Night Vision (31 page)

I wasn’t sure what was going on—both Ysandra and Luna seemed to understand something I didn’t. But thoughts of Rhiannon crowded in, pushing away my worry over the bard.

“We have to get down there before dark. Before the vampires rise.”

Luna jerked her head up, sharply. “So we know where to look?”

“They gave us a riddle, but Peyton has figured it out. The Abby Theater, below the streets. There’s a dungeon down there. And they have Rhia locked away.” I jumped up. “What are we waiting for? Let’s gather the guards and go.”

“Patience, winged one.” Ysandra held up her hand and motioned to Grieve. “Get a dustpan and whisk broom, please, and sweep up the salt. I’ve opened the Circle, so it will be safe now.” To Chatter, she said, “Bring some cheese and meat and bread. Luna needs her strength back. Channeling the dead is a serious undertaking, not to be taken lightly or shrugged off.”

As both Grieve and Chatter hurried to her command, Ysandra motioned for Peyton to enter the Circle with us. “How are you feeling? Can you go with us, or do you need to stay here? Your father…”

“My father died protecting me. I’m not going to cower away. His death will have meaning.” She paced back and forth. “I still haven’t told my mother. I suppose I should find out what her reaction is.”

Ysandra frowned. “I’m not sure that’s the wisest move at this moment.”

“I won’t tell her anything else. But I need…I need to make her realize this hurt me. I need her to know that someone is mourning my father. If she knows, if she’s in
league with them, that’s all she’ll know. If she’s not, then maybe it will jog her into being the person she was, before all this shit came down.”

She stood there, defiant.

Ysandra finally nodded. “Very well, but if I motion for you to stop, you stop. Grief can make us say the stupidest things without realizing what we’re doing.”

“Fine. We have a deal.”

As Grieve was sweeping up the salt and Chatter placed a plate of carefully sliced meats and cheeses in front of Luna, along with a dinner roll and butter and honey, Peyton punched in a number on her cell phone.

A moment later, she cleared her throat. “Anadey…yes, it’s Peyton…Why? Because you tried to kill one of my friends and my father—isn’t that enough reason for me to stop calling you Mother?”

A pause. We were all listening, blatantly, but Peyton didn’t try to lower her voice. She rolled her eyes at me, then gave her head a tight shake.

“Too fucking bad. You brought it on yourself. I just wanted you to know that part of your plan worked. Rex is dead…Yeah, that’s what I said.” Another pause, then, “Vampires. Just the way you planned it out.” After yet another pause, she let out a sigh. “I don’t know whether to believe you or not, but fine. You’re sorry. And so am I. Rex was a good father, Anadey. And you kept him from me all of those years. I don’t know if I can ever forgive you.”

I winced. The pain in Peyton’s voice was palpable, and the anger right below the surface. I gave Ysandra a long look, and she nodded back. We needed to get Peyton into some counseling when this was all over.

If it ever is
…

We’ll do our best to make it happen, Cicely.
Ulean’s soothing breeze wrapped around me like a cloak. I let out a soft murmur of contentment.

Thank you, my friend. I wish you could help Peyton.

I wish so, too, but she cannot feel me, not very well, not even when I try to contact her.

Peyton was struggling now. Tears were welling up in her eyes and her voice sounded raspy, as if she had a cold. “Fine, I believe you’re sorry. Sure you are. But your jealousy and your anger kept me from having a father most of my life. You can never make that up to me…
I realize that.
No, I said…Stop. Just stop. I’ve got to go.” She paused one last time, then whispered, “No…not right now. Maybe sometime. Maybe…but now, I can’t come over. I just can’t. Bye…Anadey.”

As she flipped her phone shut, she slumped into one of the chairs. “She wants to see me. But I can’t. Not now. Not till I know things are taken care of with Myst. Not until…I believe she means it when she says she’s sorry.” She glanced at me. “Mother wants to see you, too. She wants to apologize.”

I recoiled. “I don’t think I can do that. At least not now.” Being at the mercy of her spell, feeling her drain away my feelings and energy…No, I couldn’t forget that. Not ever. And I couldn’t forgive it.

Ysandra leaned down to peer into Luna’s eyes. “Are you feeling better?”

Luna nodded. “Yes. So let’s get our asses in gear and go save Rhiannon.”

Check and Teral joined us. We explained to them where Rhiannon was and what we thought we might be facing.

“Vampires, at least, but they’ll be sleeping. But the other warning, I’m not so sure about. They mentioned the
creatures from the heart of the world
. They said the vampires were afraid of them so much that they sought out the light. Does anybody have any clue what the spirit was talking about?”

The very sound of it made my blood run cold. The Shadow Hunters were bad, but whatever the warning was, it wasn’t about them. I knew that in my heart. No, this was something older, colder, from deep in the earth. And whatever could scare a vampire had to be fucking badass.

“I wish Kaylin were here,” Luna said. “He’s really good at knowing all sorts of things like that. How is he? Is there any chance he can join us?” She turned to Check. “Can you find out?”

Check nodded. “As you wish, miss. I will send Run to the Barrow and he’ll talk to the healers.” He excused himself and headed back through the kitchen.

Chatter pointed to the clock. “Time’s ticking down, people. I know it’s not even noon yet, but we need to get our plans together. Sunset comes early these days, and once the sun goes down, Geoffrey and Leo will rise. And they expect to see Cicely in the town square at eight.”

I snorted. “They’ll see me all right, but a lot sooner than that, and on the other end of a stake.” I had a headache, and as I tried to rub my temples, the circlet interfered. I reached to remove it, but Ysandra stayed my hand.

“The Queen must never remove her crown save for in her bedchamber.” She smiled at me, almost sympathetically.

“You sound like Lainule now,” I grumbled, but in secret, it felt good to have her order me around. Ysandra might not be the Queen of Summer, but she was stronger and wiser than me, and I had a feeling I’d be coming to rely on her more and more as time went on. And I was learning all too quickly what it meant to be the one in charge, and I wasn’t sure I liked it.

“Lainule and I had a talk before they left for the Golden Isle.” She hesitated, then rested a hand on my shoulder. “You are not alone, Cicely. You aren’t alone.”

“All right, if there are dungeons below the Abby Theater, how do we get to them? Where could the entrance be? I haven’t been in there since…well…since I was five, I think. I can’t even remember what Heather took Rhiannon and me to see.” I searched my memory—not because the show mattered, but because it was one more link to a past I’d never see again. And then a vision of dancing toys came to mind and I clapped. “Oh! It was
Babes in Toyland
! Anyway, is it even open anymore?”

Ysandra shook her head. “The Abby Theater shut down over ten years ago. Lack of funding, I think. Or perhaps lack of interest. We don’t have the time to ask City Hall to give us blueprints, and even then, we’d have to present a special request as to why, so we’re out of luck there. We may just have to break in. If Lannan or Regina were awake, they could probably get us in there without a problem since they effectively run the town government.”

“Yeah, but by the time they wake up, it will be too late, since Geoffrey and Leo will also be awake. Okay, so we leave a message for them, letting them know what we’re doing in case we get waylaid. They might be able to help us if that happens. Then we go in through the alley, which means making sure nobody spots us and reports us. Again, Lannan could get us out of trouble, but by that time…too late.” I frowned. “The spirit said that there are ways in through the alleys and down in the streets. I’m guessing back entrance and sewer system.”

Peyton made a face. “I’d really rather not go down in the sewer system.”

“Well, it would be easy enough to get lost in there, that’s for certain. But if we have to, we have to. So wear old clothes.” I leaned forward, resting my elbow on my knees. “So what do we take with us? What weapons do we have? I can stir up a tornado, but inside, that could do more damage than it might help. I’ve got my queen’s dagger, but I’m not all that adept with it.”

Grieve spoke up, arching one eyebrow. “Do not forget. We have the entire armories of the Marburry and Eldburry Barrows at our fingertips. The guards will be going with us, and frankly, they’re not going to want you going in at all.”

“Too fucking bad. That’s my cousin in there.” As I spoke, Check entered the room again, dropping to one knee by my side.

A ghost of a smile flickered across his face at my statement, but he said nothing of it. Instead, he brought news about Kaylin. “The night-veil heals quickly, but he is not going to be allowed out of the ward. The healers say he
took far too much damage from the vampires and must build his blood supply back. We could not give him a transfusion because of the changed nature of his body from the demon who is bound to him.”

Kaylin couldn’t have blood transfusions?

“You’re serious? We can’t ever give him a transfusion if he needs it?”

Check rose to his feet, standing at attention. “Correct. Normal blood could kill him. The demon changed his DNA, which changed the structure of his blood. It bleeds as freely and as red as yours or mine, but it is not yummanii, nor is it magic-born, nor fully that of the night-veil. He’s a hybrid, as are all of the Children of the Bat People.”

Well, that was that. No way would I allow Kaylin to go with us if he wasn’t at his full game. “He’s out, then.”

“Your Highness…” Check hesitated, shifting from one foot to the other.

“What is it?”

“Please reconsider going. The guards and I can take care of this matter.” But even as he said it, the expression on his face told me he knew I was going to brush him off.

“You know my answer to that. But you and the guards…gather weapons. We go in at a force. We’re also going to have to deal with Geoffrey’s stable who are loyal to him. The day-runners, the ones who fight back, we’ll have to dispatch. But his stable…they are probably under thrall and not necessarily there of their own free will, knowing the former Regent, and Leo. I don’t want them hurt if we can help it.”

“That will put your cousin in danger, Your Highness. Bloodwhores work to the will of their masters.” A sense of gloom filled his voice.

I wasn’t sure what to do. I looked over at Ysandra, but she shrugged, indicating this was my decision. Turning to my love, I said, “Grieve…what…”

He stopped me before I even got the question out. “I would not give them quarter. But…this is your decision,
Cicely. You are the Queen. You’re in charge, and it’s up to you. We have to get Rhiannon back before they turn her.”

It felt wrong, condemning a group to potential death just because they had fallen in thrall with Geoffrey and Leo, but they had made a free choice to do so. They’d chosen to go with the vampires when they were ousted from power. And now they might have to die for that choice.

“We do whatever we need to in order to rescue my cousin. But…if there are children there, and I sincerely hope there aren’t…spare them.” Having made the decision, I felt settled, at least. “We’ll need stakes…what else? Silver weapons work against vampires. Sunlight, of course. Garlic!”

Luna jumped up. “We have plenty of garlic in the house. The minute Regina’s crew cleared out, I brought several long garlic braids in here to discourage them returning. I can run a thread through the bulbs and we can wear them…or we can just keep them in our pockets. I’ll go break apart one of the braids right now. There should be enough for most of the guards.”

As she hustled into the kitchen, I glanced down at my clothes. “We need to wear fighting gear. I’m still dressed in what I was wearing last night. Check, please have one of your men run back to the Barrow and bring me a pair of dark jeans, a turtleneck, and my dagger. I left it there. Also…have Druise make certain I have clean underwear.” It felt weird to talk to the guard about panties, but right now, I didn’t care. I just wanted to get into that theater and get Rhia back.

He bowed and was off. Peyton and Ysandra took over on the garlic while Luna went upstairs to change. Grieve and Chatter were out organizing the guards. That left me alone. I wandered over to the wall, where a picture of Rhiannon and Heather hung. They looked happy, but even then, there was a cloud in Rhia’s eyes. The incident that had happened when she was thirteen had changed her forever, just as my mother’s dragging me away to live in the streets had changed me forever.

Another picture also graced the walls. Rhia must have dug it out of storage. It was the two of us when we were five. It had been taken shortly after we met Grieve and Chatter out in the forest. We were wide-eyed, happy and laughing in the photograph, with the wind playing with our hair, sweeping it across our faces. In the background, the Veil House sparkled on a rare summer day.