Chapter 4
I stared at the
Summer Queen. “The Court of Dreams? You seriously want me to go
into another plane in search of the Bat
People?”
Lainule gazed at me.
“It’s not what I want, child. The
journey depends on whether you value your friend’s life. I would
not have you go, except Kaylin plays an important part in your
future—that much I can tell you. If his demon does not wake, you
will never recover him and this will change the course of the war
against the Indigo Court. Whether for good or ill, I do not know,
but I don’t like playing with the future once it’s told me its
secrets.”
A hummingbird,
sparkling green with hints of blue, darted around my head, beating
its wings furiously. The creature was beautiful, almost ephemeral.
A gust of wind could knock it senseless. A year or two and it would
probably be dead. And yet still it fed, and seemed happy, and took
no notice of the future.
“To be so carefree,”
I whispered.
Lainule followed my
gaze to the bird. “The hummingbird is no more carefree than you
are. She must eat, and eat often. She must build her nest to lay
her eggs and hope that predators stay away while she incubates
them, and later, while she is off fetching food for the chicks. She
must avoid flying into buildings or other stationary objects. She
must avoid being caught by birds of prey and cats and anything else
that might want to eat her. The world is her enemy and yet . . .”
Lainule held out her hand and whistled, and the hummingbird dove
for her, perching on her finger, fluttering its wings a few beats
every second.
“And yet, she trusts
in the way of things. She brings joy in her wake. What lessons can
you take from her?” She reached out with her other hand and gently
stroked the bird’s head, then motioned for me to do the
same.
I felt an odd
instinct rise up, one I didn’t like. A part of me—my owl
self—wanted to dart forward and snatch up the hummingbird. It was
food, prey . . . And yet I was able to control the predator within
and, taking a deep breath, I reached out and ran my finger along
the back of the bird, reveling in how small and yet how incredible
it was.
“You just faced what
will become one of your greatest lessons, I think. When we
automatically attack those weaker, we lose incredible
opportunities. This is a lesson most of the Cambyra Fae must
learn—to hunt only when necessary. What else, child?”
Exhaling slowly, I
thought for a moment. “To persevere, regardless of the odds. To
take joy in what I can. To attempt what seems impossible. To soar,
despite the effort it takes.”
“Very good.” She
flicked her finger and the hummer raced off.
I followed it with my
gaze as it soared into the distance.
A lazy breeze wafted
past, and I reached out on the slipstream to listen. The sound of
fading summer ran through the currents, along with the whispering
of leaves on the edge of turning color. The faint thunder of
winter’s drums threatened in the distance. And then I understood. I
turned to Lainule.
“Your Court is waning
. . . Myst is sucking the life force out of your realm.” My voice
was hushed. The thought that the Mistress of Mayhem could destroy
not only Lainule’s people, but her very realm, was terrifying. The
long winter had truly come, riding the coattails of Summer, with
wolves baying.
Lainule’s
face—unlined and clear—fell into sadness, and I wanted to reach
out, to wipe away the mourning in her eyes.
“Yes, child. She is
slowly draining me. She has taken over the Golden Wood, and while I
can set up Court elsewhere, the woodland contains the Alissanya—my
heartstone. I did not have time to retrieve it when they routed us.
There was so much terror that night. So many people screaming and
so much blood. My guards fought valiantly, but the blood ran like a
river through the throne room, through the halls. Even if we
reclaim our rightful home, the scent of terror will never vacate
the barrow, and the ghosts of my people will linger. I will forever
remember their screams. And I could not stop her. Myst’s people fed
well.”
Shivering, I tried to
block out the images, but I could see them—it was as if I had
connected into Lainule’s memories. The Cambyra Fae, running,
screaming, trying to escape as the Shadow Hunters broke through and
began to rip them to shreds. The monsters raged that
night.
Pushing aside my
nausea, I asked, “Heartstone? I’ve never heard of it. What’s a
heartstone?”
Lainule reached out
and tipped my chin up. “I tell you what few outside of my realm
know, but since your father . . . since he’s one of my people, I
will tell you. And perhaps it will help you against Myst, though I
do not want you running off half-cocked. Do you
understand?”
I opened my mouth and
then stopped. My tongue felt thick.
“I am placing you
under a Binding Oath on this one, child. Whatever you promise to me
on this matter will hold you to your word.” Her voice was solemn,
and I realized that my assent would, indeed, give her power over
me.
“I promise, I won’t
do anything rash,” I whispered.
“A heartstone is part
of a Faerie Queen’s heart. When we take the throne, a part of our
heart emerges from our body during the ritual and is encapsulated
in a gem. The gem is hidden within the depths of our realm. This
keeps our land safe; it allows us to shift our lands in and out of
the realm of mortals. It is what keeps my realm forever summer . .
. it is what helps keep the realm of the Queen of Oceans forever
submerged. All Faerie Queens have one.”
All Faerie Queens? I
knew there were several, but I had no clue how many. “Even
Myst?”
Lainule shrugged.
“That I do not know. I should think she has to, in order to bring
her winter with her, but the ritual may have been tainted, for she
did not take the throne until she had been changed by Geoffrey. She
was not a Faerie Queen before he got to her.”
“And if you lose your
heartstone?”
Looking half-sick,
she shuddered. “If we ever should lose our heartstone, or if we are
driven out of our realm and cannot take it with us, we will fade
and become a spirit, doomed to wander the earth like a ghost, and
our heartstone will crack. Or . . . if someone finds it, they can
destroy it and thus we will die. If Myst finds my heartstone, she
can obliterate me.”
“And it’s still
within the Golden Wood.” I breathed out a long, slow breath.
Lainule was fading, slipping into the realm of spirit because Myst
had taken over her land. “So she hasn’t found it yet?”
“I guarantee you, if
she had, I’d be dead. No, the Alissanya is well hidden still, but
it’s in the heart of the wood and there is no chance of reaching it
without attracting her notice. As it is, reaching the Court of
Dreams is going to be dangerous enough because you must go into the
Golden Wood to find your way there.”
She took her place on
the makeshift throne, and I sat cross-legged on the grass next to
her, enjoying the warmth from the sun.
“She looks to cover
the world in a new ice age, doesn’t she?” I asked.
Lainule hung her
head. “Perhaps not the world, but her territory, yes. Winter’s
banging at the door, and unless we can stop her, there will be no
summer to balance out the world. Do you understand why Geoffrey and
I had to try? Why we hoped this plague would stop
her?”
Biting my lip, I
nodded. “I do, but . . . Grieve. Please don’t tell me to forget
him, because I can’t promise you. Not like I did to keep silent
about the heartstone. I love him, Lainule—he is a part of me and
there’s nothing I can do to change that. But I will be
cautious.”
I picked a blade of
grass and chewed on it for a moment. “How do I enter the Court of
Dreams? How do I save Kaylin?”
Lainule smiled then,
and once again the sun emerged from behind a lazy cloud. Summer’s
tattered robes were still brilliant and beautiful, and not yet
fully stripped away. And whatever I could do to keep Myst from
destroying the joy of summer, I would willingly do.
“There is a portal in
my realm that leads to the Court of Dreams. It is not near the
barrow, so if you are cautious, you should be able to reach it. I
would not allow you to journey into Myst’s territory without good
reason, but Kaylin . . . he will be needed before this war is over.
Once you find the portal, you can enter the Court of Dreams and
seek out the Bat People. Ask their shaman for help—explain what
happened.”
“Are they
dangerous—the Bat People?”
Lainule pressed her
lips together for a moment, then took my hand. “Child, everyone in
your world is dangerous, including your own self. Get used to it—no
matter whom you are talking to, they will be a danger. The Bat
People are . . . unpredictable. They can be intimidating and they
can be terrifying. But they are not unjust. Use caution, use
diplomacy, watch your temper.”
“Can I take someone
with me? I can’t do it alone,” I whispered. The thought of facing
the journey by myself frightened me. Not only the Shadow Hunters,
but also Myst’s spiders and the goblin dogs and tillynoks and other
creatures pledged to the Ice Queen haunted the woods.
“Take Chatter with
you. He knows where the portal is.”
As I jerked my head
up, she laughed.
“Yes—I know you have
him with you. I am grateful you were able to save him. He was
always a good servant and playmate for Grieve. And take your friend
Peyton. She can help you through the woods. Do not take your cousin
or the vampire lackey. I do not fully trust him, and your cousin is
too unpredictable in her powers yet. Chatter can run camouflage,
you and Peyton can shift into animal form . . . both factors may
save your lives.”
“I suppose I’d better
be quick about it. When should we leave? If we wait till tomorrow
morning when the Shadow Hunters are sleeping off their pain, will
it be too long for Kaylin?” I didn’t want to go into the woodland
at night. I really didn’t want to face Myst’s people when they were
awake and hunting.
But Lainule dashed my
hopes. “No, you must leave soon. Go as soon as you’re home. You may
have enough time before nightfall to make it to the portal. I wish
I had more help to give, but any additions to your party will call
attention. Tell Chatter I entrust your life to his
care.”
And then the Queen of
Summer leaned forward and kissed my forehead. “My kiss will not
protect you, but may it gird your heart and when you are afraid,
remember, the Court of Rivers and Rushes believes in you. I believe
you can do this, Cicely. I have faith in you.”
As her guard led me
away, I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see Lainule reach
her hand up to catch a sunbeam. It traveled down her arm, bathing
her in light, and for a moment, I stood, entranced, watching the
glory that was the heart of the Golden Wood. And then the portal
opened and I stepped back into the snows of winter.
Rhiannon shook her
head. “How can she ask you to do this? To send you directly into
Myst’s clutches? You’re insane to even think about it. Who cares
what Lainule wants?”
Chatter flashed a
surprised look at her. “She is the Queen of Rivers and Rushes. The
Queen of Cicely’s people, of her father’s people. How can Cicely
disobey her? And mind you, this is not for Lainule’s greater
good—but your own. Our own. Kaylin is a
powerful ally and you call him friend. How could you let him drift
forever in the mists of his mind?” He sounded almost
hurt.
I held up my hand.
Peyton had stayed, and now she, Rhiannon, Chatter, and I were
sitting around the kitchen table. Leo had gone back out—Geoffrey’s
errands couldn’t be tabled. And that was fine with me, because I
had a feeling he’d object even more than Rhiannon. Leo would want
to go to Geoffrey for help, and this was something I didn’t want
the vampires to know about.
“Enough. I’ve already
promised. Chatter, you will come with me?”
“Of course, Miss
Cicely.” He smiled softly and quietly set his hand near mine. “I’ll
do whatever you need me to.”
“Peyton? It’s your
decision. You are under no obligation to go, but Lainule seems to
feel that you would be an asset during this journey.”
“Hey, how can I open
a magical investigations company if I don’t take some risks? Count
me in. I’ll call Mother and let her know I’m going to be gone for
the night. I won’t tell her what we’re doing, though—I just have a
feeling she’ll be happier if she thinks I’m just hanging over here
with you guys.” She slid out from her chair and headed over to one
corner of the kitchen, flipping open her cell phone.
Rhiannon was pissed,
that much was obvious. She headed for the sink, fuming. I leaned
against the counter, next to her, trying to think of a way to calm
her down as she filled the teakettle. When she was thirteen, she’d
thrown a temper tantrum, accidentally starting a fire that killed a
young girl trapped in a car. Traumatized and eaten by guilt, she’d
repressed her powers until recently, when they’d flared again.
Anadey—Peyton’s mother—had been helping her learn to control
them.
“Rhia,” I said
softly. “I have to do this. We need Kaylin. He’s your friend; I’m surprised you’re so against this.
He’ll die—or worse, become a vegetable—if we don’t help
him.”
Her eyes blurred with
tears as she clutched the saucer in her hand. “I lost my mother. I
can’t lose you, too.”
I took the saucer
from her and put it in the rack. “I won’t let anything happen. I’ll
come back with help for Kaylin. I promise you.”
She leaned against
the sink, hands clutching the porcelain, shoulders shaking. “I’m
just so scared. I miss my mother. I hate what happened to her and I
don’t want that to happen to you. What would I do without
you?”
I slipped an arm
around her. “That’s not going to happen, but if by chance anything
does, go to Anadey and ask her for help. Listen to what she says. I
want you to promise me.”
Rhiannon’s face
crumbled, but she nodded. “I promise. I’m not as strong as you are,
Cicely. In some ways, Krystal’s lack of care prepared you to handle
all of this better than Heather’s love ever did me. I’m frightened,
but I’m trying to learn to be strong. For so long I hid from
myself. I felt tainted. Now, I have to learn how to use my powers
and learn fast.”
“We’re all learning. We’re all learning how to survive.
Rhia . . . more than just our personal lives rest on this. Myst is
draining away Lainule’s power. Summer will fade and the winter will
settle in if we don’t stop her. And to stop Myst, we need Kaylin.”
I took her hands in mine and gazed into her reddened eyes. “I
have to do this. I’ll take Chatter and
Peyton with me. You and Leo keep watch over Kaylin and the house.
Okay?”
She let out a
shuddering breath and hung her head. “I guess we don’t have a
choice.”
“No, we don’t.
Because even if we run, Myst has other colonies out there, and they
will be edging into other towns, and bringing the winter with them,
and their hunger . . . no place is safe. Magic-born, Were, vampire,
yummanii, we’re all on the hit list.”
Rhia wiped her eyes
with the back of her hand. “Very well, what do you need from me?
What can I do to help?”
“That’s the Rhia I
know and love!” I kissed her cheek. “Can you throw together
sandwiches that we can eat on the move? I’m going to change into
something warmer.” As I headed toward the stairs, Rhiannon moved to
the refrigerator and started taking out bread and ham and cheese.
Though her lip still trembled, her chin was set and she looked
resolved.
We set out a half
hour later, armed with whatever weaponry we could find. Chatter had
raided Kaylin’s closet and was wearing a pair of white jeans, a
black-and-whitestriped turtleneck, and a black Windbreaker. He
looked oddly out of place in the clothes, but they would provide
both camouflage and warmth.
Peyton and I wore
jeans with sturdy hiking boots. I’d layered a sweatshirt over a
light V-neck sweater, and then topped it off with one of my aunt’s
Windbreakers. Peyton had borrowed a jacket from Leo’s closet—it fit
her broad shoulders better than anything Rhiannon or I owned would
have.
We climbed in the car
and Rhiannon drove us down the road about three miles, stopping at
a turnout by the side of the road. Chatter had taken into account
the location of the trail we needed to intercept. If we started
from this point, the Shadow Hunters—if any were braving the pain
caused by the light and were out and about—wouldn’t see us coming
from the house. And neither would their spies who were watching our
borders.
We climbed out of the
car. I hugged Rhia and she silently lifted a hand in salute as we
headed off the road, picking our way over a rather large snowbank,
to enter the thick of the forest.
The sky was overcast
with heavy white clouds as the snow lightly floated down, flakes
dancing on the currents. Ulean swept around us, trying to ward them
off, until I asked her to stop. No matter what, we were going to
get wet, and the currents she swept up in trying to blow away the
snowflakes were colder than the snow itself.
We plowed through the
knee-deep snow, slogging our way under the shadow of the trees. It
was going to be a long march and I doubted that we’d get out before
dark. For one thing, when we entered the Court of Dreams, we had no
clue what to expect.
The forest was
silent, except for the kiss of snow on snow. The fir and cedar were
bundled in their white coats and reminded me of a Christmas card,
but the lack of noise was disturbing. No birds twittered, no sound
of animals came breaking through the undergrowth; in fact, there
was no sign that any living thing walked the back paths of this
woodland.
Our breath came in
thick clouds, and my face was already raw with the chill. Chatter
walked lightly on top of the snow, barely leaving any footprints
behind, but Peyton and I weren’t so fortunate.
“It would be so much
easier to fly there, but then I wouldn’t have any clothes once I
changed back,” I said, keeping my voice low. Never knew who might
be listening behind what bush.
“We already know what
their spiders are like,” Chatter said. “But beware—the Ice and Snow
Elementals are dangerous if they are bound to one such as Myst. You
can’t really kill them. They’ll just re-form if you shatter
them.”
“Should I have
brought Rhiannon, with her fire?”
He shook his head.
“She’s not strong enough to make the journey. You and Peyton are
versed in fighting, and you’re both tough. Rhiannon and her beau
aren’t as skilled or as physically fit.” When he said the word
beau I heard a catch in his voice.
Chatter had a crush on my cousin and everybody knew it, but nobody
wanted to touch the subject.
“Have you ever been
to the Court of Dreams?” I quickened my pace, wanting to be through
the woods before afternoon.
“No, Miss Cicely. I
haven’t. Grieve has, though. He went once, against the Queen’s
orders. I remember he got in so much trouble.” His voice broke
again, and he shook his head, as if to shake off the past. “Best
not to dwell on times long gone. Even if we win, nothing will ever
be the same again.”
Peyton cleared her
throat. “No, they won’t, but perhaps they won’t be as dire as you
think. Sometimes change brings new growth. I know that sounds like
a platitude, but honestly, it’s true. When my father ran off, my
mother had to change our entire way of life. I was too little to
remember most of it, but I do remember we had to move out of our
big house into a tiny apartment, and that suddenly, Da was gone. He
never came back, and the abandonment still hurts, but we survived.
We learned to enjoy life again.”
I smiled at her,
shivering. “I never had a home, except for the Veil House. It’s the
only place I ever carried in my heart, because it stood for
stability. Heather was the only mother figure I knew. My own mother
. . . Krystal was . . .”
I paused, flashing
back to all the nights on the run, trying to escape apartment
managers after their money, and johns who were angry because
Krystal stole from them after she’d fucked them. I’d catch a
snippet on the wind and away we’d run. Though my mother hated her
magic—and mine—she took advantage of it when it promised to keep
her out of trouble.
The only stability
during those years came from Uncle Brody, who I met when I was
seven and who taught me the rules of survival as best as he could,
and the few months we lived with Dane, the man who had tattooed me,
and who’d been in love with Krystal. But she blew that one, just as
she fucked up everything in our lives, and we were out on the
streets again, and Dane died from a gunman’s bullet.
I’d learned to use
the wind to help me survive. Ulean warned me of danger, warned me
when we needed to move or when there was an opportunity I might
miss. She—and the wind—kept us alive on the margins of
society.
I shook my head.
“Krystal was a fuck-up. She was weak and she died because she
couldn’t face reality. I’ll never let myself become like her.” A
glance at the sky told me the snow was falling faster. “Come on,
let’s make tracks and get to the portal. Chatter, lead the
way?”
As we pushed deeper
into the wood, the world faded except for the stark, barren trees,
evergreens blanketed with a layer of white, and brush and rocks
hidden by the snow. We must have been walking for half an hour when
a noise startled me. I motioned for the others to
stop.
“Did you hear that?”
I kept my voice as low as I could and still be heard. Chatter could
hear me if I spoke in the slipstream, but Peyton
couldn’t.
Chatter nodded,
motioning to our left. The noise was coming from deeper in the
woods, and whatever it was, it sounded like it was moving closer. I
thought for a moment. We could hurry, try to outpace it, but it
sounded like it was coming in fast, and we couldn’t run through the
snow. We could meet it, take the offensive, or we could wait. There
was no place to hide, that was for sure—unless Peyton and I shifted
and Chatter vanished. But that would require getting naked in the
cold, and I didn’t fancy that.
I readied my
switchblade and fan, and Peyton readied the walking stick she’d
been carrying. Chatter took a deep breath and moved into fighting
stance.
At that moment, the
creature broke through and my heart sank. It wasn’t one of the
Shadow Hunters, but what we were facing could be far more
dangerous. I’d heard of them, but they usually inhabited cold
mountaintops or the northern forests.
Ulean, are you ready?
I am here. Be cautious. This one is dangerous. She is old
and crafty.
Chatter gasped. “A
snow hag!”
She appeared to be a
withered old woman, but she was far more than that. Members of the
Wilding Fae, inclined toward evil, snow hags were usually magically
summoned by powerful entities. Like
Myst. Far more dangerous than any tillynok or goblin, snow
hags wielded dark magic. And this one looked ready to
rumble.