Chapter 21
As I entered the
mansion, I felt conspicuous. For one thing, there was no crowd this
time. I was standing all alone in the foyer, with Butler-Vamp. A
few people came and went—some of them vampires, some bloodwhores
and servants—but for the most part, the house seemed
empty.
“Follow me,” my guide
said. I picked up the bags and obeyed.
We reached a door I’d
never been through before, and as I entered the room, my wolf
trembled and whimpered. I whispered comforting words to calm it
and, heart pounding, turned to face Geoffrey.
He was sitting there,
alone, and he looked hungry. I dropped the bags by my feet and
glanced over my shoulder as the door behind me shut, and I heard
the sound of a lock turning.
“Geoffrey . . . what
did you want to see me about?” I wasn’t sure how to broach the
picture—or anything, to be honest. It was unnerving to be in a room
alone with the Regent, especially after what I’d seen and heard at
the Owl People’s circle the night before.
He slowly stood, then
languorously wandered over to my side. Without a word, he circled
me, then came to a stop right in front of me. “Cicely, do you know
where Leo is?”
I sucked in a deep
breath. “Yes, he’s home very sick. He fainted this morning from a
fever. I . . . I did his errands for him since I knew I would be
seeing you tonight.” I pushed the bags forward with the toe of my
shoe.
He glanced down at
them. “Domestic, aren’t we? Playing fetch so Leo does not get into
trouble? Or for another reason?”
Shivering, I
hesitantly reached down and picked up the bag with the picture. I
slowly held it out to him. “What’s this?” My voice barely above a
whisper, I was shaking so hard I could barely form the words. “Were
you and Myst . . .”
“Ah, so you’ve seen
it. I did not mean for you to. There are reasons that we hire
day-runners. Leo should have called his contact this morning and
asked for a stand-in. I shall have to have a chat with him about
that.”
“Please, no—he was
delirious.”
“Sometimes the
magic-born remind me of humans. Weak . . . but necessary. So, you
have seen my secret and you now wonder. Were Myst and I in love?
No. Were we star-crossed? No. Were we lovers? Yes.” He took the
picture and cast the bag aside. “She was so beautiful. She looks a
lot like you, you know.” His jet-black
eyes fixated on me and his nostrils flared.
I took a step back.
“What . . . why . . . you tried to turn her but it wasn’t the way
it said in the history books, was it? You were partners . . . she
wanted it.”
“We could have become
a force that no land could withstand. We planned to rule the world
together. If things had gone right, we could have conquered
innumerable lands. But the turning changed her. She became . . .
what she is. She was no longer willing to share power. She became
more dangerous than I ever dreamed she would.” He glanced up, a
dark look on his face. “She betrayed me, and I tried to destroy
her.”
“And that is why the
war . . . the other vampires think it’s about her anger at being
turned, but she’s really out for your
head. To grind you into the dust.”
“As she is you. We’re
in the same boat, my dear. You were her daughter and betrayed her.
I was her lover and gave her the keys to the kingdom. And now, she
needs no one . . .” He stopped. “Which is where my plans for you
come in. Cicely, before I bring your tortured love in for you—and
yes, we have him back—I offer you a chance that you will never have
with anyone else.”
Something about his
look, his voice, frightened me more than anything he’d done or said
before. “What is it?” I stumbled back as he stepped toward
me.
“Cicely, take Myst’s
place. Fulfill her original plans. Let me turn you, and become my
partner. You will be part Indigo Court, but more. You are half
magic-born, and that will help you to control the ravaging nature.
If you embrace the power, together we can destroy Myst, and
together we can take this land by storm. I know you are not cut out
for ruthless rule, but you don’t have to be that way—you can rule
with a just hand. And you can still have your Fae Prince for a
lover. I would not object.”
I stared at him. The
light in his eyes told me the warlord was still lurking beneath the
surface, that you could take the warmonger out of the Dark Ages but
you couldn’t take the Dark Ages out of the warmonger.
“I can’t believe you
just asked me to do that.”
“You were Myst’s
daughter. To see you go up against her, a queen in your own right,
would be a blow hard for her to ignore. It would unsettle her and
she’d make mistakes.”
“You want to use me
for psychological warfare, you want to turn me into what she is,
only you hope to control me because I’m
only half-Fae. What would Lainule say
if she knew?” I stumbled back toward the door, half-afraid he was
going to grab me and drink me down.
But at that moment,
Lainule and Anadey appeared from behind a screen in the back of the
room. Lainule looked pained. Anadey looked sullen.
“I told you not to
approach her until we were here and could explain matters to her.”
Lainule shook her head. “You’d better hurry. Regina was just down
the hall and may come in here. You don’t want her finding out what
you’re up to before we’ve had time to prepare.”
I stared at Lainule,
as it dawned on me that she’d known all along what Geoffrey was up
to. But had she also been behind Anadey’s little
stunt?
“Lainule, you know
what Geoffrey asks? You can’t approve! I’m Cambyra Fae—I am not
Unseelie! How can you even dream I’d agree to this? And where’s
Grieve? Were you the one who tried to force Anadey to strip away my
feelings for him?”
“Your lover is with
us, young daughter. Do not push your luck. You may not be Unseelie
in your own heart, but many of the Uwilahsidhe are on the darker
side of the Court. I am the Queen of Rivers and Rushes, and I am
the heart of Summer’s realm, but not all of my people are bright
and beautiful of spirit. The world is made of shades of gray, young
Cambyra.”
“Did you know what
Geoffrey wanted of me? Did you help Anadey?”
Lainule looked
pained. She shook her head. “No, I did not help her. It would have
killed you, and she will be taken to task for her
actions.”
Anadey shifted,
looking at me through shaded lids.
Lainule ignored her.
“As for Geoffrey, yes, long ago he convinced me of the wisdom of
his plan. You can still have your lover, Grieve, and do as Geoffrey
asks.”
Her gaze was cool,
and I remembered how ruthless she could be. She would sacrifice
anyone in her court to destroy Myst—and that included Grieve. And
it included me. If she thought this alliance with the vampires
would work best, then she’d back it all the way.
“Do I have a choice?”
I asked, my voice flat. If they decided they wanted Geoffrey to
turn me, I wasn’t likely to get out of here alive.
But she surprised me.
“Yes, you do. But think long and hard before you decide whose side
you wish to stand on.”
Geoffrey let out a
hiss, but Lainule shushed him. “I told you—I will agree to this
only as long as it is voluntary. But if the child refuses, I turn
my back on her. Cicely, you have the chance to sacrifice yourself
to rid the world of Myst. If you choose your life over this . . .
we have little to say.”
“This is why you
insisted Wrath impregnate my mother. You foresaw this coming. All
along, you planned this with Geoffrey.” I stared at her, certain I
was right. And she gazed back at me, unmoved,
unmoving.
“Some wars are fought
in minutes, others are in the planning for generations. We knew
Myst would resurface. We knew that you would return to be with
Grieve. What better way to defeat Myst than to create a force who
could equal her power and yet retain control over her desires? You
are the perfect choice. You were her daughter—and you have her
soul-mark in your own soul. Yet you do not seek the power she
craves. Your potential is vast and untapped.”
At that moment, Wrath
strode into the room, slamming the door open against the wall.
“Stop! You will not do this—you will not force her to make this
move.” Grieve and Lannan were behind him. Grieve looked ragged and
worn, but alive. Lannan looked dark, hostile, and
angry.
I let out a little
cry and ran over toward my father, wanting to go to Grieve but
sensing now was not the best time. “They want me to let Geoffrey
turn me—to set me up against Myst by his side.”
“You are one of the
Uwilahsidhe. The Owl People abjure the Queen of Spiders. You will
not let them do this to you. I will not allow
it.” Wrath turned an angry face on Lainule. “My beloved,
what can you be thinking? This is madness. You listen to the
bloodsuckers too readily.”
“This is why I did
not tell you the plan—you are too softhearted, my husband. We will
not force her, but if she turns aside, then she is no use to us. We
must defeat the Winter. Cicely and Geoffrey can do so, together.
Cicely is only now coming into her powers. Think of what she could
do if she combined her magic, her strength as one of the
Uwilahsidhe, and the power of the vampires.” Lainule reached toward
Wrath, but he shook off her touch.
“That was attempted
once and look at what it engendered—Myst, herself. No, this will
not happen. And perhaps, if we have to go to this length, then
Summer is not meant to stand against Winter. There are other ways,
other avenues to defeating an enemy.” He stared at Lainule for a
long time. “My love, you are courting danger. You risk becoming as
dark as the Mistress of Mayhem. I fear for you.”
“She stole my
kingdom. She killed my people. Your
people. You are Uwilahsidhe. You court the path of the
Unseelie all too often, and you would dare to lecture me? Be
gone—King of mine. Out of my sight. I cannot bear to look upon
you.” Lainule turned her back on Wrath, who looked as though she
had struck him.
He turned away, then
to Lannan. “You were correct. I had no clue this is what they
planned.”
Geoffrey slowly swung
toward Lannan, who glanced in my direction, then stood definitely,
facing them. “Lannan . . . you told Wrath our plans? I thought we
agreed there was no need.” He raised one hand. “You haven’t, by
chance, been speaking to your sister, have you?”
Lannan snorted. “I
care nothing for the Crimson Queen nor her court . . . but my
sister cares about her position. I’m sure she would love to hear your plans to usurp the Crimson
Queen’s position.”
“You’d damned well
better keep your mouth shut. If you don’t, I will remove your head.
I’ve warned you before. Your stable, everything you own is in
danger. You know I won’t hesitate to destroy you and your sister in the process. Keep quiet, both of
you live. Speak, and both of you die. Again and this time, for
good.” He turned to me. “I know how you feel about Lannan. Would
you now align yourself with him, hating him as much as you
do?”
I stepped back,
looking at all of them. “I choose for myself—and as much as I hate
what Lannan has done to me, at least he is honest about what he
wants. He sees reason. I will not allow you to turn me. Not for all
the summer nights in the world.”
“Then leave and be
damned. Take your lover with you, and Lannan, as well. Altos, you
are outcast—pariah in my lands. I strip you of your job and your
place in our society. I’m going to tell Regina you’ve gone on a
trip for me. Keep quiet, and she will
live.”
Lannan wandered over
to stand beside Wrath, Grieve, and me. He gave Grieve a
contemptuous look. “I have made my choice. Myst can only be stopped
by an alliance of forces, not by the rise of a long-forgotten
warlord. Geoffrey, you only seek to use Cicely for your own ends.
You would never share your power with her once the dust settled.
You would destroy her, as you plan to destroy Myst. The world is
large; I happen to believe that the Fae and the vampires can
coexist, but I don’t believe for an instant that you agree. But
know this: If you touch one golden hair of my sister’s head, I will
raise an army and obliterate you and your world.”
“We seem to be at a
standstill. I will not harm your sister if you keep quiet, and you
stay away in return for her continued well-being.”
I turned toward
Lannan, wondering. Could he really believe what Geoffrey said? As
much as I wanted to stake him, Lannan was taking my side. I sidled
over to Grieve and quietly took his hand. I wanted to kiss him, to
hold him and ask how he was, but we both knew better. This was not
the time for a reunion.
“Lannan, leave my
house. Cicely, you, too. I wish you luck in keeping alive without
our protection. Tell Leo he must choose—either work with me, or
align himself to you and your cousin, but he cannot do both. If he
does not report for work tomorrow, tomorrow night he will be taken
off the rolls. Just pray you do not meet me on the opposite side of
the battleground. Lainule, attend me.”
Geoffrey turned away
and stormed out the door.
Lannan let out a
sigh. “Geoffrey has always been—and will always be—a warlord. He
misses the battle, he misses the conquest. He may be Regent, but
once the Crimson Queen understands how deep his ambitions lie, I
can only hope she’s not too late in putting a stop to them. Because
the day he can, he will topple her from the throne and take
control. And my sister will be next in line to die.”
At the door, Lainule
turned back to us, her gaze fastened on Wrath. “Be cautious—you
have no allies. Return to the fold; accept that only through
solidarity can we defeat the Winter.”
“Not at the sacrifice
of my daughter,” Wrath said.
“Then prepare to meet
your doom—but never at my hands.” She motioned to Anadey and they
slowly followed Geoffrey out of the room.
I turned to Wrath,
Lannan, and Grieve. “What the fuck are we supposed to do now? I
couldn’t do it . . . I couldn’t let Geoffrey turn me.”
Wrath shook his head.
“I have been the King of Summer for eons, but my Lady doesn’t
always tell me her plans. And she is terrified—her heartstone still
lies within the boundaries of the Golden Wood. If Myst finds it . .
.”
“She’ll destroy
Lainule.” And there it was—the fear within Lainule was born of
self-preservation.
“What if we get it
back?” Grieve turned to me. “Cicely, my love . . . I am cured of
the light-rage, but I am still part of Myst’s people. I will do my
best to control my impulses. And if I can’t . . .”
“Then we will have to
destroy you,” Lannan said. “I must figure out a way to warn my
sister so she can get out before Geoffrey does something to her,
but we can’t tarry here. Geoffrey will return and he will kill us
if we’re still around. Of that much, I guarantee.”
Grieve slowly turned.
“You. You’re the one I smelled on
her—you filthy bloodsucker! What have you been doing to my Cicely?”
He shoved Lannan back and took a step toward him.
Lannan laughed. “Not
as much as I want to.” He made an obscene gesture with his
hands.
“Stop it, both of
you.” Wrath lashed out and within seconds had separated both men.
“We cannot afford to be divided. Leave it for now. We’ll sort
everything out once we’re away from here. Come, let us
leave.”
“What about Lainule?”
I glanced at the door. “Are you just going to leave
her?”
“I’m afraid we don’t
have much of a choice. We’re running on borrowed time, whether it
be from Geoffrey or from Myst.” Wrath led us out. The butler gazed
at us, unreadable, but he did nothing to prevent us from
leaving.
“I didn’t bring my
car,” I said, pausing. “I came in Geoffrey’s limo.”
“I’ve got my BMW
here.” Lannan motioned us toward it. He flipped open his phone,
trying to contact Regina, but after a moment, hung up. “She’s not
answering. I don’t like this.”
Grieve hung back. “I
won’t get in the car with him. Cicely, how can you?”
In tears, frustrated
and confused, I swung on him. “You’ll get in the fucking car. Do
you know how much we risked for you? And now we’re on our own. We
no longer have the backing of the vampires, and trust me, to defeat
Myst, we need as many allies as we can gather. So shut up—both you
and Lannan—and just get in the damned thing. Lannan—we’ll keep
calling Regina, trying to warn her.”
Lannan rolled his
eyes but said nothing. Grieve stared at me, his lips full, and I
wanted again to rush into his arms, to feel his heart beating
against mine. After a moment, he inclined his head.
“Very well. I will
obey.”
“The machine will be
painful, but I can withstand it for a short time,” Wrath said. “We
have a long night ahead of us.”
But before I could
climb into the car, my cell phone rang. Exasperated, I flipped it
open. “Hello?”
“Cicely, can you get
home, now? And bring help.” Rhia sounded frantic.
“What’s
wrong?”
“The Shadow Hunters
have broken through the wards and they’re on the way toward the
house. We can’t fight them alone.”
Crap! “We’re on our way. I’m bringing Wrath,
Grieve, and Lannan with me. Get whatever weapons you can
together.”
“Lannan?”
“Yes, Lannan. We’ll tell you all about it when we have
the time. Now just get off the phone and be fucking
careful.”
I took off for
Lannan’s car. “Myst broke through the wards. They’re in danger.”
The squabbling stopped as they followed me. I shoved Lannan away
from the wheel and took over. “I drive faster than
you.”
“I doubt it,” he
said, but he let me get behind the wheel.
We sped through the
dark streets as I counted off the minutes. As we rounded the corner
onto Vyne Street, I closed my eyes.
Ulean, are you there? Can you hear me?
I am here—the Shadow Hunters are circling the house,
coming closer. They seem cautious, as if they expect a
trap.
Is everyone still okay?
Yes, so far. But there are seven of the Indigo Court out
there—and the energy on the slipstream is roiling with anger. Myst
is awake and hunting for Grieve.
And I was bringing
him right to her. I thought about how we’d make it into the
house—all my weapons were there. “We have to fly in. Grieve, you
and Lannan will have to make a run for the door, but Wrath and I
can shift and fly in the upper windows.” I tossed Lannan my phone.
“Call them and tell them to be ready at the front door and my
bedroom window.”
Lannan put in the
call and, whatever he said, it was brief and to the point. I wasn’t
paying attention. I was focused on the battle ahead. I had my fan,
of course, and my switchblade, but that alone wasn’t going to be
enough.
“Iron stakes. We need
them—they’ll work on the Shadow Hunters.”
Wrath peered over the
backseat. “The gate. There’s a gate made of iron in front of the
house next door. But neither Grieve nor I can touch the stakes. You
can, since you are only half-Fae—you don’t seem bothered by the
iron. Even this car hurts me, but I bear it because of
necessity.”
“I can get them.” I
said. “And Lannan can.”
Lannan leaned
forward. It was disconcerting to have him at my shoulder but not to
be able to see him in the rearview mirror. “Are you willing to put
your life in my hands? I can rip the stakes out of the gate. You
fly in with your father. The Prince will have to make a run for it
on his own.”
I bit my lip. “Are
you sure you can make it without getting caught?”
“If you cause a
distraction, yes. Once you’re inside, do something to draw their
attention to the back of the house.”
I sucked in a deep
breath. “Okay. That’s how it is. Grieve, when you hit the ground,
don’t stop running. Meanwhile . . .” I cringed. “I’m going to have
to take off my clothes before we get there if I expect to be able
to transform into owl shape. Lannan, I guess you’d better take the
wheel.” I abruptly pulled to a halt and we played musical seats,
with me running to the back of the car and Lannan leaping into the
driver’s seat.
I began to yank off
my clothes and had the distinct feeling Lannan was watching me
through the rearview mirror, though there was no way I could prove
it, since I couldn’t see him other than the back of his head. I
slid beneath a throw in the back of the car and pulled it around my
shoulders as we drove off again.
Grieve simmered, but
he simmered at me, his eyes drinking their fill as I disrobed. Hard
as it was, I forced myself to hold back, to keep from tumbling into
his arms. But I did kiss my fingers and press them against his
lips.
“You make me want
to—” Lannan started, but my father interrupted him.
“Be cautious,
vampire. That’s my daughter you’re talking to,” Wrath said, his
voice thick with warning. “You will behave like a
gentleman.”
“You may be the King
of Summer, but Cicely owes me more than you want to know and I
intend to collect. And chill out, Wolf Boy, because I know she only
has eyes for you.” Lannan’s words took on an edge as he added,
“She’s made that all too apparent.”
I pulled back, not
wanting to start any more arguments. Grieve gave me a curt nod, but
his eyes promised me that once we were finished, if we managed to
come through this alive, he’d prove to me just how much he missed
me.
Ulean, we’re near. Did you hear our
plans?
I did—your thoughts were clear.
Can you start a distraction in the
backyard?
I can, but if you can get to your fan, we can wreak much
more havoc together. You have yet to use the most powerful force
that it can summon.
I’ve created a tornado before—and gale-force winds; what
more can there be?
Hurricane force. Typhoon. But beware, Cicely—it can
devastate an area.
We may have no choice. I’ll meet you in my
bedroom.
And then we turned on
to Vyne Street. As we raced along the silent asphalt, I shivered,
more out of fear than cold. Before we arrived, I leaned over and
pressed my lips against Grieve’s. He gathered me close and I ached,
wanting him to reach out and touch my breasts, to slide his hands
along my body. But, mindful of my father’s presence, he simply
pulled me close, and I found myself falling deep, sucking under,
into the spiral of love and lust that permeated our
connection.
And then we were
there, and the car screeched to a halt. We slammed out of the
doors, Wrath and I transforming into our owl selves and winging
into the sky. Last I saw, Grieve was racing for the house as Lannan
began yanking iron stakes off the neighbor’s gate. And then, as I
neared my bedroom window, I could see them out back—the Shadow
Hunters, gauging the house.
It was official. We
were at war.