"You'd best get her out of here." Heather turned to me. "Now."
Too numb to even blink, I turned sharply and motioned to Leo, who jumped forward to grab Rhiannon by the shoulders. He wrestled her back to the house.
"Heather." I took one step forward, looking to see if Peyton was with the others. I couldn't see any sign of her, though. "It's true then. You're one of them."
"Technically, I belong to Myst. She made me an offer I couldn't refuse." A vague look of discomfort crossed her face. "Cicely, they've asked me to speak to you tonight."
I glanced at her companions. Two women, two men--obviously born into the Court. Their skin bore the same cerulean cast that we'd seen in those at the Marburry Barrow. And Heather . . . she was a vampire now, with magical powers. Their slave.
"Why did you let them turn you?" I couldn't help the words, they flew out of my mouth like a swarm of moths toward a light. "What could they possibly offer you to make you give in to them?"
A soft smile spread across her face. "Sometimes, we are given choices. And sometimes, the choice we make is not one we would choose for ourselves, but one we make for others."
Listening to her words, trying to read the wind behind them, I could sense her hidden meanings. She had been backed into this choice.
The lesser of two evils. Ulean was by my side. She chose Peyton's life over her own.
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to sort through the illusions. Kaylin, standing beside me, rested his hand on my shoulder and I drew on his strength, welcoming the flow of energy that shored me up.
"Why are you here? What do you want?"
Heather bowed her head. "We bring you a warning."
She stepped aside, and one of the men stepped forward. He looked similar to my Grieve, and yet he was so unlike my love that it frightened me. Grieve struggled against his nature, but this man--here I saw only alien aloofness, a cold ruthless spark that raced from his eyes to his mouth.
"You are being given fair warning by Myst, the ruler of this wood. We know you seek to interfere with our affairs. Be warned that should you continue, we will turn Peyton. For now she is safe, but defy us and we'll destroy every friend and family member you have, and then yourselves. We let you live because your aunt agreed to join our Court if we gave you protection. But that protection ends if you attempt to intervene in the coming war."
I stared at him, and bone-weary, snorted. "What about Peyton?"
"She is alive. For now. Her freedom at this time is not up for discussion."
"Oh yes, it is. Hell, you've already destroyed our families. We're the only ones left. Tell your Queen that you've done your job. Mission accomplished. We've been warned."
"And your response, milady?" For all of his churlishness, he bowed politely.
I glanced at Kaylin, who gave me a single nod.
"Tell Myst to mind her webs and spiders. And tell her that we'll repay her for the kindness she's shown my aunt, and Leo's sister. And if Peyton comes to harm, we'll burn down the wood--tear it apart limb by bough by leaf. You go back and you tell Myst that the Indigo Court might rule the forest, but once you step on our land, I'm Queen here. And I walk with the Vein Lords at my back, so don't think it will be so easy to destroy us."
The ambassador stared at me for a moment, then nodded. "As you wish, Cicely Waters, but we are not finished yet. I advise you: Don't count on your allies so much that you leave yourself unarmed. Our enemies may still run this town, but we are a force you should not cross."
With one last look at Heather, who stared at me steadfast, unblinking, I turned, striding back to the house. Kaylin fell in behind me. We didn't dare show fear, didn't dare look back. By the time we got to the house, the group of Shadow Hunters had retreated back into the night.
Chapter 19
Leo and Rhiannon were on the sofa; he was trying to calm her and she was waxing between fury and hysteria. I held her hands, tight, trying to talk her down from the emotional roller coaster she was riding. After a little while and two minor fires--one on a footstool and the other on Heather's jacket that was still hanging by the door--between Leo and me, we managed to soothe her back into a coherent state. I put in a call to Anadey to tell her what had happened and relay Rhiannon's reaction.
"She needs to be with me tonight. I can make her sleep without her dreams playing havoc on the subconscious. Bring her over to Marta's house and I'll take care of her tonight."
"Hold on." I punched the mute button and told the others what she'd said.
"But will they be protected there?" Leo glanced at Rhiannon. "I don't have anything pressing tonight. Maybe I should go with her."
I didn't like the thought of staying at the Veil House alone and was about to say so when Kaylin spoke up.
"If you do, I'll stay here and help guard Cicely."
Part of me bristled at the thought that I needed guarding, but the reality was: If the vampires and Vampiric Fae were going to war, and they both believed I was a catalyst to start that war, I could use a few good men on my side.
"Fine. I'm sorry, Rhia, but I just don't trust your subconscious not to let loose on the place. Anadey wanted you over there at sunrise, anyway. You can get a jump on your training that way."
Rhiannon nodded, pale and looking worn out. "I'm sorry to be such a bother. But you're right. I don't know if I can be trusted in my sleep. Not with what's happened. Are you sure you'll be okay here with Kaylin?"
I glanced at the dreamwalker. His aura was flaring and I could see the energy spiraling off of him. He was on high alert and his parents were standing behind him. "Yeah. We should be fine. Leo, take her over to Anadey's now, before it gets any darker. Don't stop to pack, you'll only be gone for a night."
Without another word, Leo ushered her out to his car and they pulled out of the driveway. As I watched them go, I had the uneasy feeling the night was just beginning.
The owl is waiting in the woods.
Ulean brushed against me. I glanced up from the table. Kaylin and I had finished dinner, and we were now sorting out spell components from Marta's stash. I still had bag after bag to go through, but at least I knew now that I was sitting on a treasure trove. Between Leo, Rhiannon, and I, we should be able to come up with a number of spells and charms to help protect the town of New Forest. The question was: Would we live that long?
Cicely . . . the owl is waiting for you. I know it's dark, but you need to answer its summons. It will fly in from Myst's wood to meet you.
What . . . ? The owl? Blinking, I put down the packet of tiny gems I was sorting through. None were terribly valuable; mostly a lot of semiprecious gem chips and cabochons.
"I'll be back. I won't go far and definitely not outside the perimeter of the land, but there's something I need to check on." I pushed out of my chair before Kaylin could stop me and grabbed my jacket. Before I headed outside, I ran upstairs and snatched up my owl feather, firmly tucking it inside my pocket, and then for good measure, I stuck my stiletto in the boot sheath I always wore on my boots, then headed outside.
I jogged down the cobblestone path, through the gardens at the back of the house. I wasn't sure what I was looking for but I'd know it when I saw it. As I gazed across the lawn to the ravine, I heard a faint hoot. Shit, the owl was there.
Who are you, and what do you want with me?
I'm waiting. I'm waiting for you. Don't tarry too long. The feel of the thought was masculine, though I couldn't be sure. Another wind Elemental?
No, not another Elemental. I don't know who this one is. Ulean's words drifted over me, cool and calm. No sense of danger.
And then I remembered what Chatter had said. The owl's been looking for you, by the way . . . He asks for you, every day. I'd help, but I'm just . . . don't count on me. I'm useless. But soon, you must find the owl. If the Shadow Hunters find it, they'll kill it. They hate owls.
If the Indigo Court hated the owls, then I'd probably like them.
Pulled, not knowing why but only knowing I must follow, I made my way over to an oak, tall and barren against the winter sky, and jumped, catching hold of a lower limb. I swung myself up into the branches, and began to climb, following the whisper of current that led me on. I wasn't afraid of heights--I'd been running across building tops since I was twelve.
And then, I caught sight of it: a pendant, hanging from one of the branches. It was a milky white moonstone, set in silver on a black ribbon. The owl tattoos banding my arms set up a fuss and I jerked. I was used to my wolf talking to me, but the owls had never spoken--they'd always been silent before.
Slowly, I reached for the pendant. It resonated in my hand, setting up a keening, and the owl feather in my pocket began to vibrate so loud that I yanked it out, staring at the quivering plume. As I watched, it began to smoke, then burst into flames and with a shout I dropped it, watching as the fire quickly snuffed out on its way to the ground.
What the hell is going on, Ulean?
I cannot tell you. This is a journey you must travel, without aid of my vision. But I am here if you need me.
The pendant began to glow brightly as I held it to my chest. There was no aura of menace about it, no threat. Nervous, yet feeling for all the world that this was the right thing to do, I slid the ribbon over my head and, hesitating just an instant, let the gem come to rest against my breasts.
As it hung against my body, a cool breeze began to emanate from the gem. I clasped it in my hand, closing my eyes, trying to focus on the energy. The gem throbbed in my hand and I heard a faint noise, like the rustle of wings.
I slid deep into the pulsating beat that now echoed throughout my body. A faint music rose on the wind, the echo of an acoustic guitar, the driving rhythm of the drum . . . it crawled through me, resonated around me, flooded me from the inside out like paint rippling down a wall.
I'll meet you in the forest. In the half light between daylight and dusk, we will meet. But first, you must spread your wings and fly, child.
That wasn't Ulean.
In a daze, I climbed higher, listening to the strange voice crooning to me on the wind. Ulean began to howl, shrieking in some tongue I could not recognize, a cry of joy and feral pleasure, and her mania buoyed me up.
Higher I climbed, until I reached a branch a good forty feet off the ground. I edged out on it, shaking the snow off to the ground as I stared at the darkening sky and began to shed my clothing. I dropped my jacket and shirt, watching them plummet to the ground, then without thinking, shimmied out of my jeans and panties, and they, too, fell away to the bottom of the tree.
Shivering, I crouched naked on the branch, holding on to nearby limbs for balance. The clouds parted then, a thin sliver to show the brilliant moon shining through. Below, the mist was rising, rolling along the ground, seeping up the trunk like a blanket of soothing smoke.
Under the cloak of cloud and stars, I gazed up at the heavens, unable to think, unable to put words to my thoughts. The necklace beat a staccato tattoo on my soul, the music swirled around me, notes flooding the wind, and the call was too strong. I couldn't ignore it, couldn't shake it off. Inhaling a sharp breath, not knowing just what I was doing or why, I let go of the branch and went into free fall, heading toward the ground.
As I whistled through the air, something began to shift, and my body twisted inside out. A blink of an eye, and I was gliding silently on the currents, wingtips wide, zebra stripes of black and white. I opened my beak and let out a call, and the screech echoed through my body, raspy and shrill and enough to scare the hell out of every rat and mouse that might be hiding in the yard.
Then it hit me--I was aloft--in flight--gliding through the yard toward the woodland. But the ravine and the forest glowed with a light I'd never seen before, and I veered to my right, avoiding the tree line. There was something in there, something nasty that set traps for owls like me, and I wanted no part of it.
I sailed effortlessly, turning on a wing to glide back toward the house, seeing everything from a vastly different perspective but still retaining my sense of self. In fact, I felt far clearer than I ever had. The necklace still dangled around my throat and I knew that if I wasn't wearing it, I'd shift back into my human form again.
Sweeping over the house, I spiraled, circling around, then coming to land on the bough of the oak. There, near me, the great horned owl perched on the limb, talons gripping the bark. His eyes were whirling as he watched me. I could swear that I saw a tenderness in them, a welcoming home, and I let out another shriek and he answered.
He leapt off the tree, gliding low through the mist, and I followed. We flew in tandem, turning, twisting, spiraling aloft through the fog bank, then swept up again and across the face of the moon, as the true meaning of freedom flooded through my body. Nothing else mattered. Nothing else could mar the expansiveness of the world.
For sheer joy, I did a barrel roll and headed toward the ground, pulling up just in time. The horned owl followed me and we danced our dance. At one point, I saw Kaylin standing on the porch, my clothes in his arms, as he watched us cartwheeling on the wind.
Ulean, are you here with me? I'm flying!
You are, my child. You are coming home to your true nature.
What do you mean?
There is time enough for that. We will talk later. For now, explore your new freedom, child of the wind. And she laughed and her currents carried us forward as she rode the slipstream with us.
We passed through a host of spirits gliding through the yard and they dove to all sides, looking terrified as we shattered their composure.
Can they see us?
The other owl answered. Yes, ghosts and owls are closely aligned. We are the creatures of dark magic. We ride in the wake of the Bean Sidhe. We bring tidings from the dead. Ghosts and spirits are part of our heritage.
