Blood Sacrifice (37 page)

“Then water can very well break the magick of this—”

“No, Keira, dearling,” Gigi interrupted. “This isn’t earth magick that enslaves us. It’s Dark spirit magick.”

“Then what do you suggest we do?” I asked. “I can’t. I just can’t.” With tears flowing down my cheeks, I embraced my great-great-grandmother. “No,” I whispered.

“No worries, pet,” she said in a bright voice. “You will be a good queen.”

“Queen?”

“Adam will inherit his father’s throne,” she said. “Nice that he’s rediscovered his magick, isn’t it?”

I sobbed and held onto her. “Tell me you didn’t set all this up.”

She chuckled, her voice growing weaker. “The battle? Gideon’s insanity? No. Even I’m not that good.”

“Son.” Drystan croaked the word. “Rule well. Teach them to survive in this new day. This modern world.”

“You want me to bring them Above?” Did he?

Drystan nodded. “It is time we learned to live here as well as Below. Isolating ourselves only leads to…” He coughed and choked.

“Don’t speak,” Adam said and wiped the spittle from Drystan’s mouth. “I understand.”

“Let them mingle with the mortals. Learn to be a part of the world you know. Too many died tonight.”

I stared at him. We’d lost a few, sure, but I wouldn’t count that as too many, unless he meant even one life.

“Most of the Seelie Court died in battle,” Gigi said, taking up where Drystan left off. “My grandson was ruthless. He lured them Between, used his power to drink their spirits.”

“That’s why he was so powerful. But, Gigi, I don’t get it. Why was I able to take him down?”

“For that, you must thank the priest,” she replied.
“His sacrifice was not in vain. He was able to make this ground sacred once again, to cleanse it of Darkness. Gideon’s power lay in the Darkness he’d consumed. It left him.”

“And he lost his mind.” I saw it now. My cousin had banked on ingesting enough spirits, enough souls to fuel him, to bolster his core power to a point where he could best us all. It would have been a win for him had it not been for Antonio, a broken man, who only wanted to die in peace. I hoped he’d found that. That he’d made it to his heaven to be reunited with his lost love. Sure, I knew that most Catholics believe that suicide was a mortal sin and that both Antonio and Guadalupe were now burning in eternal hellfire. But I didn’t care. I didn’t believe in Hell. Hell was here, right now, right in front of me as I watched the woman who was my mentor and guide, and yes, often the bane of my existence, fade away in front of me, choosing death so I could live. A few gurgles reminded me that Gideon still drew breath. I ignored the sounds, knowing that eventually, there would be no more.

“I only now began to really know you,” I said to Gigi. “We would’ve been quite the pair, wouldn’t we?”

“Yes,” she whispered. “I regret having so little time to train you, child.” With a kiss to my cheek, she stood and
pushed
. Her arms flew out to her side, as did Drystan’s, breaking their bonds. Without another word, they faded into the rain. The empty chains fell to the ground. I stood a moment, watching as Gigi’s spirit shimmered forth. She smiled at me and I knew what I had to do. After all, I’d trained for this. Trained to be an Escort. I took her hands and closed my eyes, concentrating. In less than the time it took to count to twenty,
it was done. I’d opened the Veil. She walked through, her eyes sparking. I sobbed as it closed. She had very much taught me well. This had been my first task with the Family. I’d learned to escort those who’d tired of living and wanted to move on. I didn’t know what was on the other side. All I knew was how to open that particular door and how to be there to help them across. I’d never expected to have to do it for her.

Adam and I clung to each other as the rain continued to drench us. A moment later, a soft vibration worked its way up, inside of me. Energy filled me as I sobbed in Adam’s arms, his own energy thrumming in time with mine. I knew this magick, this power. It was hers, Gigi’s. I could feel Drystan’s essence filling Adam. Those bloody, bloody rulers. By dying, they offered themselves to us. Made their energy part of us.

Tucker and Niko held each other next to Adam and me; the four of us supporting each other in our grief.

Behind me, the strangulated gasps stopped as the rope vines continued their work. Eventually, the noises stopped. So did the vines.

“Let the rain kiss you. Let the rain beat upon your head with silver liquid drops. Let the rain sing you a lullaby.”

—Langston Hughes

T
hree days of rain replenished the hopes of the Rio Seco, the dry river dry no more as the much needed water filled cisterns, wells, and watering tanks all throughout the county. Nearly all the flu victims were now at home recovering and no new cases had been reported in the last forty-eight hours. At the Wild Moon, the party hadn’t stopped in more than forty-eight hours. Kelly, fey, and vampire alike rocked twenty-four seven, as food, wine, and all sorts of liquors flowed as abundantly as the rain—a wake and remembrance for Minerva, the Kelly of Clan Kelly. For Drystan, high king of the Unseelie Sidhe. By the morning of the third day, the downpour had gentled into a soft, misty fog. Not enough sunlight to fry my vampires if they wanted to go outside—and they did, the lot of them. Dancing, singing, carousing, celebrating life. Everyone partied.

“We need to go,” I said as I rolled over in bed and looked at my sated and very pleased husband.

He grinned and brought a lock of my hair to his mouth and kissed it. The day after the battle, he’d asked Jane to cut his own long mane. I’d laughed and left him to it. When I’d returned, he’d sported a cropped cut. I almost hadn’t recognized him. He looked amazing, not that he’d slacked in that department before. Niko and Tucker had followed suit. I’d shaken my head and accepted it. What else could I do? I recognized it for what it was, a symbolic shearing off of the past. We had to mainstream soon, bring together all our worlds now that Adam and I had inherited the rule of Kelly and the Unseelie Court. I’d not cut my own hair yet, oddly reluctant to let it go. I was doing it later today, though. After we completed our final task. After it was all done. I wanted to bury the priest. To give him his last official rites as a human. Then, I’d be done with the past, ready to move forward into the future.

A knock on the door. “It’s me,” Tucker announced and entered without waiting for us to say anything. We’d all grown closer since that night. Now, we knew with a simple mental ping where each of us was and what he or she was doing. Niko and Tucker knew when not to bother us and we knew the same about them. It certainly made things easier.

He bounded inside and hopped on the bed next to Adam, propping his head on his hand. “We’re nearly ready,” he said. “I figured I’d come get you guys, otherwise, we’d have to wait all night.”

“Bea and Dixxi get off okay?”

“Yup. They’ll be in New York for the week. Ciprian said their paperwork would be ready by the time we’re ready to go.”

“Good.” We’d made a decision that night, after we’d
all gone home, after telling the others what happened, and after comforting everyone who was still alive. We’d come out way ahead there, too. Seems that most of Gideon’s followers had very little knowledge of the world Above. Kellys and vampires held the upper hand easily, dispatching all the enemies with only one loss—the commercial stoves in the kitchen. Somehow, they’d blown up. A spell gone awry or something. In any case, that was a small price to pay. I’d told Niko and Adam about Andrea’s death on the way back to the ranch. We’d cried for hours, the four of us together, then had fallen asleep in mine and Adam’s bed, exhausted and needing to be near each other. We’d not woken up until the party was into its second day.

Now, the four of us headed back to the cemetery. I drove my Rover instead of Tucker’s van with the blackout windows. We didn’t need it because of the overcast skies. I’d not bothered to check the forecast because I could now tell the weather at least fifty times more accurately than the most sophisticated equipment. This misty day would remain so through at least sundown, plenty of time for us to do what we needed to do.

The door to Faery remained spelled shut and I intended to keep it that way. It’s what Gigi wanted. I knew, because when she’d died, she’d sent every bit of her energy into me. That was the true secret of the Kelly clan chief. Each of them passed along their knowledge and their energy to their successor. I now knew what she’d felt about me, the overwhelming pride, the sheer joy in seeing me grow. She’d been harsh, because she’d been afraid. Afraid that Angharad would learn of my abilities, and come to claim me for herself. That would have never happened, but she’d had no way of knowing for sure.

Tonight, after the sun went down, we’d leave this place for good. The plane was already fueled up and waiting on our runway. John and his family had left this morning on a commercial flight to prepare the manor for our arrival. This time, we weren’t coming back. We signed over the ranch to Carlton Larsen. He didn’t know that yet. The paperwork wouldn’t arrive on his desk until we were long gone. I loved Texas. Loved this ranch and this town and the people in it. But home was were my heart was and that meant Adam and my blood family. Ciprian had arranged for passports for Bea and Dixxi under some sort of rush process. They were going to England with us, sponsored by us as family members. I didn’t ask questions. I just took my brother’s word that the fix was on. The rest of us all had UK citizenship, so this wasn’t a problem. Dixxi could set up her genetics lab and work with some of the best scientists on the planet. Bea could have her wer baby in peace. Tio and Tia had elected to retire south, to Corpus Christi, instead of joining Bea in England. Noe, her young nephew, wanted to remain in Texas, staying with a distant cousin so he could finish college.

I liked it when all my plans fell into place. We’d fought and won, with minimal losses… though my heart broke every time a new memory of Gigi’s flashed into my conscious. She’d been nearly two thousand years old. I couldn’t mourn her short life, nor could I mourn the loss of knowledge that hadn’t actually been lost. Instead, I toasted the memory of one of the most enigmatic and infuriating women I’d ever known.

I drove right up to the cemetery gate and the four of
us entered. Enough water still flowed along the ground to allow Adam and Niko to come inside. The place looked as if nothing had ever happened.

“Who?” I whispered aloud as I looked in all directions.

Every tombstone was once again in its place. Every statue whole and standing tall. No sign of bodies, blood, nor debris. Not a whisper of Darkness disturbed the peace, only fresh flowers on each and every single grave indicated that anyone had been there at all. A sprig of rosemary—for remembrance, a voice whispered in my head—and a single white flower, six-petaled with a pointy tip on each petal and a dark center.

“Star-of-Bethlehem,” Niko said. “For hope.”

I nodded. “Nice. But who did this?”

“Some brownies.” Daffyd walked toward us, having exited the cave mouth. “They wanted to help. To make amends for their kin.”

“They had nothing to do with the destruction,” I said. “They had no need.”

“No, but they did have a right,” Daffyd answered as he stepped through the stillness.

“They did have a right,” I agreed. “And you? What brings you back here? The door is still closed.”

“It is,” he confirmed. “Once again, though, I put a warding on it. This time, to tell me if you were near.”

I laughed. “Well, here we are, dear Cousin.”

“Yes. And with two vampires during the day. Did things change that much? I admit, I know little of your kind, but it was my understanding that the day was anathema. They are on sacred ground, as well.”

“Only the sun,” Adam said. “There is little sunlight today.” He held out a hand. The soft moisture collected
in his palm. “The earth is happy and the running water allows us to be here for a time.”

Daffyd smiled. “I am glad you all came,” he said. “I wanted to let you know that we took the liberty of removing the body of Antonio, the man of his god.”

“You did? Why? We came here to collect him, so he could be buried properly.”

“He has been taken to a proper resting place,” Daffyd assured me. “We wish to keep him with us, lying in state, as a remembrance.”

I was taken aback by his statement. “Remembrance of what?”

“What true selflessness is. He sacrificed himself so that you did not have to make that choice. That is true trust and faith.”

I took Daffyd’s hand. “He was not the only one. Thank you, Cousin.”

“Daffyd, might I ask… what happened to Aoife?” I looked at Adam in surprise. I’d totally forgotten about Angharad’s daughter.

“She elected to retire to another part of Faery with her attendants. You do realize she was never with child.”

“Yes. Her mother told us so,” I said.

“Then you also know that your mother, Branwen, left with Aoife, as well.”

“She did? Then who rules?” And here I’d thought everything was sussed out in the Seelie Court. They’d had plenty of heirs. Aoife, followed by Branwen, followed by… oh, holy hells bells. I opened my mouth but no words came out.

“Yes, cousin,” Daffyd said. “You are next in line for the throne.” He kneeled, his robes spreading onto the muddy ground. “Welcome, Cousin. Welcome, my queen.”

Adam shook his head. “To think I thought this was all over.”

“Bloody unlikely,” I snapped. Why hadn’t I realized that? True, I’d not known that Aoife would keep to her intent and exempt herself from ruling, especially now that Gideon and her mother were both dead, but Branwen? I guess she really didn’t want to play politics. I sighed. “What does this mean for me now, Daffyd?”

“For now, nothing,” he said. “If you’ll give me leave to handle things for a short time, you can continue with your plans up here. Once you get settled in your new home, then come Below. We can plan then.”

“Very well,” Adam said. “Thank you. We’ll be in England by morning and will settle at my estate in Wiltshire.”