"Then Father believes us," I said, relieved. With our father on our side, we stood a better chance of coping with whatever might be headed our way. "We have more. We've confirmed that Shadow Wing has taken over the Subterranean Realms and is planning an attack on both Earth and Otherworld."
Trillian's face clouded over. "I know. I just returned from the Sub Realms, and I've seen the chaos going on there. How do you know all of this?"
I silently walked over to the table where I'd dropped the finger bones and picked them up. "I visited Grandmother Coyote tonight."
Trillian shuddered. "Hell's bells, Camille. The Hags of Fate? You know they're nothing to mess around with. Those visits come with a price."
"I'm aware of that," I said, feeling the smooth ivory roll under my fingers. "And I owe her… well… what I owe her isn't going to be all that easy to repay, but it was worth it. She provided me with invaluable information that apparently OIA doesn't know—or doesn't care—about." I avoided his eyes. "Have you ever heard of the spirit seals, Trillian?"
He frowned, then nodded. "Vaguely, when I was a child I heard whispered tales about a wondrous treasure that could force the three realms to reunite—either in peace or in war. Why?" he asked, leaning forward. "Did you find one of them?"
"No, but Shadow Wing is searching for them. He means to use them as a key. He can open the portals with them and let his army pass into Earth. To make things worse, he knows where the first one is. And now, so do we. It's up to us to find and retrieve the seal before he does." I filled him in on what I'd learned. Like all Svartans, Trillian was good at hiding his emotions, but I could tell that he was both surprised and concerned.
I picked up the book Grandmother Coyote had given me and headed into the dining room. The others followed me, and we gathered around the table as I flipped open the pages. The text was in an ancient script, but I could read it haltingly, enough to decipher the basics of what it was saying.
In the fourth age of our world, there arose a great leader in the Subterranean Realms named Tagatty. A demon overlord, he united the lower realms and led a great army into Earth to battle the North men with snow and with fire. The war raged, threatening to spread throughout the lands, until the gods went to the Elemental Lords and begged for help.
The Elemental Lords agreed to assist, although the Hags of Fate declined, stating they would only watch as the situation unfolded. Together, the gods and Elementals forged a great spirit seal which separated the three Realms and created the portals—limited nexus points through which travelers could pass from one world to another.
Delilah frowned. "So, what happened to the seal? How did it get lost?"
"How else?" Trillian asked. "Clumsiness. You've got to admit, when you're facing eternity, you're bound to lose track of things along the way, and the Elementals and gods tend to be scatterbrained. Too much power isn't always a good thing. Look at Earth's history to prove it—Hitler, Stalin, Good old Vlad."
"Vlad doesn't count; he was a vampire posing as a mortal. But you're right," I said, continuing to read.
The spirit seal was broken into nine pieces and given to the Elemental Lords. Guardianship over most of the portals was given to the Guard Des'Estar, off of which branched the Otherworld Intelligence Agency thousands of years later.
As eons passed, the Elemental Lords grew careless. The great wars were forgotten, and the nine seals were lost, only to be found by mortals who unwittingly became their hosts. Anyone finding one of the spirit seals can unlock and use its secrets. If all of the seals are found and once again joined, the portals will shatter, and the three realms will again become intimately bound. And there will be no stopping any wishing to cross between the worlds.
I pushed the book away. "Before the Great Divide, Otherworld, Earth, and the Subterranean Realms intermingled freely."
Menolly traced a pattern on the table with her finger. "Then the Elemental Lords created the seals as a way of protecting OW and Earth during the great war, and they left the portals as the only real means to cross between worlds—other than natural nexus points. If Shadow Wing gets hold of the seals, he can tear them apart and allow his armies to ravage the land."
We stared at one another as the ramifications set in. The potential for devastation was tremendous. Unless we could stop him, Shadow Wing could decimate Earth and march on Otherworld. Earth's militaries were no match for a horde of Demonkin, and while OW had an army, it had been a long time since they'd heard any sort of call to battle. It would take time to muster forces.
I cleared my throat. "There are nine parts of the seal. As far as we know, he doesn't have any of them yet. Thanks to Grandmother Coyote, we know the name of the man who possesses the first one, and we know where to find him. Trillian, you have to go back to Father and let him know what's going on. Maybe he can convince the OIA that this is serious. Meanwhile, we'll search for Lane and sneak him to Otherworld before Bad Ass Luke discovers what's going on."
"If Grandmother Coyote told you what's happening, do you think she might tell the demons that you came to her if they asked?" Delilah asked.
When Menolly and Trillian looked at me, waiting, I realized that I'd become the leader of our little group. I shrugged.
"I have no idea. You never can tell what the Hags of Fate will do—she might tell them to balance out the situation, or she might not. Hell, she might even bite off one of Bad Ass Luke's fingers. That's what I owe her—the finger bone of a demon for her collection."
Trillian coughed. "Nice. Simple, but effective."
"Yes, but if I don't pay her, then my own finger is forfeit, so I think I'll do my best to give her what she wants." I grinned at him, and he broke into laughter, his voice echoing through my body. "I thought you'd see the joke in that," I said, waving away Delilah's pale look of surprise.
"What about the other seals?" Menolly asked. "Shouldn't we be finding out where they are?"
I pushed myself out of my chair and peeked through the heavy velvet drapes that closed off the dining room from the outside world. Rain cascaded on the roof in sheets, but a glimmer in the east told me that morning was near.
"We'll deal with them one at a time. That's all we can do. That, and keep hope. Menolly, you'd better get to sleep. Dawn's on the way, and you don't want to be up at sunrise, even if we never do see the sun in this godforsaken place."
"I can feel it," she said. "My body slows. Good night, then, and wake me when it's safe." She raised her hand to her lips and blew us a kiss. I asked Trillian to wait in the living room, and after he was out of view, Menolly glided silently to the bookshelf that stood against the wall. She swung it open and—within seconds—had vanished to the basement, the secret door shutting softly behind her.
The phone rang as I called Trillian back into the dining room. Delilah answered it. "No, I'm sorry, she's out for the day… Yes, I'll tell her. What was your name again?" She scratched a message on the notepad by the telephone, then said, "Got it. Buh-bye!"
"Who was that?" I asked.
"Some guy named Wade. Said he wants to ask Menolly out on a date."
"Go figure," I said, grinning as I told her who he was. "I think maybe Menolly will end up joining Vamps Anonymous after all."
Delilah yawned, her eyes weary. "Good for her… but honestly, I've got to get to bed. It's been too long since my last nap. Good night," she said, heading up the stairs.
I could feel the same sluggishness coursing through my body. We'd been up all night, and my encounter with Grandmother Coyote had left me drained. I turned to Trillian. "I suppose this is goodbye for now. Father will be waiting."
"Yes, I should go," he whispered, his breath hot in my ear as he slipped around behind me, encircling my waist with his arm. "But first, tell me why you left me, Camille. You aren't prejudiced against my kind like the rest of your family. Did I hurt you?"
I bit down on my lip, hard, and shook my head. "No, but you would have. Eventually. Svartans always hurt those they love. I didn't want to be around when you grew tired of me. I didn't want to be cast aside like yesterday's lunch."
"So you left first, before I could leave you." His lips gently pressed against my neck, nuzzling gently.
I shivered. "Don't do this, Trillian. If we start up, I don't know if I can walk away again. I fell in love with you, and you know what that means."
"Then why leave?" he whispered. "Why walk away when you love me? When you knew I still wanted you? I can feel your body call to me. You want me, inside you, hot and hard. Let me in. I promise, you won't regret it."
Memories of our relationship flared, both the good and the painful. Svartans didn't bind their hearts to one person. To any person, actually. And while I wasn't asking—or looking—for an exclusive relationship, I was addicted to Trillian's power. To be cast away from him was a terrifying thought. I could handle him having other lovers, but I couldn't bear the thought that he might turn his back on me. His race was so intense that one night spent in the arms of a Svartan was all it took to crave another, and yet another. I could barely imagine anyone else touching me. Did I dare let him back in my life now?
I broke away, staring at the door. I wanted to tell him to go. I wanted to order him out and end it right there. Of course, he could command me to undress, to lay myself down, open my legs to him, and I'd have to obey. I was still under thrall, and he knew it. Part of me wished he would—it wouldn't be my fault then.
Trillian scowled. "I won't force you," he said. "I have no desire to force any woman. But Camille, think about it. Remember what it was like?"
Closing my eyes, I wavered. Would it be worth the worry and fear again? I opened my eyes and held out my hand. "Shut up and come upstairs, and fuck me until we shake the stars out of the sky."
Upstairs, Trillian stayed my hand as I reached for my gown. "Let me look at you first, as you are. It's been so long." His eyes burned with cold fire, and I knew there was no turning back.
He slowly walked around me, reaching out so that his fingers were almost touching me but not quite. I shuddered. Just being near him set me off, and I felt myself flush. My glamour shifted, and I knew my eyes were shining—the silver of the moon reflecting through them as he set my Faerie blood alight.
When Sidhe met Svartan, the magical energy whirled into a vortex that my mother's human blood couldn't stave off. The familiar sweep caught me up as the collision of our opposite natures locked and began their dance.
"Take off your robe," he said, and there was no question that I would not obey. I let the bathrobe drop to the floor.
"Now the gown," he said, his gaze still locked on me.
As I slid the straps over my shoulders and let my nightgown follow the robe, my breasts began to ache. I held my breath as Trillian leaned over and placed a kiss on my neck, so faint I could barely feel his lips.
"What do you want?" he asked.
My voice shook as I answered. "Touch me. Run your tongue and lips over my body. I want to see you naked again, to feel you under my hands."
As he slipped out of the trousers and the shirt that could have come from any menswear shop in the city, my gaze was riveted on his face, his body. His skin was like smooth glass—silken and brilliant and black. He unknotted the braid that held his hair back from his face and it fell in waves around his shoulders, shrouding him in a mirror of the Moon Mother's light. I lowered my gaze and gasped. Though I had seen him naked many times before, I had forgotten just how beautiful he was.
"Don't make me wait. Please…" I hated myself for begging, but the pull was too much. It had been so long since I'd had a man—any man—but especially since I'd tasted the wine of my dark lover's passion. Tears welled up as I wondered if he was going to toy with me, to tease me. And then the moonlight broke through the clouds and bathed my room, cloaking me in the Moon Mother's silver lifeblood. Her power strengthened me, and I straightened my shoulders, bringing my gaze to meet Trillian square in the face.
His expression said everything I wanted to hear. "Camille," he said, roughly, reaching for me. I danced back a step and stretched, feeling every muscle in my body crackle with lust and control.
"Do you want me?" I said, holding out my hand to stop him.
Trillian's nostrils flared, and at first I thought he was angry, but then I saw the flicker of delight in his eyes. He enjoyed the game, enjoyed the power play. "I want you. All of you, every inch and niche. Camille, will you have me?"
And then, all play vanished as I opened myself to him, deadly serious, searching for the grail that would carry us out of ourselves and into that realm where our souls could merge. He buried his head in my neck, carrying me to the bed. As I tumbled back, we both knew that our first meeting after so long would not be gentle—the need was too great, the urgency too strong. His eyes flashed as he plunged into my core, driving his cock home again and again as he struggled to find my center. Thick and demanding, he ground his hips against mine, and I felt my thoughts beginning to slide away, leaving an open chasm over which we played out our struggle. And then, we were there—straddling the edge of the cliff, teetering as we fought for control.
With one last thrust, Trillian shuddered. He broke first, his cry echoing to sever the cords that bound me to consciousness. With one sharp gasp, I went tumbling into the abyss.
