I turned to Aeval. “What do you think?”
“I think it’s time you left for Otherworld. And I think…that Shadow Wing may have figured out what’s going on. So the sooner you leave the better.” She motioned for silence as she held up a scroll and unrolled it. “This is a missive from Derisa. She says, ‘It’s time, Camille. Gather your things and journey to Otherworld. Do not go to Elqaneve. Instead, travel to Thistlewyd Deep and head into the Tygerian Mountains from there. The Moon Mother will be with you.’ ”
And with that, the room fell silent.
Chapter 9
AEVAL LEANED BACK in her seat. “I have more news for you, and you aren’t going to like it but you will listen and do what I say.”
I blinked. “Nothing good ever begins with the words ‘You aren’t going to like it.’ What is it?” There was no use arguing. I knew that—no matter what I said—I’d end up following her instructions, so I might as well just have her come out with it.
“You’re taking Bran with you. He can lead you safely through Thistlewyd Deep. You will also meet Raven Mother there. Even though the Moon Mother doesn’t like her, Raven Mother is definitely on our side in this.” Aeval waited for my outburst, a faint smile on her lips.
I stared at her. They’d stuck me with Bran when I went in search of the Merlin, and that had been hard enough. But the look in Aeval’s eyes was firm and I knew that no matter what, this wasn’t up for debate.
“Fine. Any other curveballs you want to throw me?”
“Menolly cannot go, but I think that was already a given.”
I nodded. “Yeah, but Delilah’s coming with me. And Morio, and Smoky.” I glanced over at Vanzir. “What about him?”
Aeval broke in. “The father of my child will not go tromping off on this mission. But I recommend that you take Trillian instead of Morio—you should leave someone at your house along with your sister, and Trillian has been in the mountains before. Take Shade. Venus will be coming with you, of course. And there is one more who will go with you, although you may question why. He’ll need help keeping up, but you can manage.”
I straightened. Who could she be talking about? I was about to ask when the door opened and Chase entered, a guard behind him.
I jumped up. “Chase? What are you doing here?” Then, suddenly understanding, I turned back to Aeval. “Are you kidding?”
“No. He must go with you and don’t ask, because I don’t even know why myself. But it is simply…what must be. Derisa received the same vision as well.”
“But…” I stared at him, dreading the journey. Chase was in good condition for an FBH, and the tiny bit of elf blood in him didn’t hurt in the slightest, but he couldn’t keep up with us and we all knew it.
“It’s going to happen, Camille. Accept it.” Aeval let out a long sigh. “Welcome, Detective Johnson.”
Chase looked confused. “I’m not sure why I’m here. You needed me for some reason?”
“Yes.” She crossed to his side and inclined her head. “Detective, we are at a crossroads in history. Camille is about to take the most important journey of her life, and you need to go with her. Don’t ask why—I cannot give you an answer. But I know that you must go with her.”
He glanced at me, concern washing across his face. “Are you all right?”
I nodded, biting my tongue. I had no idea what to say to him.
“Chase,” Delilah said, crossing to him. “We found the last spirit seal.”
She let this sink in for a moment and as we watched, a dawning recognition crept into his eyes. He let out a loud sigh and dropped into a chair.
“It’s finally over, then?”
“No. This is a dangerous time. Remember that when all the seals are found, she must search out the Keraastar Diamond and take her place as the leader of the Keraastar Knights. It’s time for Camille to journey to Otherworld and find the diamond. Some of us are going with her, and Aeval says that you need to go with us.”
Delilah’s voice was soft in a way mine could never be—not in timbre, but in the way she phrased things. She really did have a maternal nature and though it had taken awhile to show itself, now it blossomed fully out. As she grew stronger, so did her gentle side.
“You want me… But I can’t. My duties—I have to…” He stopped. After a moment, he shrugged. “This is one of those times when I really don’t have a choice, do I? I do what you need me to because the Hags of Fate or the Mistress of Destiny—”
“There’s no such person,” I mumbled.
“Whatever. Because destiny itself has slammed down and decreed that we all get to take a ride together.” He sounded a little bitter, but when I met his gaze, he smiled softly. “Yeah, I know. We do what we have to do. I’ll figure out a way. Yugi can take over while I’m gone. He’s my second-hand man, anyway.” Then a gleam flickered into his eye. “Maybe I can catch a few minutes in Elqaneve, with Sharah.”
“Um…maybe. I don’t really know what the itinerary will be like, but we’ll do our best. That much I can promise.” I clapped him on the shoulder. “Thanks, Chase. I was as surprised as you were, but if there’s a reason you need to be there, I’d rather not fly in destiny’s face.”
He sobered. “Yeah, that I agree with. I’ve learned that much hanging out with the three of you. When do we leave?”
I glanced over at Aeval. “Do we have a day or two?”
She consulted Titania and Myrddin, then said, “One day. Today’s Saturday. Leave on Monday morning, before first light. Spend tomorrow preparing. Above all, don’t dawdle. Set the portal in the Wayfarer to transport you to the one near Dahnsburg Lake. You’ll have to hire horses to reach Thistlewyd Deep, and then to the mountains, but that shouldn’t be a problem. Bran will meet you at the bar at four a.m. on Monday.” She turned to Myrddin. “Any last advice?”
“The Tygerian monks can help you, but they are deadly. Do not cross them. Be cautious of how much trust you place in them. The Order of the Crystal Dagger is a secret society, and so elusive and powerful that they are banned in most cities save for Aladril. The fact is that we don’t know how they will play into this, so walk cautiously, accept help if you absolutely need it, and do not offend.” Myrddin’s expression was difficult to read, but his body language was wary.
“When will Venus join us?” Delilah asked.
“We’ll bring him down to the Wayfarer, along with Bran. Be there, and be ready. Until then, keep your eyes open. While I doubt Shadow Wing will send Yerghan over now, there’s always that chance. If Trytian is right, then you must be prepared for the possibility of attack the moment you land in Otherworld. That’s why we aren’t sending you to Elqaneve where they’d expect you to go.” And with that, Aeval motioned toward the door. “You may leave. We’ll see you on Monday morning.”
As we headed out into the night, Chase accompanying us, I shivered. The temperature had dropped and a moist chill was setting in, the scent of cedars and fir drifting on the wind. I couldn’t help but wonder why Chase had been added to the group, and I wasn’t thrilled that Bran would be tagging along yet again.
Speak of the devil, as we exited the Barrow, I glanced to the right and there, leaning against the door, was Bran, a sly gleam in his eye. He saluted to me, in an almost dismissive manner, but said nothing. I stared at him for a moment, then turned and—without a word—crossed to the carriage.
SUNDAY PASSED ALL too quickly. I was packing for the trip—and it was difficult to pack for a trip that I didn’t know the length of—trying to fit the necessities into my pack. Delilah was sitting on my bed, one leg folded on the bed, swinging the other over the side. She handed me underwear that she had rolled into a neat ball.
“Rozurial went with Smoky to retrieve the Maharata-Verdi. While Menolly went with him to hide it, there’s no reason for secrecy now. At least he thought to put a Trace on it when they left it there, so he shouldn’t have a problem finding it.” She flopped back on the bed, stretching h
er arms over her head. “Enjoy your mattress tonight. It will be the hard ground after this until we find the diamond.”
“I’m not looking forward to that.” I didn’t add that I wasn’t looking forward to any part of the trip. Everything was too chaotic. I wanted to just take the crown and settle down quietly. “I wish we could just destroy all of the seals and be done with it.”
“You know that’s not possible. It’s too dangerous.”
“I know, but I can dream, can’t I?” I paused, then pushed my pack aside and stretched out beside her. “Do you know why Chase is going?”
Delilah didn’t even bat an eyelash. “Nope. I wish I did. It’s not like we’re going to Elqaneve, even though I know he’s hoping for a chance to see Sharah. She hasn’t told him yet, has she? That she’s expected to bear a full-blooded heir.”
I shook my head, staring at the ceiling. “I don’t think so. If she did, surely he would have said something. The dude’s got an even quicker temper than Smoky, I think.” Pausing, I snorted. “Maybe not, but he’s not that far behind.”
“I know he took the day off to spend it with Astrid before he has to leave. I wish Menolly could come with us, but it’s just too dangerous. If we got caught somewhere without shelter and she was in the sunlight—”
“Not only that, but we’ll make faster time by day. More of the dangerous creatures come out at night. We have to make quick, steady progress.” I paused, closing my eyes. “Delilah?”
“Yeah?”
“What if Yerghan really does show up? The history books all say there’s no one to beat him at the sword. And he’s had a thousand years down in the Sub-Realms. He’s bound to have grown stronger. Who knows what kind of powers he possesses?”
“I don’t think we can cross that bridge till we come to it, but I will tell you this: regardless of his powers, if he shows up Smoky and Shade will whale on his ass. Two dragons against one warrior? I wouldn’t worry about it.” Delilah stretched and yawned. “I suppose I’d better head to my room and pack. Shade said he’d do most of it, but you know men. They never know what’s important and what isn’t. He’ll probably put lace bras in there and forget all about undershirts to keep the chill away.”
At that, I laughed. I waved her off to her own room and finished my packing. Smoky and Trillian had already pulled together their packs. It suddenly occurred to me that there would only be Morio, Vanzir, and Menolly here to look over the land. But Aeval had promised to send extra guards to keep an eye on Hanna, Iris and her mother-in-law, Maggie, and the babies. That would at least give me some comfort. And Nerissa would be here.
I stuffed the last pair of panties in my pack that I had room for, and then set it on the floor next to those of the men. I propped my staff against the wall and laid out my traveling clothes—a spidersilk skirt in black, a plum tunic woven of the same material, a black cloak—though I chose not to take the unicorn cloak with me. No sense in alerting people to who I was or what I might have with me. I opted for boots with a half-inch heel and good tread that would help me while climbing up a mountain side, because the Tygerian Mountains were a huge sprawling range of peaks that rivaled the Swiss Alps. They made the Cascades look like foothills. Mount Tyger was the tallest, and about one-third of the way up was where the main monastery was for the Order of the Crystal Dagger. If we had to go there, well—I wanted to be prepared.
Finally, I placed my dagger and sheath on top of the backpack. That was all I could think of to take. The horn was depleted and I’d have to charge it under the dark of the moon. It wouldn’t do me any good to carry it with me. One last thought, and I was standing by my jewelry box. The trip would be long and arduous, and we would probably run into more danger than I wanted to think about. I slowly placed my wedding rings—all three of them—into the top drawer of the armoire. I didn’t want to risk losing them.
Then, as ready as I’d ever be, I clattered down the stairs to the kitchen.
Hanna was preparing more sandwiches than we’d have room for, but she wanted to help. Iris was giving her a hand, and the twins were playing quietly in a playpen. They were around eight months old, and they had Iris’s golden hair and their father’s twinkling eyes. I leaned down and chucked them under their chins, then gave them each a big kiss. Next to them was Astrid, who was also eight months old. Chase was in the rocking chair, watching the babies while Iris helped cook.
“Oh, Iris, they’re growing so fast. And Chase, I swear, Astrid looks more like you every day.” I wasn’t a maternal woman. Nothing in my body had ever screamed “Make a baby” and in my heart, I knew that path was not the right one for me. Having children wasn’t anywhere near my bucket list, though I went all googly-eyed over baby animals. Baby people? Not so much. I had no clue what to do with them. But I appreciated my friends’ children all the more, and I swore I’d be their crazy old Auntie Camille.
“They’re near to walking, and won’t that be a mess.” But Iris laughed as she spread mayo on bread and arranged the slices. Hanna followed her with meat and cheese, then Iris added lettuce and ketchup. “The Duchess has turned into a surprisingly doting nanny.”
“She doesn’t stint on taking care of Astrid, either,” Chase said, smiling softly at his daughter. “I walked in on them the other day and she was rocking her and singing a lullaby to her. I admit, the lyrics were unique, but it’s the mood that counts.” He laughed, then. “ ‘Go to sleep, little warrior, caught between worlds, Raise your banner and let it unfurl’ isn’t exactly what I’d choose to sing to my daughter, but hey, I’m not complaining.”
Iris burst out laughing. “The Duchess is convinced Astrid’s going to grow up to be a mighty warrior queen, Chase. I don’t know why, but like you, I don’t argue with her. It’s not worth it because she always wins.”
The Duchess was actually a duchess. Iris was married to Bruce O’Shea, or rather, Lord Bruce Golden Eagle O’Shea. His parents were a duke and duchess in the Leprechaun Court, and they were so moneyed that they made dragons look poor. The Duchess was haughty and always had the last word, but by now we had all figured out that she liked Iris well enough, and she doted on her grandchildren. She came to help Iris whenever Bruce got it into his head to take off on a research trip or whatnot. At the beginning, it had made Iris terribly uncomfortable, but now she welcomed the company.
“Well, she’s going to grow up to be amazing, that I agree with.” Chase lifted Astrid out of the playpen and held her up, then pulled her close to his heart and kissed the top of her head. “I love you so much. Don’t you ever forget that,” he whispered.
Watching Chase, I couldn’t help but smile. He had started out being a lecher who was out to get in my pants, then he’d been Delilah’s insecure lover. But once he and Sharah realized they had feelings for each other, he had blossomed. Now, as a father, he was hard to resist. He doted on his daughter, and he pined for her mother.
Delilah entered the room and swept up Maggie, who was securely trapped in her new, sturdier playpen. “Oh, Maggie my girl, how are you?”
“Don’t let her near the babies,” Iris warned.
“Don’t worry, I won’t.” Delilah sat down over by the table. “Where’s Menolly?”
“She and Nerissa are downstairs. I’m not sure what they’re doing but they said to not bother with dinner tonight, they’d take care of it. What that means, I can only shudder to imagine.” Hanna laughed. “Your sister, she is a fighter unparalleled but neither she nor that wife of hers can cook worth a damn.”
“Well, it’s rather understandable, given she can’t taste any of the food she cooks. My guess is takeout.” I wasn’t willing to defend Menolly’s culinary skills if it meant eating her food, but I felt it only right to point out why she was so lacking in the pots-and-pans department. Although, come to think of it, when we lived in Otherworld, before she was turned, Menolly hadn’t been much of a cook, either. She always did her best to opt out of helping in the kitchen.
A few minu
tes later, the door to her lair opened. We had replaced the secret bookcase that originally led to her basement suite with a solid metal door that would be almost impossible for any wannabe vampire hunter to break through.
Menolly popped her head out. “Good evening. You didn’t eat already, did you?”
I shook my head. “No, but those sandwiches Hanna and Iris are making for tomorrow look damned good. I gather you’re providing dinner?”
The doorbell rang at that moment. Menolly wove through the crowded kitchen. “Yes, and that’s it.” She and Nerissa hushed us, making us stay where we were.
I glanced around. “Where are the others?” Smoky, Morio, Trillian, Shade, and Vanzir were absent. Roz was in the living room.
“They decided to do a quick patrol of the land. They took the new guards that Aeval assigned to watch over the place, to show them the layout. They’ll be back in a few minutes.”
Iris finished making the last sandwich and she and Hanna began packaging up the food, along with cookies and protein bars and apples for the road. We’d have to pick up trail rations when we got there, but that shouldn’t be a problem.
“Here now, you’ll have food for tomorrow and the next day, at least.” Hanna set the rucksack on the counter. “Don’t sit on it or you’ll have flat sandwiches. I also tucked in a couple dozen hard-boiled eggs.”
At that moment, Menolly and Nerissa returned, carrying two towers of boxes and bags. As they set them on the table and we began spreading them out, the aroma of barbecue filtered out.
“Ribs! From the Wayfarer?”
Menolly nodded. “I know how much you love them, so I had the new cook fix up enough for everybody. Also some slaw, macaroni and cheese, garlic bread, and a lemon cake.”