Frost & Bothered (21 page)

He half-smiled. “My brother has a fragile ego.”

That pulled a laugh from me. He didn’t join in. “Wait. You’re serious?”

“Thorandryll appears confident, but appearances can be deceiving. He dislikes shifters because when he was young, not even into his third decade, a human woman he fancied chose a shifter over him.”

“Ouch. And then his wife,” I hesitated when Kethyrdryll raised his eyebrows. “He told us about Dalsarin and her.”

“I’m surprised.”

I leaned back to untie the belt of my coat. “And then there was Carole, but you can ask him for details. All I’m going to say is she did him dirty.”

Kethyrdryll shook his head. “He’s been singularly unlucky in love. It’s why he ... ‘does stuff,’ I believe was the way you put it.”

New view of Prince Snooty Pants, and I wasn’t sure I liked it. “He’d be more likeable if his ego weren’t in overdrive.”

“Perhaps. Selwin will be healed and ready to travel in roughly two night’s time. I must ask what your plans are now.”

I took a deep breath. “We keep going. If Logan ... he’ll find us when he can.”

“You care greatly for him.”

“He’s my friend, and clan.”

“More than that.”

“Yes.” I had no intention of elaborating because I’d think about our lunch, and the kisses, and start crying. If I cried, I’d be admitting he was dead.

Logan hadn’t given up on me when Dalsarin had turned me into a dog, or when Merriven tore my neck open. I wasn’t giving up on him. It had been a smaller drake than the others. Maybe a baby or a runt adult. Shifters were tough, and Logan was strong.

Kethyrdryll gazed at me for a few seconds before changing the subject. “More soup?”

I
expected a visit from Sal once I’d gone to bed and fallen asleep, but he didn’t drop in, and that was worrisome. The little god always showed when a case led to mortal peril.

Instead, I dreamed of walking around the empty rooms of my new house, and of climbing the ladder to the attic. The attic was gone, and I stood there with my head just above the river’s surface, face to face with a drake. Its breath smelled like rotting fish, and fresh, bloody furrows marred its snout and neck.

“Where is he?”

The drake opened its mouth wide, and it made all the sense in the world to climb in. Once I had, the creature closed its mouth and swallowed. I went rushing down its throat, which felt and looked like one of the covered slides at a water park. The slippery ride ended when I landed on a concrete floor in front of Logan’s car.

The headlights came on, and the engine purred. I stood and realized the car was empty, but the driver’s door was open in silent invitation. No sooner than I slid behind the wheel, the door slammed shut and the car was driving across snow-covered terrain, more snow falling from a dark sky.

“He’s dead, Miss Jones,” Thorandryll said. I glanced over to find the elf in the passenger seat. He wore all black. “We will mourn the passing of the black tiger in due time.”

“The car knows where he is. The drake told it.”

“Hungry mouths spew lies.” Thorandryll had a dagger. He sliced the dash and blood spilled from the cut. “You should be more concerned about the darkness.”

“The way is lit,” I said, looking out the front windshield at the twin beams of light. “There’s always light at the end of tunnels.”

“Unless it’s night.” Thorandryll made another slice in the dash, freeing more blood. “This is perpetual night.”

“You carry your own light, Discordia,” Mr. Whitehaven said from the back seat, his eyes glowing red in the rearview mirror. “Your own fire.”

“You’re going to get yourself killed.” Nick leaned forward from his seat beside my boss. “How many have to die before you understand?”

“Understand what?” I shivered and looked down at the floorboard. Blood covered my feet and moved higher.

“People like you need cages.”

“I won’t live in a cage.”

“A cage will keep you from hurting others.” Nick sat back and faded from sight.

“How many have you hurt?” Thorandryll asked, carving more lines in the dash. “How many have died because of you?”

“She wanted to live. To be young and beautiful forever,” Merriven whispered in my ear. I looked in the rearview mirror to meet Mr. Whitehaven’s gaze.

He smiled. “You can control the very elements with naught but a thought. Hear and influence the thoughts of others. Rather terrifying, isn’t it?”

The blood had reached the tops of the car seats, starting to creep up my thighs, and it was freezing cold.

“It’s because of you I live in fear.” Betty had taken Thorandryll’s place. “You’re dangerous. My children are going to die because of you.” She stabbed the dagger into the dash. “I’m going to die because of you.”

“No, I won’t let that happen.” Dark shapes appeared, running beside the car. Wolves.

“How’s the maze-building going?” Jo asked, and walls of ice shot up on either side of the car’s path. The wolves edged closer, their eyes gleaming gold and orange and yellow.

Mr. Whitehaven was gone. My witch buddy grinned from the back seat. David sat beside her with his nose buried in a book.

“Have you been practicing?” Jo waggled her eyebrows, then lifted a cup from our favorite coffee shop. “New blend.”

The hot scent filled the car, nutty, rich, and slightly sweet. I looked down to find the blood had reached my waist. “We’re going to drown.”

“Drowning’s better than being eaten by wolves,” David muttered, pushing up his glasses. “Look at those teeth.”

The car turned right, fishtailing around the corner. Its rear panel struck a wolf, knocking the animal into the ice wall with a sickening thump.

“Nasty creatures, they are. Vicious and greedy.” Thorandryll had returned. Betty was gone. “You can’t trust those who wear two shapes.”

A steady sound came from outside, not quite a flapping noise, but close. I leaned forward to peer through the windshield at the sky. A large, pale shape flew above the car.

“Dragon,” David remarked. “Interesting creatures. Not many of them left.”

The dragon flew higher, disappearing from sight, and the car slowed to a halt. I sat back, blood rippling from the movement. It was chest-high now.

“You have reached your destination. Please exit the vehicle and have a nice night,” a robotic female voice said. The wall in front of the car had a door set in it.

“What are you waiting for?” Thorandryll asked, holding out the dagger. “Take this, Miss Jones. You’ll need it.”

“Thank you.” The blade was warm and pulsed in my hand. “It’s alive.”

“Not for much longer,” Jo said. “Better hurry, Cordi.”

Wolves swirled around the car. “Are they going to kill me?”

The car door opened and the blood poured out. My head turned and I met the amused gaze of a green-eyed man with antlers rising from the top of his head. “The Hunt can’t begin without you, child. Come with me.”

“Where?” I climbed out of the car, ignoring my blood-soaked clothes and the circling wolves.

“Through the door.”

I was in front of the door without having walked to get there. “What’s on the other side?”

“I don’t know,” Cernunnos replied. “Strange. I should know.”

The door knob was silver, and warm to the touch. I opened it. There was nothing on the other side except darkness.

“Ah.” Cernunnos chuckled. “You have to jump.”

Clutching the dagger, I peered into the darkness. “There’s nothing there.”

“Of course there is. The night hides many things.”

Someone grabbed my arm, pulling me away from the door. Nick stared at me, his eyes golden. “Things that want to kill you.”

“All that live, die, and death clears the way for new life.” Cernunnos threw back his head and bugled. Nick released his hold on me, turning into a wolf. “You’re running out of time, child.”

“Okay.” I turned to face the doorway. “I can do this. I just wish I knew what ‘this’ was.”

“Dummy,” Ginger whispered. “You do this all the time. You did it with me.”

My heart froze. “Did you want to die?”

She smiled, her skin turning gray, and collapsed into a pile of ashes.

“No time to waste.” Cernunnos pointed at the doorway. “Choose to jump or choose to die.”

The snarling of wolves filled my ears. I took a deep breath, two steps, and jumped. No ground met my feet. Wind howled. I fell and fell and fell.

Something brushed against me; light flickered. I saw tigers, prowling in a circle around me as I kept falling. “I’m clan. Help me.”

They purred, the sound rising and falling. I slowed until I was floating. One by one, each tiger left the circle to look into my eyes.

“Human.”

“Clan.”

“Save her?”

A tiger snarled, breaking from the circle and rushing toward me. I held up the dagger and it veered away.

“Too human.”

Another tiger left the circle, a white one with pale green eyes. She padded toward me. I let my arm drop.

“Become,” she murmured before lunging. I fell backward as she struck and went through me.

No. Not through, but inside. My body twisted, my front paws hit first as the river appeared. I landed on the bank.

“You’re not a normal girl, are you?”

I stretched, my claws extending, and yawned.

Mike the EMT stepped out of the shadows the trees cast. “You have really weird dreams, Discord Jones.”

“Tell me about it.” I started walking. He jogged to catch up.

“Got the call, but my ride is buried in a drift. Did you know there’s things in the water? One ate my partner. Gobbled him right up.”

“They do that.”

“It’s messed up. Don’t let them gobble me.”

“I won’t.”

We walked in silence for a minute or two, before he asked, “Why are you a tiger?”

“The ancestors are helping me because I’m clan.”

“Helping you do what?”

“Find him.”

“The guy we got the call about?” He stumbled and caught his balance. “It’s too late for him. We came to pick up the body.” Mike waved his arm. “The cold finished him.”

“I still have to find him. We’re clan.” Far ahead I saw something dark lying partly in the river. “There he is.”

“I’m not going that close to the water. You’ll have to get him.”

“Fine.” I broke into a run, slowing as I reached the shape. Logan’s eyes were closed, his body spattered with too-bright blood. I could count the holes left by the drake’s teeth.

He didn’t move when I nuzzled his shoulder. Walking to his other side, I opened my mouth and closed it gently around the back of his neck.

It felt like forever before I’d dragged him to the safety of the trees. Mike opened his bag and pulled out a stethoscope. “One of those things got him, huh?”

“Yes.” I watched him move the stethoscope around.

The paramedic looked at me, his eyes wide. “I’ll be damned.”

“What?”

“He’s still alive. Don’t know if he’ll stay that way for long. I’m not a vet.”

“What do we do?”

Mike shook his head. “Try and warm him. I don’t have a blanket big enough. He’s a shifter. As long as he’s warm and not hurt too much, he’ll heal. It’s cool how they can do that.”

“Yeah.” I lifted my forepaw and placed it on Logan’s shoulder. He slowly shifted to human form. “Blanket?”

“You’re really not normal.” Mike pulled out a silver square from his bag. “Move.”

He spread the blanket and rolled Logan onto it. “A shifter burrito. We need a source of heat.”

I edged forward and lay next to Logan.

“Hugs make people happy.” Mike faded away.

I pulled Logan closer with my paws, tugging him under my furry body.

“May all your hunts end so successfully.” Cernunnos stood over us. “What are your intentions?”

I moved my head, tucking Logan’s head between my chin and neck. “To save lives.”

“Then you can’t stay here. There are many lives at stake. You need to wake the Unseelie, and soon.”

“I can’t leave him.”

The Horned Lord snorted. “I admire loyalty. I’ll send another to watch over him.”

“But...”

“I have spoken, child. You must wake them, before the others break the spell. Seek what’s missed.”

“Rico and the others.”

“Not only those. Now. Wake.” Cernunnos touched the tip of his forefinger to the spot right between my eyes.