Shadow Rising (28 page)

“Menolly, the danger has come to town again, hasn’t it? I’m hearing rumors, especially from those who use magic.” He looked at me, straight in the eye, ignoring the competition that act could bring up between Weres and vamps. “Don’t tell me who or what—I don’t need to know. But…should I be watching the farm more? Should I be calling on the shamans of the various clans and prides to make certain they’re safe?”

I gazed back at the gentle giant. He meant well. He was sturdy and stalwart and brave. And that made him the perfect target for those wanting to hurt us. “Yes, watch the farm closely. Guard who comes off and onto your land. Don’t let your children play alone. But Frank…as much as you might want to help, don’t get involved until we ask you to. Stand back and let us take care of matters. If—and when—we call on you, know that it will be with direst need.”

He regarded me carefully. “While you and your sisters and friends face the danger head-on?”

I lowered my gaze. “We’ve had too much collateral damage, Frank. I don’t want…”

With a slight nod, he agreed. “Very well. I have a suckling pig you can take. It’s frozen, but not cooked. But Menolly…if events grow dire, I have relatives to whom I can send my children. And I will fight as you need. The Willows clan—we do not shirk duty.” He stood. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ll fetch the piglet.”

I paid him for it, then before he could start out of the room, stopped him, lightly laying one hand on his arm. “Frank, if Shadow Wing breaks through, then no place will be safe. I’ll remember your offer. Meanwhile…tend to your farm. Enjoy your children.”

After he returned with the pig, I accepted the heavy garbage sack from him, peeking inside. Yep, one dead oinker. At the door, I swung around.

“Frank, for my sake…for yours…rescind your invitation. I never want there to be doubt or fear in your thoughts.” I did this with a number of friends, and they had grown to understand.

He looked almost hurt, but then nodded. “As much as I like you, Menolly, you may not enter this house.” And just like that, the invisible force field returned. Comforted, I tossed the piglet in the back of the Jag and roared off into the night. I glanced at the clock. Forty minutes until Ivana was to show up and the roadway was clear. Wanting nothing more than to get home and make sure everyone was okay, I sped through the night, my car a silent shadow.

As I pulled into the drive at home, the will-o’-the-wisps were running rampant. Globes of light danced around the area. They were pretty, and wouldn’t bother
us
much, except for Iris and Sharah. They had a penchant for pregnant Fae and were especially dangerous to humans.

If they made their home here, they’d spread out and multiply. They bred like rabbits—although we had no clue how they managed it. They were pure energy, as far as anybody knew. Not even the great Fae Lords could explain how they fit into the world. They were an enigma.

I jumped out of the car and raced inside. Glancing around,
I looked for Nerissa and, to my relief, saw her in the corner, amid a pile of loot she’d managed to secure from Nordstrom and Macy’s and a number of stores.

“Oh, thank gods you’re safe! Iris had me worried. I imagined all sorts of dreadful things.” I stepped over the bags and boxes, almost tripping on a large box from Leila’s Boutique, and leaned down to kiss her. “Why didn’t you call?”

Nerissa smiled. “I didn’t know all this was happening. I was out on several cases today and didn’t even make it back to headquarters before I finished up for the day. I had no clue Chase was in danger.”

I glanced around. “Where is Chase? Did you manage to get Sharah and him inside away from the will-o’-the-wisps without a problem?”

Delilah nodded. “Yes, though we had to fight them off. They swarmed and it was nasty. However, Iris and Bruce were able to get into the house during that distraction, so it wasn’t all bad.” She paused as Hanna entered the room, a tray in hand. Marion followed, carrying another tray. They were filled with tea and cups and cookies and what looked like homemade pastries. Marion’s big cinnamon rolls from her café! I longed to be able to taste one.

As they settled the trays on the coffee table, Marion looked up. “I know now is not the best time, but I wanted to discuss something with all of you.”

“What is it, Marion? Please, don’t tell me the Koyanni are making a nuisance of themselves again?” We’d had enough of the rogue coyote shifters.

As Hanna began serving the tea, Marion wiped her hands on her jeans and sat down next to Morio, who was sitting on the sofa.

Marion was a coyote shifter, herself. She and her husband, Douglas, had been living with us for a month since their house and café had been burned to the ground by Telazhar’s cohorts. After he’d gated in Gulakah, the Lord of Ghosts, Telazhar had headed over to Otherworld. Meanwhile, the insurance company had actually come through and Marion’s café was being rebuilt, and she and Douglas were house hunting.

“No, no sign of any of the stragglers. What I wanted to tell you is that Douglas and I will be moving out until our house is ready.”

Delilah jumped up. “Oh, no! Please, we don’t want you to go. Has anybody said or done anything to make you feel unwelcome?”

“Not at all.” Marion sipped her tea, and bit into a cookie. “But let’s face it—you’ve got an army living here. There’s not much room and we’re intruding. We’ve had an offer that will keep me busy while we’re waiting for the café to be rebuilt and we find a house to buy. Douglas has his job, of course, but I need to feel useful and there’s only so much I can do here.” She smiled. “So, it’s a good thing all the way around.”

“Where are you moving?” I couldn’t imagine they had enough money for a hotel. There was no telling how long it would take for them to find a new home.

“We’re moving in with Wilbur, to take care of him.”

Morio choked on his cookie, while Vanzir spit out a mouthful of tea. The rest of us stared at her like she was crazy. But Iris didn’t hold back.

“You’re moving in with
Wilbur
? You have to be joking! Marion, are you out of your skull?” She stood up, hands on hips, her eyes ablaze and ready to scold. “Wilbur is…he’s…”

Marion held up her hand. “Wilbur did his best to help with the Koyanni problem and in the process, he was terribly wounded. He’s almost ready to go home, but he’s going to need tending to until he gets used to his artificial leg. Douglas and I…we want to help. We can take Martin back to his home, then.”

Wilbur was a necromancer on our side—or as close to our side as he was ever going to get. Crude and lewd, he had raised his brother, Martin the accountant, from the dead and turned him into a ghoul, the only way Wilbur could think of to keep his family with him. Marion was right, though. Wilbur had nearly been killed trying to protect our secrets. His leg had been crushed to the point of amputation. Now, he was about ready to go home.

We’d been keeping an eye on Martin for him, as much as we didn’t like the thought. We kept him out back, in a shed. I wondered just how much Wilbur understood that Martin—the Martin he knew—was long gone and that the ghoul left in his place had very little to do with his brother.

“Are you sure you want to do this? Wilbur’s not exactly pleasant company.” I held Marion’s gaze, and she smiled softly.

“You forget. I brought up three children. I serve people for a living. I need to be nurturing someone. Wilbur may be a pill, but I think we can manage him just fine.” She leaned back. “I’m antsy. I’m used to running a café.”

“What does Douglas say about it?” I somehow couldn’t imagine her husband enjoying the thought of putting up with Wilbur and Martin on a full-time basis, even if it was just for a month or so.

“Douglas and I talked it over. He understands.” She gave me a feral little smile, reminding me again of why coyote shifters were given a careful berth. Even those not part of the Koyanni tribe could be highly dangerous. Maybe they would get on with Wilbur.

I glanced at the clock. “I need to meet Ivana at the end of the driveway in a few minutes. I suppose Iris told you all what I’m doing.”

“Yeah, she did.” Delilah walked over to the window and pushed back the curtains. The will-o’-the-wisps were thick on the front porch. “We have to do something. Camille and Smoky aren’t back yet, and we have no idea if Aeval will even agree to help. Do what you have to.”

“So you’ll back me up?” Delilah was the last person I’d expected to take my side, besides Iris.

She nodded, still staring out the window. “Chase is weak. The bhouts have invaded Seattle. Lindsey called again tonight—several of her coven mates have taken ill; they’re very weak. One guess as to what’s going on there. And we’ve got a fucking demon general out there who likes to play with ghosts. I’d strike a bargain with the devil herself if she could help us.”

I nodded. “Everybody, stay inside. If anybody is going to
make a deal with Ivana, let it be me. I’ve dealt with her before. And better one of us be beholden to her than all.” As I headed toward the door, I turned back. “Nerissa, you’re staying here tonight. I don’t care how much you like your condo. It’s just too dangerous.” And without waiting for her answer, I headed out the door.

Ivana was waiting at the gate when I dragged the suckling pig down the drive. I swatted the will-o’-the-wisps away like flies. They couldn’t do much to me, but they were annoying, like fat fireflies on crack.

I didn’t like judging on looks, but Ivana really was hideous, phasing in and out, shifting form as she stabilized. Her face was wide near the eyes, narrowing to a sharp point at the chin. Her nose was tiny and snubbed, and her face was nearly flat, except for the gnarls that covered her skin—burls of skin and flesh that dotted her face. When she smiled, it was worse—needlepoint teeth gleamed through thin lips, and she looked quite capable of eating plenty of
bright flesh
, as she called it. Though she dressed like a bag lady, her clothes belied her stature and power, and I stopped a respectful distance from her.

“Ah, young
vampyr
…so, Dead Girl, do you have my suckling oinker? My tasty treat for an evening’s snack?” She smacked her lips and I shivered, revolted by the gleam in her eyes. Even when I was in my most predatory state, I didn’t think I had that much bloodlust in me.

“I have it.” I dropped the bag on the ground and pointed to it. “So, can you remove all of these will-o’-the-wisps from the land?”

She craned her neck to peek up the drive. “Aye, there’s a fair lot of them but I can.”

“Then a deal is struck.” I held out my hand, dreading her touch. She clasped my fingers, and the tingle that raced through me was like a pure jolt of fresh blood. I gasped, shaking my head. “What was that?”

Ivana regarded me with a sly look. “I can make you
feel
, Dead Girl. I can make you believe you’re alive again. If you
ever want more, just come to my door and ask.” And with a heady laughter, she peeked in the sack. “Suckling, yes…an oinker for the Maiden of Karask.” Then, all business, she added, “Back off, meat on the hoof. Let me do my work. Indoors with you. This will not be a pretty battle.”

I nodded and jogged up the path. I wasn’t worried that she’d just take the pig and go. When the Elder Fae struck deals, they kept their end of the bargain.

As I swatted another swarm of the will-o’-the-wisps away, I heard a shriek—long and mournful—and looked back to see lights exploding as Ivana began to walk forward, her hand out as she poked the will-o’-the-wisps with her fingers and they dove into her staff with mournful wails.

I slammed the door behind me and hurried to the living room, where Delilah and Morio were pressed up to the windows, watching. Shade and Shamas were sitting next to Chase, who was bundled in an afghan. He weakly raised one hand. Iris and Hanna had taken the tea trays into the kitchen and were washing up, with Marion helping them. Trillian was reading a book; Vanzir and Roz were playing video games. Bruce was playing with Maggie and talking to Douglas. Nerissa was nowhere to be seen.

“Where’d Nessa go?” I didn’t often use my pet name for her in public, but it just slipped out.

“She’s in the parlor, sorting through the clothes she bought. I saw the gown she picked out,” Delilah added. “It’s so pretty.”

I knew I should go in, should see what she’d found, but there was just too much going on to look at clothes. People were being hurt, we had a full-fledged invasion of the spooktacular kind, and I couldn’t drag my attention away to weddings and vows and celebrations.

I was about to ask if anybody needed anything from the kitchen when the air shimmered and Smoky appeared, Camille under his arm. They stepped out of the Ionyc Seas, Camille looking tired and spent.

Travel through the etheric seas wearied most living creatures except for dragons and those naturally acclimated to the in-between spaces of the world. But even as they appeared,
there was another shimmer and I backed away, startled as a tall woman dressed in black and purple appeared. She was luminous, with hair as black as gleaming coal, and silvery eyes.

As Aeval turned to view the lot of us, she let out a soft laughter. “And so, we seem to have a problem with will-o’-the-wisps, do we?”

Aeval—the Queen of Night and Shadow—was one of the three Fae Queens ruling over the sovereign Fae nation, and Camille’s Mistress.

“What is this?” She turned toward me. “I smell the blood of Elder Fae.”

“About that. Um…the Maiden of Karask is here. She’s outside, swallowing up the will-o’-the-wisps.” I wasn’t afraid of much, but the Triple Threat happened to be three of the few exceptions.

Aeval stared at me with glittering eyes. “You foolish girl. Do you know what you’ve done?”

Just then, the door crashed open and Ivana was in the room. She stared at Aeval. “I thought I smelled the stench of the Night. Well met, Aeval. Well met. The last we clashed, I swore I’d kill you the next time we crossed paths. After I finish with my oath-bound task, I trust you’ll meet the match?”

But Ivana had forgotten to close the door, and the next moment, the will-o’-the-wisps came pouring through, filling the house. Chase and Marion screamed, and so did Iris, as we were invaded by the Corpse Candles.