune, and how it would lead Sam to her heart’s desire.
“Why me?” Sam asked. “I just want to kill him.”
“Exactly,” Beth said. “You want to save Damian, which would lead you to the cale, but you also want to murder Vassili, which would lead you to the vampire. What you have to understand is that Vassili stole the cale. So no matter which of your desires wins out, it’s going to take you to Vassili.”
“Well, shit,” Zola said, leaning back in a chair. “Ah didn’t expect to encounter that white-haired devil again. Of course, if it’s just to kill him, Ah’m fine with that.”
“So am I.” Sam almost growled the words.
Aideen glided off Sam’s shoulder and landed on the table. Jasper followed her down as an ill-defined trail of dust bunnies until he reformed into a solid ball of fur. He took up a station next to Vicky.
Aideen brushed a hand over Foster’s shoulder before continuing over to Beth. “Let me see your hand.”
Beth started unwrapping her bandage until part of the sigil was exposed.
“That’s old magic,” Foster said.
“You have a true gift for understatement.” Aideen glanced back at him with a smirk. She studied Beth’s hand as the last of the bandage came away.
“How does it work?” Sam asked. “I mean other than cutting my finger and bleeding on it, of course.”
A burst of white light etched its way across Beth’s palm. Happy with her work, Aideen turned away from the blood mage and looked up at Sam. “Most tracking magicks work in a similar way. You’ll feel the pull in the direction of what you seek. A handful of spells will give you a light to see by, but most of the older ones will not. We won’t know until you activate the rune.”
“But he could be in California, for all we know. A generalized pull isn’t going to tell us much.”
“That’s why you need Cizin,” Beth said.
Zola nodded. “He’s been on Vassili’s trail for a while. But we have no sightings, no confirmation he’s on the right trail.”
The innkeeper grunted. “Still, it is probably your best bet.”
“We need Happy.” Vicky leaned forward, propping herself up on the table with her elbows.
“Happy?” the innkeeper asked.
“Vicky’s right.” Luna reached out and squeezed a marshmallow when she plucked it up from a bowl. “Shiawase has been around the death bats more than most. Cizin in particular. He’ll know where to find him.”
Zola pursed her lips and looked to Vicky. “Summon the bear, if you can. If you’re out of range, we may be out of luck.”
“Stuff like this is why I want Cizin to have a cell phone.” Luna muttered under her breath before stuffing the marshmallow into her mouth.
Vicky closed her eyes and Beth felt uneasy, as if some great doom was about to fall on them.
Zola and the innkeeper watched Vicky with rapt attention. It was only then that Beth realized they, themselves, were not sure if Vicky would be able to contact Happy.
The hairs on Beth’s arms that hadn’t been singed away stood on end. Something was coming.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
A knock sounded at the front door, a pounding like metal on wood. The door itself didn’t open before the footsteps echoed on the hardwood floors. Something jingled, then the silhouette of the samurai stood in the doorway to the kitchen.
“Vicky,” Shiawase said, slowly releasing his grip on the hilt at his waist. “That felt … odd.”
Vicky frowned and looked up to Zola. “My powers aren’t the same.”
Zola shook her head. “No, you call from a different well now. But there is still a thread of a necromancer in your soul. Of that, Ah have no doubt.”
Shiawase stood up a little straighter. “That is the first time you called upon me since your bond with Damian was broken.” He rubbed at his chin. “Though it was clearly not broken entirely.”
“We need your help,” Vicky said. “Long story short, Vassili has the cale. The last coin of the Titans we need to save Damian.”
“How?” Shiawase frowned, and looked from one face to another as if he could discern the answer from expression alone.
“Like she said, long story.” Beth gestured to Vicky. “He took it from the Shadowed Lands.”
Shiawase exhaled slowly and cast his gaze down as he crossed his arms. “I met with Cizin two days past. He was southwest of here in Springfield. I can locate him without much trouble. The death bats feel different than the other beings around us.”
“Do it,” Zola said. “Return to us here when you have the answer. Any information you can provide.”
Sam took a deep breath. “Vassili has evaded all of us for years, now. This isn’t going to be easy.”
“We do not do these things because they are easy. We do these things because we must.” Shiawase squeezed Sam’s shoulder and headed out to the hallway. His footsteps echoed through the room until they suddenly stopped, and Beth was sure Shiawase was gone.
“Well, the good news is you don’t have to go back to the Shadowed Lands.” The innkeeper offered an awkward smile.
Beth’s hand drifted up to her chest, where the cartilage rune rested against her sternum and would always allow her to return to that place, if she chose. Part of her thought she might go back one day, to see how Sleeper and the other shadow folk were faring. Another part of her wondered how many of them would live to see the next weekend.
“How was Falias?” Foster asked.
Aideen rubbed her hands together. “A handful of the Unseelie have made their way there. Morrigan’s forces have engaged them in pockets. Some of the battles have been more successful than others.”
“Casualties?”
Aideen nodded. “Although I don’t think the Unseelie Fae had planned on battling forest gods.” A wry smile lifted Aideen’s lips. “I do worry, with all the green men here, if the forest gods around Falias won’t have enough support.”
The innkeeper crossed her arms. “I still believe Falias to be a distraction. If Nudd truly understands what we’re up to, he’s going to come here. If he can’t stop you from gaining all three coins, he’s going to do the next best thing. And that’s kill me, or destroy the body that rests beneath this mansion.”
“It’s a gamble either way,” Foster said. “You’re the on
ly chance we have to save Damian. As much as I think we need more reinforcements at Falias, this has to remain a priority.”
“Frank said the same thing.” Sam smiled at Foster when he looked up at her.
“How is he?” Foster asked.
“And the cu siths?” Aideen raised an eyebrow.
“Good. They’re all good. But I don’t think Frank’s going to be very happy when he finds out I’m hunting Vassili.”
“You won’t be hunting him alone,” Vicky said.
“We can’t go in force,” Sam said. “He’d see us coming from a mile away. I already texted Vik and Dominic. They’ll be here soon enough.”
“A bit brash.” Zola focused on Sam. “Don’t you think? We do not know how long it will take Shiawase to find Cizin. They could be waiting quite some time.”
The innkeeper grumbled. “Who’s hungry?”
Beth’s stomach rumbled at the mere thought of food. And the idea of a meal cooked by the innkeeper? Nothing sounded better.
* * *
It was well past dark by the time they finished the meal. A few members of the coven had joined them, although many had opted to stay outside among the green men. Mary Ann had stopped to say hi to Beth before she headed up to get some sleep.
Beth leaned back into her chair, almost melting into the leather as she sipped from the tumbler of tequila the innkeeper had provided. Her eyes grew heavy by the fire, and from the warmth of Ashley beside her.
“Tomorrow will be better.” Ashley kissed her on the cheek and squeezed her a little closer.
Beth took another sip of her drink and closed her eyes. “It can’t be much worse.”
Zola answered. “It can always be worse.”
Beth cracked open one eye and watched Zola settle in on the bench in front of the old piano. The Cajun looked at home there, and while Beth certainly found it welcoming, she’d always found something unsettling about Rivercene. She wasn’t sure if it was the ghosts she couldn’t see, or the ghosts in her own mind.