“What about Chase?” Greta knew all about my past.
“Chase? I love him like a brother. We were far too rocky together, and I couldn’t be the woman he needed me to be. I don’t have it in me to be the rescued princess.”
“And Zachary?”
I had also touched hearts briefly with a werepuma named Zachary, but he had been too afraid, too unwilling to fight for what mattered. In the end, he had saved Chase’s life at risk of his own, but now he roamed the hills of Otherworld, permanently in puma form.
I held an image of him in my mind, then let it go, watching it drift by. “He’s a bittersweet memory.”
“Then rest easy. Everything happens for a reason, even when it seems like pure chaos is raining down on your head.” Greta stood, adjusting her robe. “I’ll talk to you soon.” And with that, she vanished before I could say good-bye.
THE DRESS FIT perfectly, looking like it was molded onto my body. I stared at myself in the mirror, trying to comprehend that, for once, I truly felt beautiful. I never felt ugly, but I seldom felt truly feminine, like the dress made me feel.
Iris let out a gasp. “Oh, Delilah. That’s so perfect.” The house sprite took a step back, shaking her head. “It won’t need a single alteration. With a wreath of white roses, or perhaps lily of the valley, it would look exquisite.”
“Kitten, you’re so beautiful.” Camille gave me a quick hug. “The dress was practically made for you.” She worried her lip, a wistful look in her eye. “I wish Mother could see you now. The last of her little girls, getting married.”
Menolly just stood back, leaning against the wall, watching me. After a moment, she gave me a thumbs-up. “You’re all grown up, Kitten.”
Those words meant more to me than what they said on the surface. I was second-born, but both Camille, the oldest, and Menolly, the youngest, had always treated me like the baby. I had been the naïve one, insecure and entirely too optimistic for my own good. I would never lose my playful side—at least I hoped never—but the past years had toughened me up enough to withstand the disappointments of life, and to cope with the struggles we went through. To have Menolly acknowledge that I had matured meant the world to me.
“What will you wear if I get this?” I asked. Menolly was my matron of honor, Camille was officiating, of course, and Nerissa and Iris were bridesmaids.
“I think if we wear a pale green, it would complement the rich tones of the dress.” Nerissa and Iris immediately began discussing ideas for their gowns. Camille would wear her official robes as the Queen of Dusk and Twilight, naturally.
I paid for the dress, after finding a beaded vintage bag and a pair of opera-length gloves to pair it with, and we left the shop.
“We should stop somewhere for a drink,” I said. “Want to stop at the Wayfarer?” It had been weeks since we had been out together, and I wanted the night to last.
“Lead on.” Camille stared at the waiting limo, frowning. “I miss driving.”
Ever since her coronation as the Fae Queen of Dusk and Twilight, she had been forced to make a number of radical changes in her life, not all of which had gone over well. For one thing, she wasn’t allowed to drive anymore. She had a limo, and was always followed by a retinue of bodyguards. Lars, one of her guards, did the driving. Tonight, they had brought a stretch limo so we could ride in style. Camille gave him the address of the Wayfarer.
On the way there, Menolly asked, “So are you still planning to hold the wedding at Birchwater Pond?”
“Yeah,” I said. “We can’t think of a more fitting place. And we’re definitely honeymooning up at Silver Falls in Otherworld, though not right away. We want all of you to come. I know the danger of the sun, but we can rig up something to protect you, Menolly.”
Menolly, a vampire, rubbed her forehead. “Roman won’t be into camping, but he’ll be at the wedding. I’ll give it a try if we can figure out a way to protect me from the sunlight. Nerissa, are you up for a camping trip?”
Nerissa was Menolly’s wife. They had both married Roman, the Prince of the Vampire Nation, when his mother, Blood Wyne, had ordered the match. It was a convoluted relationship. Menolly and Roman had chemistry, but Menolly and Nerissa had both chemistry and love.
“Of course. I love camping. It sounds wonderful, the idea of getting away from the city for a week or so. I’ll be able to run free in my puma form without worry.” Nerissa practically purred at the thought.
“Sounds good.” I wasn’t exactly disappointed that Roman most likely wouldn’t be coming along on the camping trip. While he was trustworthy, he was entirely too formal for my tastes. “As I said, I’m not sure when we’ll go. We want to see what happens with the war.”
Camille frowned, staring out the window. “I just want it over with. I wish we would get some word from Trytian about how his father’s army is doing.”
Trytian, the son of a daemon general, was an unlikely ally of ours. Actually, the daemons themselves were our unlikely allies. Apparently the old “the enemy of my enemy is my friend” business had proved true. They were fighting against Shadow Wing in the Sub-Realms, trying to shave away the Demon Lord’s advantages until we could figure out a way to kill him for good.
Iris let out a heavy sigh. “I know. Things feel like they’re balancing on the edge of a razor. I’ve been uneasy lately.” She paused, then added, “I might as well tell you this now. Bruce and I have been talking about moving out to Talamh Lonrach Oll.”
I jerked around, my heart sinking. “No! You want to leave, too?” The thought of Iris, Bruce, and their babies leaving the land knotted my stomach. “Please, don’t you go, too.”
“We’re just talking about it right now. But Delilah, there’s so much uncertainty. We all know Shadow Wing is planning something, and my children need more protection than I can give them. Even the guards Camille sent over from Talamh Lonrach Oll to watch over the land are feeling it lately—they’ve doubled their rounds. I was talking to one of them yesterday. He said he feels like we’re being watched by something that’s biding its time. But they can’t figure out what it is, and it’s making everybody nervous.”
I knew she was right, even though I didn’t want to admit it. Shade and I needed to scrounge up a powerful witch to ward the property, now that we were in charge. Camille was too busy with her own court, and we couldn’t expect her to come out just to check the wards every week.
We reached the Wayfarer, where we crowded in. The place was jumping, and I watched Menolly as she gave a wistful look around the joint. She still owned the bar, though mostly just on paper. She stood at the counter, running her hand over the polished wood, talking to Derrick the bartender in low tones. She looked as uneasy as I felt.
“Are you all right?” I sat down beside her as Derrick moved off to take Iris, Nerissa, and Camille’s orders.
She flashed me a quick shrug. “I suppose. I’m just thinking how much our lives have changed over this past year. We’re all moving on, Kitten. We’re growing up, changing our lives, changing our natures. Ever since Nerissa and I moved over to Roman’s, those shifts have been hitting me right and left. The three of us have been together all of our lives. Now we’re expanding out, and leaving that bond behind. I love my life, but… Growing up’s a bitch.” Her fangs descended just enough for me to see their pearly whites.
I was startled by her nostalgia. Normally, I was the one caught up in ruminating over the past, but during the past few months I had been too busy with the present to focus on what was slipping into the past. Once Camille and Menolly had moved out, I had turned my attention to my own life, and I had been mulling over what we needed to do in the looming battle against Shadow Wing. It was nearing end-game time, and the promise of that last clash loomed large in my thoughts.
“We aren’t losing the bond we have. I’d say, rather, that our childhood, our time here, has become our foundation for our lives, rather than the entire building.” I brushed one of her braids ba
ck from her face. Menolly was five-one, with a petite build and long burnished braids that fell to her lower back. She wore beads in them. She said when they clicked, it reminded her she was still alive. Well, undead. Like most vampires, she made little to no sound as she moved through her nights.
She glanced up at me. “Philosophical, much?”
“Not really. I’m not much of a philosophy type. But I think I’m beginning to understand what you and Camille have been trying to teach me over the past few years. I’m standing back, staring at life through the big picture, rather than a snapshot.” I paused. I had hinted to Camille on our trip to Otherworld about what was imminent in my life, but I hadn’t outright told her. Only Shade knew at this point.
“I need to talk to you and Camille. Nerissa and Iris, too.”
“You want to talk in a private room?”
I shook my head. “No, I don’t feel like being closed in. I want to go outside. It’s a warm-enough night. I guess when we get back to the house will be soon enough for discussing deep secrets.” I suddenly didn’t feel like drinking anymore. I put down my glass and brushed my hair away from the back of my neck. I had cut it again, missing the ease of the short, spiky ‘do I’d had for so long. My neck felt like something was tickling the base of it, making me edgy.
“Do you mind if we just go home?”
Frowning, Menolly shook her head. “Not at all. I’ll gather the others.” She paused. “Are you all right, Kitten?”
“Yeah, it’s just…I feel like something’s wrong.” As she disappeared into the crowd, a cold chill swept over me and I wondered what change the wind was bringing with it this time.
ON THE WAY home, I glanced out the window, staring at the ghosts who walked the sides of the roads. They appeared to be from various times, long past, and yesterday. Normally, I shielded myself from them because the sights and sounds disturbed me. But tonight, for some reason, I decided to open up, to watch them wander past. Some were lost, not realizing they were dead. Others knew they were dead but still clung to the mortal realm, unwilling to leave. Some were cursed, trapped for one reason or another, while still others were mere fragments of memory, caught in a loop between the layers of time.
“Delilah? Delilah!” Camille finally broke through my thoughts.
“I’m sorry, I was off somewhere.” I straightened up. “What did you want?”
“I wanted to know whether you have a guest list yet. It’s late, but we can still send out invitations if you want. I can lend you a secretary of sorts.” She grinned. “There are perks to being a Fae Queen.”
I laughed, then. “Taking advantage of your authority, are you? Thanks, but we’re not inviting many people, and I can just call the ones we are. But if you could give me some help for the catering, I’d appreciate it, thanks. I don’t want to put the pressure on Iris and Hanna, and I’m just not good at managing that sort of thing.”
“Hey, while we’re on the way home I want to ask your opinion about a situation that’s been presented to me. I’d like your input on it, all of you.” Menolly glanced at Nerissa, who nodded.
“Tell them,” she said. “They’ll tell you the same thing I did.”
“What is it?” Iris asked.
Menolly brushed her braids back away from her face. “Okay, here’s the thing. Erin’s been promoted to head of security. I’m proud as hell of her. But…” She drifted off, looking uncomfortable.
“But what?” Camille asked. “I don’t see the problem.”
Menolly gave her a frustrated shrug. “Erin doesn’t want the job. She’s been offered another opportunity. I don’t want her to accept it, but she wants to give it a try. I could stop her, order her not to go, but Nerissa and Roman both think I’d be making a mistake by doing so.”
Even though Erin was by far older than we were—at least if you compared the human life cycle to the Fae life cycle—she was a baby by vampire standards. Menolly had sired her when Erin’s life was on the line a few years back. It had taken everything Menolly had to do so—she had sworn never to sire anyone. But when she gave Erin the choice, Erin had opted for life as a vampire over death, so Menolly had reluctantly turned her. Now, she was essentially Erin’s mother.
“What’s the other opportunity?” I leaned forward. I couldn’t imagine a job that had more prestige than being Roman’s chief of security.
“Wade’s offered her a chance to tour the country with him, setting up chapters of Vampires Anonymous all over the United States. Blood Wyne approves, and Roman’s giving Erin free choice. Erin’s waiting for my approval, and I know she wants to do it. I’m just…it’s a scary world out there for vampires who are in the public eye.” Menolly bit her lip, a worried look in her eye.
I began to understand her fear. “You’re afraid she’ll get staked at some hate-rally.”
“Well, the hate groups are loud and violent. While the vampire rights bill is before Congress right now, even if it passes, we’ve got a long ways to go before society fully accepts us.” She glanced at Nerissa. “Nerissa thinks I should let her do it.”
“Of course I do.” The Amazonian werepuma was one of the few women who could take on my sister and come out on top, in more ways than one. “Erin is spreading her wings. This is a great opportunity for her to grow into her new life. She’s smart, and she’s always been on the front lines. You know that. Hell, Erin is gay. She took on the haters when she was alive, and she can handle them as a vampire. This is a chance for her to champion yet another cause she’s passionate about. And you know Wade thinks the world of her.”
Menolly hung her head, lips pressed together. Wade had been a psychologist before someone turned him and his mother. He had decided to continue that career path, helping newly minted vamps adjust to their lives in death, and he had founded a self-help group for vampires to enable themselves to keep control over the predator within. Vampires Anonymous had caught the attention of Blood Wyne, the Queen of the Crimson Veil, and she had asked him to expand it nationwide.
I tried not to laugh. Menolly could be so fierce and deadly, and yet she was a yummy, gooey éclair inside when you poked certain areas.
“So let me get this straight. Erin has a chance to get in on the ground floor of something that can affect vampires’ lives for the better, on a nationwide scale, no less. She can make an impact on society and the world, and you’re dithering about whether to let her accept the job?” I leaned forward, tapping Menolly on the knee. “You know what you have to do.”
After a moment, she let out a sputter. “I’ve grown used to having her around, all right? I’m just…I’m going to miss her, damn it.” She sprawled back in her seat with a disgruntled grunt. “I know, I know. I have to let her do this. Grandmother Coyote told me years ago that Erin had a part to play in destiny, and I think this is it. So I guess I have to just bundle up my nerves and tell her to go with my blessing. But it’s not easy.”
“And you say you have no maternal instinct.” Iris laughed. “Remember, the nurturing instinct presents itself in many different ways.”
Standing at three-foot-ten, the Talon-haltija was a Finnish house sprite. With ankle-length golden hair, she looked for all the world like she had just stepped out of a Swiss Miss cocoa commercial. In reality, Iris was a powerful priestess who could turn people inside out when she was angry enough. She had married Bruce, a leprechaun, and they had twins. The boy was named Ukkonen, and the girl was named Maria, after our mother. Other than Bruce’s parents, we were the only real family Iris had.
“I guess that takes care of that issue. For the record, I agree with the others. You have to let Erin fly the nest.” Camille glanced out the window. The limo rode so smoothly it was hard to believe we were moving. “So what do you think the guys are up to?”
“Drinking? Remember when they got bombed out of their minds the night we all went to the Demented Zombie for Iris’s bachelorette party?” I snorted.
“Mostly, I remember Iris throwing
up on the stripper when he shoved his junk in her face, and then you attacking him because he had fringe on his G-string.” Menolly stared at me, a smirk spreading across her face.
“Don’t remind me.” I had a problem controlling my shapeshifting when it came to shiny things, birds, and ribbons. Tabby loved to play, and I couldn’t repress my natural instincts very well.
“My guess is that Smoky and Shade are talking over serious dragon issues while Roz and Vanzir are playing video games,” Iris said. “Vanzir doesn’t get to do much that he used to, now that Aeval has pinned him down as her baby-daddy.”
As the limo silently glided up the long private road that led to the house, I grew nervous again. Something had set off my inner alarm and I couldn’t seem to quiet them down. We broke through the heavily tree-lined driveway into the clearing that served as our motor court, and I stared at the house.
An odd light seemed to hover around the old three-story Victorian, the same rust color that the sunset took on certain evenings. At that moment, I noticed that the drive was filled with cars.
“What the hell?” I stiffened, every nerve in my body screaming Danger!
Camille let out a soft hush. “Come on. We’ll find out what’s wrong.”
She pushed open the car door even as her guards sprang out behind us, pushing past her to head up the sidewalk to the porch stairs before she could take another step.
Leaving our packages in the car, we followed them. I knew in my gut that there was something going on inside, something that wasn’t normal. Unable to quell my nerves, I rushed up the stairs, passing the guards as I slammed open the door. My thoughts were focused on Maggie, our baby calico gargoyle, and Shade.
I headed to the living room, where I saw the lights were off. My mood plunged even further.