Priestess Dreaming (An Otherworld Novel) (21 page)

The fact that she was nervous made me even more cautious. Morgaine had a hyperactive ego. When
she
expressed doubts, it meant that we were facing a task far more dangerous than I was comfortable with. For not the first time, I wished Derisa had chosen somebody else for this journey. I’d rather take my chances in the Shadow Lands with Trillian than be out here.

Delilah cleared her throat. “Whatever we’re going to do, we’d better do it fast, because I think our grace period is over.” She pointed toward the will-o’-the-wisps. Sure enough, they were moving in our direction.

“They eat magical energy. Are there any spells that will disrupt them rather than feed them? Morio and I can wield death magic.” I motioned for him to move toward me. He was already starting to draw in energy, I could feel it grow and swirl—a vast current of violet light sweeping out from deep within him. That was one thing about working with the death magic. It came from deep in our core rather than outside of us. Regardless of the environment, if magic could be worked, we could summon it.

Morgaine set her pack on the ground. “There are several spells that can disrupt them, but death magic is not one of them. So stand your ground, Fox. They can be attacked physically, but only with iron weapons, and none of us are geared for that. They can be attacked more readily on the astral plane. But again, plane shifting here would be dangerous.”

“Then what do we do?”

She pointed at my staff. “Yew, correct?”

I nodded. “Yes. Aeval gave it to me.”

“The wood can disrupt them.” She pulled a wand out of her pack. “I have a yew wand. Yew and elder are the two woods that will affect them. Touch them with the wood and it will disrupt their energy and send them packing.”

“You mean we can actually kill them?”

“No, but we
can
buy enough time to hightail it out of here.”

Bran fumbled through his pack. “I have an elder mallet.” He brought out a small, hand-sized hammer. It barely looked capable of driving a nail into wood, let alone fighting off will-o’-the-wisps, but then I caught a whiff of the energy.

“Oh yeah, babe.” I couldn’t help it. I wanted to touch his hammer. It sang to my yew staff and I realized that the woods helped exacerbate one another.

Beside me, Morio shivered. “I can feel it, too.”

Bran let out a snort. “Elder, like yew, is a wood of death. It channels the energy. I suggest, when you find the opportunity, you look into making yourself a weapon out of the tree, youkai. It fits your nature, deathly fox.” He paused, then nodded. “Get ready. We’ve got company.”

Morio whirled around, eyes blazing, as the will-o’-the-wisps descended and we were inundated by the creatures. They swarmed like ants boiling off of a hill. There were easily four dozen of them, and they zipped around us, darting like fireflies. Only these fireflies had stingers, and they were nasty.

One landed on my shoulder and jolted me. My shoulder burning, I whipped around, bringing my staff to bear. The glowing globe pulled away, but I managed to hit another one of them with it and—with a sizzle—the will-o’-the-wisp vanished, popping like a soap bubble. I tried to keep in mind that I hadn’t killed it, just sent it packing.

Delilah let out a growl as she began to shift form. The will-o’-the-wisps were swarming her, too, and as she transformed into her panther shape, they pulled back. She lunged at one, catching it in her mouth. To my surprise, the creature let out a little shriek and disappeared. Delilah let out a satisfied grunt and went after another batch of them.

Beside me, Morio was shifting into his youkai form. In his demonic form, he stood eight feet high, a bizarre hybrid of fox and human and demon, with human hands ending in black claws, and he could make a horse envious with the way it was hanging.

He swiped his way through the mass of lights attacking us, and a few of them vanished. Whether they feared him, or whether his touch disrupted them, I didn’t know, but it didn’t matter. It was working, and we were slowly fending our way through them.

Bran and Morgaine were swinging right and left with their wand and hammer, popping the lights as they went. Another one landed on my other shoulder. The sting was fierce—like that of a giant hornet. I could feel it trying to siphon off my energy.

“Fuck you, too!” I jumped aside and swung my staff at it, managing to hit it square on. The creature vanished. A song behind me stopped me cold. I whirled around, as did Morgaine and Bran.

Tanne was standing, arms out, as he held a long note that echoed through the night. The music rolled like a wave, so tangible I could see it oozing forward. Unstoppable, it rolled through the lights and over us. I braced myself but the notes ran through me like mist.

When the wave of sound hit the will-o’-the-wisps, the creatures let out a collective shriek and began to deflate, like gas escaping from a bunch of balloons. A stiff breeze sprang up, catching the colored vapor, and swept it away, and we were suddenly alone, standing there in the dark of the night, with only the stars and the ground around us.

“How did you do that?” I turned to Tanne, as Delilah shifted back into her normal shape. “What was that?”

“I told you, I’m a spell singer and a demon hunter. Will-o’-the-wisps are common in the Black Forest and we’ve had to come up with a way of dealing with them. A witch I know named Liesel discovered what frequency they use to take physical shape. She was able to devise a spell that disrupts their energy enough to actually destroy them before they can vanish.”

“Can you teach me that?” I cocked my head, wondering what it would require to learn how to be a spell singer.

Tanne frowned. “I doubt it—it’s a natural talent, like your Moon Magic. Only members of my Fae clan have the power. We’re widespread across Europe, but it’s a hereditary gift.”

“That figures.” I grinned. I hadn’t really expected him to say yes. “It was worth a shot, though.”

Morgaine cleared her throat. “Well, that was impressive. I haven’t seen quite such a display since my years spent in the forests of Britain.”

Her tone was light, but I could practically see the wheels turning. She was always, always on the lookout for ways to increase her personal advantage, but Tanne could take care of himself.

“Well, that solves our first problem. If we’re lucky, maybe we’ll avoid anything worse.” Delilah might be ever optimistic, but even she sounded like she didn’t believe her own words.

“Yeah, that’s not going to happen. You know it. I know it. Let’s not even kid ourselves.” I snorted. “I’m thinking we’re bound to run into something nasty over here. I just hope it’s not Yannie Fin Diver again, or that freakshow spider-Fae that caught Chase.”

Delilah shuddered. “Yannie Fin Diver is terrifying. In fact, he wins my ‘never-want-to-see-again’ award.”

Yannie Fin Diver was as good as a god for the Meré—and the merfolk were a vicious race. He had come after us when we’d inadvertently entered what I realized now was this same realm. We’d just stumbled in from a different entrance point. Yannie had been all too intent on grabbing my unicorn horn and then eating us. At least, I had hoped the latter was his intent—anything else was too terrifying to contemplate.

Morgaine motioned for Morio and me to join her again at the front. “We have a couple days of hiking from here. We’d best get moving. I suggest we continue till midnight, then hole up for a few hours. We’re roughing it, so I hope you all brought soft blankets. There aren’t any hotels on the route we’re taking.”

Hotels were the least of my worries. Silently, we set off into the night, trying to keep to the path. Once again, I was center front, with Morgaine on my left and Morio on my right. I wanted to drop back and talk to Delilah but this was neither the time nor place—too many things could go wrong here, and we needed all eyes alert. Talking would distract us.

The scent of moss filtered past, but in the dark we couldn’t see where it was coming from. The air was chilly, and I pulled my cape tighter around my shoulders. I’d decided against bringing the black unicorn cloak—too many chances to be noticed. As it was, I’d had to think long and hard about the horn, but in the end, I decided that the need for it might outweigh the danger of attracting unwanted attention. I just hoped that I wouldn’t have to use it. Bran’s greed was strong, and I had no idea how the trickster’s son might react when a bright sparkly dangled in front of him.

There was moisture in the air, and wisps of clouds were crossing the moon. The sounds of night here were different than in Earthside or Otherworld. Scuttling from the bushes could be anything. And, below the night songs, I could hear a thrum that registered almost at the bottom of my hearing. A cadence, a beat that sounded like the patter of many feet on muffled ground. Was it the nature of this realm? Or some creature? Or was it just the sound of my thoughts?

Morgaine had fallen into an uneasy silence. She paused every now and then, as if taking stock of where we were, then would nod for us to start up again.

At one point, a loud shriek reverberated through the air, chilling me to the bone. Echoing, it pierced my thoughts, and I broke out into a cold sweat. It took every ounce of nerve I had to keep myself from racing off into the undergrowth. Morio slid his arm around my waist. Behind me, I could hear Delilah gasp and Tanne whisper something under his breath. Another moment, and the cry drifted off.

“What . . .” Delilah started to ask.

Tanne answered before she could get the rest of the question out. “
Bean Sidhe
. Hunting down the family she’s bound to, no doubt. They usually scream twice. Once when they begin their journey, once when they reach their destination. We have similar creatures in the Black Forest. The
Erlkönig
. The Alder Kings ride to announce death for the families to which they are bound.”

I let out a shaky breath. Bean Sidhe would have been my guess, had Tanne not beat me to it. Delilah caught my gaze in a moonbeam and her eyes went wide, shimmering with a swirl of sparks. The crescent tattoo on her forehead flared to life and I caught my breath.

“The Autumn Lord . . .” I whispered.

She nodded. “I responded to the Bean Sidhe’s call. The more I walk under the reign of the Autumn Lord, the more I am drawn to his realm. I noticed . . . when we were in Elqaneve and the storm hit, I could feel something shifting. I’m evolving . . . and I’m not sure what he’s planning for me right now, but something’s on the move.”

I could feel the swirl around her—bonfires and crisp autumn leaves.

Death magic . . . the energy surrounding her is very much akin to our death magic. I think Delilah is headed for a very shadowy world soon.

At first I thought
I
had thought the words, but then Morio gave my hand a squeeze and I realized that somehow he had entered my mind and whispered to me in a voice so low that no one else seemed to catch it. I nodded, just enough for him to see. Delilah’s training with the Death Maidens had changed her—for the better, in my opinion. But once Morio mentioned it, I could sense change looming in front of her. And whatever it was would not be easy but it would be worth the challenge.

Returning my attention to Morgaine, I steeled my nerves. “You say we have a couple of days of travel ahead? Where are we going?”

Morgaine was short—very petite. We looked a lot alike, although she definitely had some age wearing on her. In some ways, it seemed like we were walking a similar path, only hers had started a thousand years ago or so, while mine was still in its infancy.

“We seek the Veiled Mountains. The Merlin was last rumored to be sleeping there. The Fae Lords hid him away very carefully. They did not want him waking.”

“What part did he play in the war?” Delilah asked.

“The Merlin was their mightiest enemy when the arguments were waging over the Great Divide. He led Titania and Aeval and their armies against the Fae Lords who drove the juggernaut along. The wars raged, vicious and cunning, before their side won and ours lay in ruins. But the victory was costly to everyone. Before there could be any counter measures, the Fae Lords imprisoned the Fae Queens, and the Merlin. And they imprisoned their allies as well. And when they had accomplished their goal, they imprisoned both their enemies and their allies. They turned on their monstrous friends, and cast them deep into sleep. When they, in turn, decided to withdraw and slumber, they rigged spells to prevent their new enemies from waking until they did.”

“It wasn’t worth it, was it?” I tried to block out thoughts of the devastation.

“What?”

“I love Otherworld. But the destruction that was wrought while separating the worlds . . . it wasn’t worth it. We were taught all our lives how noble the lords were, and how the Divide had happened solely to keep the demons at bay. Now, I wonder how true any of that was.”

Morgaine started to speak, but stopped when Tanne let out a soft “Look” and pointed. We followed his direction. There, seeming to appear out of nowhere, was a large two-story building. It had a green man plaque hanging from it, and for all the world, it looked to be an inn. But where had it come from, and who the hell was running it?

Bran let out a relieved sigh. “Finally. I was not looking forward to sleeping on the ground, I’ll tell you that.”

I stared at him. He couldn’t be serious? It struck me that Bran might be on the spoiled side. “You realize that none of us are looking forward to camping out, but I think it’s safer than just traipsing into an inn that just appeared out of nowhere.”

“There is no safety in this realm, regardless of where we sleep. And if someone bothers us, we can handle them.” He sounded so cocky that it scared me. Why the hell had Derisa and Aeval insisted he come along? At least Morgaine seemed to have a level head about this trip. She knew it was dangerous, and she wasn’t taking chances.

As if reading my thoughts, Morgaine shook her head. “We are all weary and the trip is only going to become harder, but we don’t dare chance the inn. Just keep on moving. We aren’t far from a wooded glade, and there we will find shelter in the trees just off the path.”

Morio cleared his throat. “For once, I’m inclined to agree with you. This is not a realm to be taken lightly, and while we have a fair amount of power at our fingertips, there are creatures far stronger and more deadly than we are.”

Bran’s eyes narrowed to slits as he stared at Morgaine. “Do you forget what we discussed before we left? Do I have to remind you?”

Okay, this was a new one. I glanced at Morgaine, who flinched. She pressed her lips together and stared back at him. Anger rolled off of her in a wave, so palpable I could almost feel it.

She let out a short huff. “You might want to keep your mouth shut, Raven Master. Use up your tokens now and you won’t have any for later. A promise can only be leveraged so far, you realize?”

What the hell could Bran be holding over Morgaine’s head that would make her cave? And the more important question: Did Aeval know about this little matter when she ordered him to accompany us?

I glanced over at Arturo and Mordred. Arturo looked unfazed as usual. He was a rough read, that one. But Mordred looked pissed. As he gazed at Bran, a sneer flickered on his lips.

I shivered. The three of them made for a dangerous triangle, and whatever stakes they played for were far too high for my comfort level.

Delilah nudged my elbow and I gave her a surreptitious nod before leaning against my staff and whistling.

“Listen up. I have no clue what’s going down between you two, but whatever the issue is, we’re not part of it. You can do what you want, but the rest of us will take our chances in the woods ahead. We’re not going into that inn. If it showed up out of nowhere, it can vanish just as easily.”

Bran didn’t even bother looking at me, but continued to stare at Morgaine. “Moon Witch, you are under orders to the Queen of Dusk. Your desires and thoughts have no place or say here.”

Morgaine’s gaze flickered to meet mine and for the first time in a long while, I saw a glimmer of fear behind that cool exterior. “Play your cards wisely, Bran. Your hold on me is more tenuous than you like to think. I’ve met more dangerous players than you in my life and lived to see them enter the grave. Now, do you insist on chancing the inn?”

Bran flashed her a shrewd smile. “Check and mate. We will sleep in the forest. But Morgaine, don’t forget who holds the upper hand.”

Before anyone could say another word, the inn shivered and vanished. I stared at the barren space where it had stood. Everything in the realm of the Elder Fae seemed deadly and nebulous, and now that we knew Bran had some hold over Morgaine, I was even more nervous.

Morgaine let out a snort. “Sleep in the inn. Yes, what a
wonderful
idea.” Then, without another word, she turned and motioned toward the path. “Let’s get settled for the night. We need rest.”

*   *   *

The thicket was rife with deciduous trees, barren and sparse in the winter night. A thin veil of frost was beginning to form and it would be downright cold by morning.

Morio struck up a foxfire spell and the glowing ball gave us enough light to see our way behind a patch of ferns, their fronds waving a good five feet high. The trees were thick here. Among the alder and birch and oak, there also stood some fir and cedar. A dry, flat patch of ground beneath one of the giant conifers was large enough for us to spread out, and we gathered beneath the tree in a circle, resting on the ground.

I pulled out my blanket from my pack—spidersilk and thin, but warm. As I settled between Morio and Delilah, Tanne set up his gear on her other side.

Morgaine, Mordred, Arturo, and Bran set up their camp opposite us. I wanted to light a fire. Crackling flames would make everything seem so much better, but I didn’t even broach the idea. Too many creatures out there in the darkness. Too many chances to be seen by unwelcome eyes.

Bran said little, but instead covered himself with a blanket and turned over. I wasn’t sure if he was asleep, but it was a relief to feel like we weren’t under his constant scrutiny. Arturo silently went about setting out a snack for the three of them. Mordred leaned against one of the trees, his blanket wrapped around his shoulders.

I was tired, but hungry, so we dug through Hanna’s sack of sandwiches and chicken. She’d also included water in reusable plastic bottles, and cookies. Delilah stared at Bran’s prone figure, then tapped me on the shoulder and motioned for me to follow her. Tucking my cloak tightly around me, I did.

When we were far enough away from camp, back near the main road, she whispered. “What the hell is going on with Bran and Morgaine?”

“I don’t know, but I feel like we walked in a demilitarized zone, and any moment, we could step over the wire. I’d like to throttle Morgaine, though, for not warning us that Bran’s up to something. And I’d like to ask Aeval what the hell she knows about this and get a straight answer. She
can’t
be blind to their feud. She’s the one who brought Bran over to lead the Talamh Lonrach Oll Warriors. In fact, now that I remember, Morgaine was furious. I think she was doing her best to secure Mordred in that position.”

Delilah cocked her head. “But why would that give Bran power over her?”

“I don’t know, but when Morio was made my priest, during that rite, Morgaine acted like she hated my guts. Now she’s . . . well, she’s not friendly but she certainly seems to have transferred her anger for me to Bran.” I wanted to get to the bottom of all this, but the potential for upsetting the applecart was more than I wanted to risk—at least until we returned home.

“This whole off-to-find-the-Merlin thing reeks of intrigue.” Delilah sat down on a large rock. “I think I prefer dealing with the war in Otherworld. How can you stand the power plays going on out at the Triple Threat’s compound?”

I nudged her to scoot over so that I could sit beside her. The moon was visible between the clouds drifting by, and it felt like I could reach up and touch her. “I guess this is all part of where my life is headed. I’m supposed to be the first High Priestess over Earthside for the Moon Mother. That’s why Aeval is training me. But . . . there’s something bigger coming, I think.”

“That’s kind of how I feel with my training for the Autumn Lord.” Delilah let out a soft chuckle. “I mean, I know that one day I’m destined to bear his child, and that Shade will be the father by proxy . . . I guess that in itself is scary enough. At least, with that destiny, I can’t help but feel I’ll manage to survive. I can’t very well give birth if I’m dead.”

I let out a snicker and realized I could see my breath in front of me. “Well, that’s one way to look at it. Damn, it’s getting chilly.”

She nodded. “Yeah, the frost is already forming.”

“I wish that Aeval and Titania would . . .” Pausing, I glanced around to make sure nobody had followed us. No need for prying ears to hear what I was about to say. “I wish they would strip Morgaine of her powers.”

A shuffle in the brush stilled my words. Delilah heard it, too, and we froze, waiting to see what fresh horror was going to leap out at us. Another rustle and then the huckleberry bush parted and out flew a familiar figure.

“Mistletoe!” I jumped up. The pixie darted over toward us. Even though pixies tended to look a lot alike, we knew Mistletoe well enough to tell him from the rest. “What are you doing here?”

He tipped his hat—a tiny green affair formed from a leaf, with a dashing yellow feather in it—and hovered in front of me. “I bring you news from Feddrah-Dahns.” He spoke in Melosealfôr, the high language of the Cryptos, used also by Moon witches such as myself.

Mistletoe was about twelve inches tall, and he was nearly translucent, with flecks of light sparkling through his body. In addition to the hat, he wore a pair of burlap trousers tied with a belt made of ivy vine, and he had a brown leather bag slung over his shoulder.

Unlike the pixies we had fought earlier, Mistletoe was a good sort, and he was also the messenger of the crown prince of the Dahns Unicorns.

“It’s been far too long since we heard from you and Feddrah! How are you faring?” I held out my hand and he flew down to settle on it. I brought him down to my knee and he made himself at home.

“As I said, Lady Camille, I have a message for you.”

I frowned. “Feddrah-Dahns knows I’m here in the realm of the Elder Fae? And please, speak in the common tongue—Delilah doesn’t know Melosealfôr.” If the unicorn prince knew where I was, that begged the question: Who else had that information, and was I in danger?

“He does. Word travels fast and rumors, still faster.”

“Damned Raven Mother.
Why
did she open her big mouth? She knows how important this trip is.” I let out an exasperated sigh. Aeval sure knew how to pick our traveling companions.

But Mistletoe shook his head, his wings fluttering with the movement. “No, it was not her. She has been absent from Darkynwyrd for several weeks. The Black Unicorn summoned Feddrah-Dahns to the woodland yesterday. The rumors are thick, but we haven’t been able to track their source yet. We have scouts looking into matters.”

“If it wasn’t Raven Mother, then there has to be a leak in Talamh Lonrach Oll, or in the Grove of the Moon Mother. Because
I
didn’t even know I’d be making this trip until a couple days ago.” I glanced over at Delilah and she shook her head. “Anyway, what news do you bring?”

“Feddrah-Dahns is concerned. With Elqaneve devastated, and the war spreading, he wanted to make this journey himself, but he is needed in Dahnsburg. The king has put him in charge of coordinating war efforts on behalf of all the Cryptos volunteering for service.” The pixie scowled. “Telazhar . . . his name is as good a curse.”

“I’m glad to hear your master is safe. We miss him.” The unicorn might not be as stern as his father, King Uppala-Dahns, but he was noble and honest, and funny in his own way.

“Feddrah-Dahns bade me tell you this: There is reason to believe that danger heads your way. Questions have been asked around Dahnsburg about you . . . and about the Black Unicorn horn. We fear someone means to steal the horn. The prince asked me to find you and caution you to watch your back.”

I sucked in a deep breath, once again regretting that I’d ever been gifted with the horn and hide. It made me a walking target and right now I had a big red bull’s-eye painted on my back.

But if Raven Mother hadn’t been at the roots of the rumors, then who? Bran? But if Bran wanted the horn, he wouldn’t be spreading rumors around that I had it. He’d just find a way to take it, and being the son of an Elemental, I wouldn’t be able to stop him. No, there had to be something else . . .

“Thank the prince for me. I wish I had some answer to all this. Wait, maybe you know something.” I hesitated, not wanting to spread more rumors myself but maybe . . . just maybe . . .

“If I can be of service, you have only to ask.” For a pixie, Mistletoe was incredibly polite. I wondered again, just how he’d gotten his job and why he was so unlike the rest of his race. He could be an annoying little twit, but he came through when it counted.

I glanced around again, to make certain none of Morgaine’s crew was nearby. Delilah noticed and skirted the area, then returned.

“We’re alone.”

“Thanks. Mistletoe, if you don’t know the answer, will you ask Feddrah-Dahns for me? But don’t tell anybody else what I’ve asked, please. There’s a lot riding on this.”

He held up his hand. “I swear by my wings. What do you want to know?”

“Bran—Raven Mother’s son. What can you tell me about him? Do you know what secrets he might be holding over Morgaine’s head as blackmail? Do they have any history together other than out at Talamh Lonrach Oll? I’m stuck in the middle of what seems to be a conflict between the two.”