CHAPTER 21

“It is well into your daylight hours in your region, Vlad,” Elder Kozlov said slowly, “and yet no attack by the Fae against your strongholds.”

Elder Vlad opened his eyes within his darkened lair. He hated intercontinental communication when the daylight was against him and was sure that was why Elder Kozlov always delighted in such meetings.

“Your Eminence,” Elder Vlad murmured out loud, too weary to force a mind-to-mind exchange. “The Fae have not attacked, simply because we took human hostages from the surrounding towns to ensure they would use restraint. One of their allies, the she-Shadow Sasha Trudeau is still inexplicably wedded to the human condition—and the human military, as all my earlier reports have shown. That is why I believe we have not yet been daylight breached.”

“And you are sure this had nothing to do with the Fae’s charges of us being manipulated by the Erinyes?”

“That is preposterous, Your Grace, a slap in our faces. First the Fae break open six viceroys’ tombs and then feel our wrath, and now it is the cause of Erinyes?”

“This is what they claim,” Elder Kozlov said in a lethal tone. “They also assert that the only reason we are in this predicament is your post-court collusion with one Lady Jung Suk, a demon.   hence our debt that would have been cleared by the assassination in open court of Baron Geoff Montague.”

“As I told you in our previous discussion just hours ago, these claims by the Fae are their way of trying to negotiate surrender. They have attacked us, thinking our Vampire forces were weakened by earlier campaigns, only to discover that we own vast resources, and are now questioning the wisdom of drawing us into battle.”

“That is a possibility,” Elder Kozlov said through a long, wheezing inhale. “But before you attack the Fae and squander resources, I want a meeting in the swamp with the Erinyes. If they have indeed made us to be their serfs.   there will be hell to pay for any and all involved in the chain of events that led to the Vampire Cartel losing face. If not, and if this is a ruse by the crafty Fae, then they will be obliterated. To ensure that, I have reconsidered your request and have sent troops poised in the tunnels that are awaiting for darkness to fall in your land. They will take your lead; you are their commander. Use them wisely, Vlad. I would hate to see Fae troops felled only to fly up in your face as freed Erinyes. That would disappoint me.”

“What are the Fae waiting for, Sister?” Alecto leaned in as she stared into the black scrying bowl filled with human blood that her sister held between her talons.

“I don’t know!” Megaera said with a frown. “They should have been blowing the doors off mausoleums and storming mansions in search of vaults by now. Yet they remain crouched in the swamps near the UCE court.”

“Maybe the Fae have lost their nerve? Should we provide a little incentive?”

“No. We wait. The Vampires’ forces from their old country build in the tunnels; the Harpies are excited, as the old ones are prepared for war. If the Fae have lost their nerve, this bodes well for us. It will be a complete slaughter, for the Vampires will never negotiate.”

Alecto laughed, but her cackling was cut short as Tisiphone entered the cavern. “Sisters, there is word that Lady Jung Suk was lured to a séance and destroyed.”

Megaera waved her hand and drank down the contents of the scrying bowl. “After we breached their Sidhe, of course the Fae would try to get the last vestiges of the demon out of Amy Chen’s body, now that she has become one of their strong allies’ wife. The empress was a fool to allow herself to be lured into such an obvious trap. We no longer need her. She gave us the spell, had her dark coven cast it; now all we need is for Fae bodies to fall.”

Hours had passed as the Fae healers worked tirelessly on Shogun while Sasha and Hunter used all that they had to bring Silver Hawk around. The elderly shaman’s back was raw, but his determination and spirit had never been stronger. Doc ministered to Amy, slowly bringing her around and helping clear out any vestiges of dark energy with Clarissa’s and Bradley’s help. Esmeralda was the easiest and first to heal, simply because the demon didn’t want her—the demon wanted lodging in a member of Shogun’s family or with someone who had the power of the Were, something that would hurt her nephew deeply and scar him for life.

The cruel irony was, however, she’d possibly done that, if Shogun lived, by forcing everyone’s hand to keep him held and burning beneath a silver net.

“How is he?” Hunter asked, wiping the sweat from his brow.

“Still touch-and-go,” Garth said quietly. “It was truly bad going for him this time.”

“Then with me, Sasha, maybe even Grandfather.   we can try to help with his healing,” Hunter said anxiously, trying to push past Garth.

Garth shook his head and gently touched Hunter’s arm. “You two are almost depleted, and like Amy, Silver Hawk shouldn’t do anything but rest for at least twenty-four hours. We will need you on the battle lines, soon. Your man Bear Shadow has arrived with five thousand wolf soldiers and you will have to lead them. Shogun’s cousins arrived with twenty-five thousand Asian Werewolves strong, trekking for days through the Arctic and down through Canada into the U.S. to be at this battle. We need you there, just as Sasha must lead her human forces, should they join us again.”

“Stay with your brother and grandfather,” Sasha said to Hunter. “I’ll go to the front. I have to communicate with Colonel Madison anyway. I haven’t spoken to him all day, and after last night who knows what has happened on the base? By now the Joint Chiefs might be ready to launch ICBMs at Dragons in the air, they could be so freaked out.”

Hunter stepped in front of her. “No, Sasha. Rather that you be here with Shogun and Grandfather helping them heal.   I just can’t have you go out there after what almost happened in the magick room.”

“Hunter, I don’t know what’s gotten into—”

“To the swamps!” a Fae guard yelled, running down the hallway. “Battle stations! Gargoyles and Erinyes are positioning in the tunnels for a sunset strike—so say the Gnomes!”

“Go,” Garth urged, grabbing Hunter by both arms. “What would your brother do? Would he stay and keep you alive just so that your wife and her parents could perish once the castle was stormed, or would he fight?”

Sasha looked at Hunter, touched his face, and then turned to follow the sounds of chaos. Within seconds he was at her side, exiting the sidhe through the secret tunnel Garth had shown them.

Fae archers were everywhere. Horsemen thundered toward the dark interior of the bayou as the sun kissed the horizon. Sasha ran beside Hunter with her cell phone pressed to her ear, talking to Colonel Madison in fits and starts.

“Seal off the area to all civilians,” she said, panting as she leaped over fallen logs, swamp bog, and branches. “Clear the airspace over New Orleans—yes, sir, the whole area. The sky is gonna be lit up with dogfights like it’s the Fourth of July. Dragon air strikes are on our side. But be ready to scramble jets, and our boys might need to come into a situation hot. I will make contact; until then, keep ’em back. They might shoot friendlies and there’s no time to explain how to tell the difference, sir.” She paused for a moment and stopped running as she listened to the terrible news. “Hostages? How many?”

Hunter skidded to a halt beside her, listening, and then resumed running ahead of her, calling out for Sir Rodney.

Sir Rodney turned back, dismounted from a tree, and landed in front of Sasha and Hunter. “What news from the humans?”

“A hundred and fifty humans were abducted,” Sasha huffed, catching her breath. “No doubt an insurance policy by the Vampires to keep us from blowing lairs by day.”

“We had no intention of doing that, so—”

“But it means they didn’t believe Cerridwen’s missive to Vlad,” Hunter said as they jogged deeper into the bayou.

“The Vampires never allow themselves to be backed into a corner without room to negotiate,” Queen Cerridwen said, gracefully appearing from behind a tree. She then raced alongside the leadership, finally coming to a halt when they’d reached the dark glen. “We will call the court to rise,” she said, slightly winded, “and through our evidence, we will obtain the release of the humans.”

“We cannot go to war over New Orleans,” Sasha said quietly to Hunter, Sir Rodney, and Queen Cerridwen. “We covered up the other incidents with very thin media spin, but E-3 AWACS and F-16s over the city won’t be a flyby training mission no matter how much damage control we attempt.   and if Dragons and gargoyles start falling from the sky with a hundred fifty dead or missing.   are you all hearing me?”

“Rodger that,” Hunter said, catching his breath and glancing around at the outrageous show of force on the ground, in the trees, and now circling in the air. “Maybe we won’t have to, if all goes well in court.”

“Precisely,” Sir Rodney said. “But it is always good to let them know that if they want a battle, so be it.”

“I call the United Council of Entities court to session!” Queen Cerridwen shouted. “May the crone of the court arise up the great hall!”

Thunderous applause greeted Queen Cerridwen’s request, and just as swiftly as the building began its laborious ascension from the murky swamp depths Elder Vlad stepped from the shadows with an army flanked by gargoyles.

“Yes, allow the court to rise from the depths so that we may enter into the record the Fae’s complicity in attacking six of my viceroys with no evidence of foul play.”

Electrified tension hung in the air under the weight of the moon. No one watched the building rise; all eyes were on the other, on the enemy. They waited in the stillness, poised for attack lest anyone cough. The doors of the courthouse eerily creaked open. Frogs and crickets, all nightlife, were deadly silent as the old crone of the courts made her way methodically past the huge columns and down the swamp-slicked marble steps.

“Book!” she screeched. “Bring plenty of ink for the ledger. Tonight what we have here is an unprecedented show of power. Who speaks the first complaint?”

Queen Cerridwen waited until the ancient black tome took its place in the air, hovering above the crone’s right hand and beneath the raven quill pen. “I speak,” Queen Cerridwen announced, and proudly stepped forward.

“You dare to be the first to lob a complaint, Cerridwen—you traitorous bitch—after you opened Ariel Beauchamp’s tomb to daylight to avoid prosecution in the first trial?”

“I’d advise you to watch your tone, Vampire!” Sir Rodney shouted across the glen amid murmurs of discontent from all camps. “Hiss and spit all you like, Vlad Tempesh, but our fair Fae queen has the floor.”

“Thank you, Sir Rodney,” she said, giving Elder Vlad a glacial stare. “Today we had a séance and called forth Lady Jung Suk—”

“Out of order!” Elder Vlad yelled. “A known criminal—”

“And I’m not concerned with that part of her past,” Queen Cerridwen said, keeping her gaze steady on Elder Vlad. “I agree that it is complicated.” She paused for effect, watching the ancient Vampire subtly release a breath of relief, admitting neither his wrongdoing nor hers before the assembled armies. “What is of importance is that we learned the Erinyes have a benefit in bringing the Fae to war with the Vampires. We believe they have double-dealt the Vampires and through sleight of hand, using our Unseelie battle tactics, have made it look like we were the culprits in opening your viceroys’ graves.”

“Preposterous!” Elder Vlad shouted as his army of Vampires and gargoyles jeered.

“If we are right, then you have killed sixty innocent Fae!” Sir Rodney called out once the noise died down. “But we are prepared to offer you a truce. Stand down against the Fae and fight with us against the Erinyes and we will not hold the Vampires accountable for our losses.”

Fae soldiers grumbled amongst themselves as Elder Vlad remained passionless.

“Rather that we lose sixty good men at the border, due to mistaken identity,” Queen Cerridwen said, “most of whom were from my Unseelie ranks, than lose thousands on this battlefield tonight. What will it be, Vlad, your ego or a rational truce?”

Elder Vlad smiled and shook his head. “Cerridwen, Cerridwen, Cerridwen, so much fire beneath all that ice, till I fear you shall melt away.   as always in our interactions,” he added, baiting Sir Rodney and attempting to embarrass the queen with innuendo.

“I assure you that shan’t be the case,” she said, sending icicles across the trees and causing mist to puff from her lips as she spoke. “I have reserved a cool head and a cold heart for all of our dealings, Vlad. The only one ever fear that I melt away from his attentions is my king, Sir Rodney.”

Chuckles from the Fae ranks followed the queen’s statement, but it was clear that both Sir Rodney and Elder Vlad were still rankled.

“I believe your offer of a truce is based upon your understanding that your troops will be decimated, should the Vampires elect to go to war. I believe that you began a campaign that you were ill prepared to continue, once you saw the extent of our wrath.   so now you have come to grovel.”

Sir Rodney swept his arms out to either side. “Does this look like groveling? Be rational and be strategic, old Vampire. From the air there are Dragon squadrons ready to meet your gargoyles and fliers. From the ground, the infantry and cavalries speak for themselves, and many of you that became night embers have already met our archers.”

Elder Vlad narrowed his gaze. “As you have met our mercenaries, but have yet to experience our European forces from the Old World..   Legions will crush you under their boots.”

“To what end, Vlad? That is a complete waste of resources all around and you know it. Stop this folly now and at least be sure you have the correct information,” Queen Cerridwen said in a bored tone. “Let us settle this by the only reasonable way one can. Call the Erinyes.”

Another collective murmur rippled through the crowd.

“Are you serious?” Vlad said, and then smiled, baring fangs. “You want the crone to call demons up and question them as a matter of record? Then you will owe them, and have nothing substantial to bargain with.”

“Correction,” the crone said, breaking the standoff. “The Erinyes will testify for the court and all members of the UCE will have to put in something that they want—unless they are found guilty of a crime against members of this court.”

“I’m banking that they are guilty as sin,” Queen Cerridwen said coolly. “You know me well enough to know that I wouldn’t call demons and be left in a position to owe them unless I thought they’d come away owing me. On this they will owe the sixty Fae lives that were lost due to inciting the Vampires against the Fae. Hence why Sir Rodney and I are willing to allow bygones to be bygones, once we have their testimony.”

“It is a good deal, Vampire,” the crone said, shaking her head. “I would take it if I were you. Erinyes, if called by the court for the truth, will not be able to lie—it is the conjuring province of the spells cast for eons by the UCE.”

“Then call them,” Elder Vlad said between his teeth.

The old crone chuckled. “I thought you would take that sane way out.” She walked the perimeter of a small circle and began her ancient incantations as the glen fell silent under the light of the moon. Soon billowing yellow sulfuric smoke rose from the center of the circle that she’d walked off; then a tall burst of green light shot up with a screeching Erinys inside it.

“A complaint has been lodged,” the old crone said. “And we ask you—”

Before she could finish her sentence the swamp floor erupted with warring Erinyes. They flew at the Vampires and Fae alike.

Sasha’s voice rang out, “Do not kill each other—hit demon targets only!”

“Mirror shields up!” Queen Cerridwen shouted.

Vampires hissed and sent black bolts toward the mirrors.

“Kill no Vampires! Evasive actions only!” Sir Rodney’s voice rang out as Dragons spiraled down to hit demon targets.

“You must use the mirrors!” Hunter shouted, tossing a shield to Vlad. “If your legions look at them in the eyes they will go to stone!”

Vlad watched in horror as several hundred of his local men instantly turned to granite, but the Vampire forces from Europe were prepared and slashed at the beasts, using their telepathic senses to guide them.

“Use the Fae shields!” Vlad called out, and entered the battle with his eyes closed, fighting blindly.

Wolves ripped demon appendages as fleet-footed Fae blasted the injured Erinyes with white-light wand charges. Vampires were merciless, ripping out throats and disemboweling creatures so that wolves could finish the job on the ground. Gargoyles funneled up, mixing in with the Erinyes’ flight bursts, savaging them, riding their backs, and sending them to the ground for Dragon consumption. Sasha was liquid motion, moving in and out of the shadows with Hunter as though doing an elaborately choreographed dance.

From the corner of her eye in the flash of a mirrored shield, Sasha remembered the one who had breached the castle as their leader. The screech was the same pitch, her raspy demon voice unforgettable. The moment Sasha was sure she’d identified the one named Megaera, Sasha cut through the battle lines on a mission.

Hunter had a demon by the throat when he saw Sasha break formation and then saw where she was headed. Casting off the gasping demon into the heart rip of a waiting Vampire, he took off after Sasha.

He yelled, “No!” at the same time Megaera turned. Sasha was in mid-air lunging toward her when their eyes met. The stone transformation was instant. Sasha dropped to the ground as granite. Megaera threw her head back and laughed and then called for her Erinyes sister to retreat.

But Hunter tackled Megaera from a sidelong blow and pinned her down on her stomach as Sir Rodney and Queen Cerridwen silver-netted her with Hunter trapped in the mesh.

“Retreat!” Alecto called out.

“Gather Fae bodies so that we shall rise again!” Tisiphone screeched.

And just as quickly as it had begun it had ended. The only things disturbing the stillness were the howling screeches of the demon burning alive in the silver while being savaged by a very angry wolf.

“Get Hunter out of there!” Bear Shadow shouted.

Fae rushed in with Sir Rodney and Vampires hung back from the silver, but Hunter’s fury wouldn’t allow anyone to get close to the mesh.

“Let him finish that bitch!” Crow Shadow said, weeping as he crouched down beside Sasha. “She killed my sister. Let him tear her up—eat her alive!”

“We need the testimony of the leader,” Queen Cerridwen said, and then stunned Hunter with an icy blast from her wand.

Wolves snarled and lunged but stopped just short of an actual attack. Fae soldiers moved quickly to drag Hunter out of the netting but left the screeching demon who was missing an arm, her tail, and most of the lower part of her body.

“Wake him gently,” Sir Rodney said, and then pressed his wand to the demon’s throat. “Tell this court what you have done. Is it true you would use the Vampires as pawns to kill the Fae and then inhabit their bodies as though they’d been sacrificed for you?”

“Yes!” Megaera screeched. “We already have the spell. There are sixty of you dead, if not more! We will rise again!”

“But if you betrayed the Vampires,” Elder Vlad said in a dangerous voice, “then I rescind any sacrifice—those sixty dead Fae are not given unto you, and any dead on this field you cannot claim because my forces never attacked a single Fae.”

“Damn you, Vlad Tempesh!” Megaera screeched.

“Too late,” he said with a bitter smile, “and you shall so owe me for all of this.”

“No,” the demon shouted, growing weaker as the effect of the silver depleted her strength, “it is you who still owes me for the body of the young girl! We still have unfinished business.”

“I have over a hundred and fifty human hostages scattered around lairs in this state—pick a body, any body,” Vlad said, laughing.

“No. ,” Elder Kozlov said calmly as he stepped out of the shadows and summarily beheaded Elder Vlad with a black death charge from his fingers. “Consider this Vampire head your debt paid in full. It was the best I could do on such short notice.” He looked at the legions of Vampires as Elder Vlad’s head rolled to his feet. “I have read disturbing testimony from Caleb that was entered in the court dockets just before dawn. Know that the last thing anyone ever wants to do is lie to me.”

Elder Kozlov drew himself up and then looked down at Megaera. “Lucifer and I are on a first-name basis.   care to wager what he might think about your squandering Vampire resources for your own personal gain.   his elite fighting forces of the darkness?”

“You wouldn’t,” the demon whispered, now seeming to feel every injury she’d sustained.

“But you know that I would,” Elder Kozlov said with a tight, fanged smile. “You have forgotten your place, demon.”

“What do I have to do to make this right, Your Eminence?”

“The first bargain is void, because you double-bargained over it.”

“Yes, yes, of course.”

“This deal is null, because it was based on fraud.” Elder Kozlov looked at the crone. “Enter this into the record.”

The crone bowed as the demon nodded.

“You have cost us viceroys..   Oh, you will so pay me for that offense, plus however many Fae lives that my misguided Vlad ordered executed.”

“Yes,” Megaera hissed.

“And you will return the she-wolf to her human form, all of her unharmed, as the wolves have shown restraint throughout and were peacekeepers to the end.   thus avoiding us having additional casualties.”

Megaera lifted her one talon and sent a dark energy charge to Sasha that the Fae quickly rinsed with silver and white light before it entered Sasha’s stone body. Crow Shadow clutched his sister to his chest as her wolf form gave way to a limp, warm, unconscious woman.

“Go to Hell,” Elder Kozlov said with a sneer, and then watched Megaera vanish. “We are much more discreet than this. Release the humans so that it does not become a media issue for our region..   Leave it to the Fae to spin the story and bespell those poor cattle. We don’t play with our food.” He nodded and Caleb slipped out of the shadows of the courthouse. Elder Kozlov crooked his finger, and Caleb smiled and then descended the steps to follow him.

Vampires stepped back and within a slow blink of an eye they were mist, swirling away on the night air with a funnel cloud of gargoyles.

“Awake Hunter gently,’ Sir Rodney said, and then went to Cerridwen to hug her as a unified Fae and wolf cheer rang out.