Courting Darkness (6 page)

“Chase! Chase!” Delilah scrambled to her feet, still breathing heavily.

I let go of her, seeing that she was all right, and ran over to Trillian’s side. He was staring at the last sparkles of the portal as they faded slowly. Magic still reverberated through the air, but the pull—the siren song—was gone.

“Chase! Chase! Where the hell are you? Chase?” I called for him, not really expecting an answer. Finally, I turned back to stare bleakly at where the portal had been. “What happened?”

“I had hold of him, but something from the other side was stronger—while we didn’t see any hands, I guarantee you, there was something holding on to him. We played tug-of-war, but then he slipped out of my grasp. He didn’t run through that portal on his own—he was yanked in. He might have been drawn to it, but he didn’t go willingly.”

Chase’s scream echoed in my ears. “Great Mother, what took him?”

Trillian shook his head. “I don’t know. But whatever it was, it was big and mean and felt old as the world itself.” He gave me a long look. “I tried to hold him, Camille. I tried.” A broken look crossed his face. Trillian held no real love for Chase, but he would never have willingly let go.

“I know.” I pressed my hand to his cheek and kissed him softly. “We have to find out what this thing is . . . was. And why it opened up here.”

Delilah stared at the sparkles as they scattered, dissipating. Tears streamed down her face. “Oh, Chase . . . is he . . . do you think he’s dead?”

I swallowed the rising bitterness that rolled in my stomach. “I don’t know. We can only pray he’s okay.”

Smoky and Shade stared somberly at the spot.

Smoky let out a soft growl. “What next? How do we even hope to find him?”

I bit my lip. “Delilah’s right. We bring in Aeval. Ask her to suss out the energy. She’s our only hope. I’m to pledge to her Court in less than a week. And remember: She owes me a favor for breaking her free from the crystal in the cave. I’ll call in my marker, ask her to help us with this.”

“That’s a big marker to give up.” Smoky slid his arm around my shoulders. “Are you sure you want to do that?”

“We can’t just let Chase get swallowed up by . . . whatever that is.
Was.
Yeah, I think we have to get the Triple Threat involved.”

Delilah nodded. “When will you go talk to them?”

The urgency in her voice made me wonder—could she still have feelings for the detective? But I knew the answer. Of course she did, and always would. But her love for him was different now—that of a dearly beloved friend, a brother. He was no longer her lover. And I felt the same way. Chase was part of our extended family. And family wasn’t disposable, contrary to what my father thought.

“Tonight. I’m exhausted, but this can’t wait. Don’t wait up for me. I’ll go alone. The Triple Threat have no love for Smoky, and I don’t think they want a stranger on their land, Shade.”

“I’ll come with you.” Delilah glanced at me, her eyes flashing. “Don’t even say no.”

“All right. Trillian, can you drive Smoky and Shade home in the Jeep? We’ll take my Lexus.”

“As you wish, my sweet.” Trillian motioned to the two dragons, and they turned to go. Delilah tossed him the keys, and then we watched as they vanished into the snowbound night. I’d been surprised when I found out he’d quietly gone off and gotten his license with no problem. Trillian was an excellent driver, but he had a thirst for speed.

I turned back to the area around where the portal had been. “You okay, Kitten?” A glance at her showed she was still crying.

“Yeah, I’m okay, but Chase . . . did it kill him?” She closed her eyes and I could tell she was searching, hoping to find some sense that he was still around. I lightly touched her on the arm.

“Let’s go. We can’t help him by just standing here.” Reluctantly, I turned and she followed me, her head down. As we jogged back to the car, I kept thinking that if Chase hadn’t drunk the Nectar of Life, he might not be in this predicament.

Yes, but he’d be dead,
a voice inside whispered.
And would that be any better?

“Perhaps,” I whispered beneath my breath. Because what I’d sensed on the other side of the portal was old beyond reckoning, and the elder forces of the Earth could be terribly fierce. “Just perhaps.”

 

The drive out to the compound took us half an hour in the blowing snow, and I gave a breath of thanks that Morio had insisted I get snow tires on the Lexus. The thought of him home, still hurting, rankled. But he was healing up and would be good to go within a couple of months. The attack from the hungry ghosts had left him weakened, and regaining life force was a lot harder than just regaining physical health. Hungry ghosts sucked out life energy, and there was no quick fix for regaining
that
.

Keeping him and Menolly apart had been a chore in itself. They’d bonded when Sharah used some of Menolly’s blood to keep Morio from dying, and like it or not, the two had a
thing
for each other now. Both had been very conscientious about not staying in the same room alone together, but I feared it would only get worse once Morio grew stronger. The tension when they were together drove me nuts. It wasn’t that I was terribly jealous—if they ended up sleeping together, fine. I could handle that even though I’d prefer they didn’t. But I had to admit to myself, I didn’t want him in
love
with her. And right now, I wasn’t sure just what he felt beyond the lust.

And I—I had my own secrets. Secrets that could lead Smoky to murder. I’d had no choice at the time—or rather, the only other option I’d had was worse than the fate I’d chosen. However you sliced it, this Solstice promised to be less than merry at our house.

As I navigated the ice and snow, Delilah stared out the window. “So tell me about Iris. What happened? And don’t give me any bull. Of course she needs to tell me herself, but you were there. What went on?”

I bit my lip. We’d been gone only a few days, but it seemed like a lifetime. “She found Vikkommin. Or rather, what was left of him. Apparently . . . it’s a long story, Delilah, and I don’t feel like talking about it. But she proved . . . she won back her right to have children. She
was
responsible, but there were extenuating circumstances.”

Delilah let out a long sigh. “She’s powerful, our Iris.”

“More powerful than you know, and the powers they stripped away from her are returning. Everyone thinks of house sprites as cute, winsome little creatures who exist to be cleaning machines, but they’re so very wrong. Iris could probably level the three of us if she were mad enough. I don’t ever want to see her have to use her powers the way she did against Vikkommin. It nearly destroyed her the first time.”

“But she’s free now? To marry Bruce?”

“Yes, and to have children. I’m not sure that will be enough for her, though.” I paused at a red light, then turned onto the freeway entrance, gaining speed as I pushed the car into higher gear. The traffic was light this time of night, and it was cold enough that the snow was sticking to the road. By morning, it would be another solid sheet of black ice. “This weather’s crazy. We need a break. Have they said when it’s going to stop snowing and go back to rain?”

“We’re in an Arctic cold snap—it’s supposed to last another week or two and then gradually warm back up. And what do you mean, you’re not sure that will be enough?” Kitten fidgeted, tugging on the seat belt.

“Something happened out there on the ice fields, and before you ask, no—I don’t know what. But Iris returned, both happy and pensive. Something’s in the works with her. But you know how close-lipped she is. Until she’s ready, she’s not going to dish.”

I sped up, matching the speed of the oncoming cars, and darted left into the next lane, then left again so we’d be away from the upcoming exit-only lanes. As I eased into the speed—we weren’t going that fast, considering the weather—I let out a sigh and relaxed.

“So what about you? Sharah cleared you for combat?”

Delilah grinned. “Yeah, and boy am I ready for it. I hate being on bed rest. But I need to work out. Eight weeks of sitting around the house has turned my body to jelly, and she warned me the first few weeks are going to hurt when I start using my muscles again. She’s had me on some physical therapy, but the muscles are tight and they’re going to pull.” She sobered then. “What do you think happened to Chase?”

I shrugged. “I have no idea, Kitten, but what I sensed on the other side of that portal wasn’t altogether friendly. You . . . you aren’t having second thoughts, are you?”

She looked startled. “You mean about Shade and Chase? No—not at all. But I still love Chase, dearly. He was my first love, and you don’t just blow that off, not unless the person hurt you. I adore Shade; he’s good for me. But Chase . . . he’s our detective, you know?”

I smiled softly. “Yes, I know. He’s our detective. He’s family.”

As we sped along the road, an easy silence fell between us then, one born of being who we were. None of the three of us needed constant chatter, though Delilah liked to keep the TV on for background noise. Both Menolly and I were content with silence or background music.

“Do you ever think about the future?” she asked after a little while.

“What do you mean? Are you talking about Shadow Wing?”

“Yes . . . No. Maybe? I mean, if we do manage to stop him, what then? Are we going home to Otherworld? You’re married to Smoky, Morio, and Trillian. I’m with Shade and bound to the Autumn Lord. Menolly is in love with Nerissa, who’s an Earthside Were. Our lives are bound up on both sides. And you . . .” She stopped suddenly. “Never mind.”

“No,” I whispered. “Go ahead and say it. I can’t go home to Y’Elestrial because Father disowned me.”

“If Queen Tanaquar lifts the ban, would you?”

“Would I go back? Maybe. But I don’t know now . . . even if Father comes around, I’ll always remember that he cut me off. I don’t think I’ll ever be able to forgive him for that. And Y’Elestrial is all bound up with memories of our childhood. I don’t know if I could go home again. At least not to there. Maybe Dahnsburg—Feddrah Dahns and his father like me.”

As I thought of the unicorns, I smiled. I’d recently received a missive from King Uppala-Dahns exonerating me of killing the Black Unicorn. In fact, I’d become somewhat of a folk hero there, for freeing the Black Beast to reincarnate as per legend. But I hadn’t told my sisters about it. For one thing, it sounded a little like bragging. For another, I hadn’t had time to fully process the whole situation.

“Now there’s a thought,” Delilah said, giggling. “The unicorn city. I still haven’t seen it—and I’d like to.”

“Maybe we’ll get a chance to go there. Next time we need a break, let’s take a vacation—we can skip Y’Elestrial and go via the Elqaneve Barrows. We should check in with Queen Asteria, anyway.” Ever since my father had disowned me, my sisters and I had quit the Otherworld Intelligence Agency and gone to work for the Elfin Queen.

“There—there’s our turn,” I said, veering back into the right lane as I checked over my shoulder to make sure we were clear. The night sky was silvery as the snow continued to fall, and the exit ramp was slippery—we skidded slightly as I slowed, but I managed to keep us from fishtailing, and then we turned east and headed toward the compound.

The Triple Threat—as I’d dubbed the Court of the Three Queens—owned a thousand-acre compound northeast of Seattle, buttressed in the foothills of the Cascade Mountain Range.

Earlier in the year, the government had set the Earthside Fae Queens a limit—they could buy up and hold five thousand acres of land for now, with the possibility of expansion in the future. This land would be considered a Sovereign nation, and a treaty had been ironed out with the understanding that it would stand only if no threats were made against the government or the people of the United States by the Earthside Fae who signed up on the rolls.

Titania, the Queen of Light and Morning, and Aeval, the Queen of Shadow and Night, had agreed. And they’d forced Morgaine, the half-Fae Queen of Dusk and Twilight by default, to agree to the terms. Although I had the feeling Morgaine hadn’t been asked for her opinion, the three Queens had agreed to name their nation Talamh Lonrach Oll—loosely translated as the Land of Brilliant Apples.

As we wound through the foothills toward the Fae Nation, I began to feel the energy a good five miles before we were there. In the darkness, the trees glowed and sparkles skittered across the road, making me smile. I loved the magic out here—especially at night, for Aeval and Morgaine were both connected with the Moon Mother, as was I.

We eased onto the road leading to the towering silver-plated gates that had been erected across the driveway leading in.

I wasn’t due to show up until the Solstice. The guards seemed surprised to see us, but they waved us through once they realized who we were. As we pulled in, the road veered to the left, toward a major parking lot. Cars weren’t permitted beyond this point. It was either walk or take a horse-drawn cart or a bicycle.

Easing into a parking space, I turned off the ignition and opened my window. The sound of magic filled the air. Not everyone could hear it, not even all of the Fae, though the average person might get a humming that irritated them or a headache from a buzzing in the ears, but I could. Soft and on the wind, like a thousand dancing chimes.

Delilah scratched her neck. “I feel like ants are crawling on me.”

“That’s magic,” I said softly. “Come on, you’ll get used to it after a little bit and won’t notice it so much.”

We climbed out of the car and locked it. No use taking chances—our father’s people generally weren’t trustworthy unless they’d given their word of honor, and even then, I was cautious.

“Over there.” I pointed to the stalls where we could borrow a horse and cart. I had no intention of walking all the way to the palace barrows. I was tired from the trip with Iris and felt like I’d never warm up, though compared to the Northlands this storm was a spring breeze.