Crimson Veil

Chapter 6

By the time we got home, we were all done in. Bran split off, heading out to the studio where he was staying for the time being. Relieved that he decided not to join us, we trailed through the door and straight into the kitchen.

As I glanced around at the cheery domestic warmth that welcomed us home, it occurred to me that Camille had been about to tell me something when the call from Chase came in.

“What was it you wanted to say before we headed out?”

Camille dropped into a chair. “Oh, yeah. That.” She looked exhausted. “I made arrangements today for Father’s body. The Summerland Mortuary picked him up. They’re an Earthside Fae-run business. They will understand the care we need for him. They’re going to cremate him, and we’ll hold a service here until we can take him back to the shrine to rest next to Mother.”

“I think… I think he’s by her side already. All we have left is his shell. She’s waiting for us, you know. I saw her when Dredge killed me. She tried to help me, but when he turned me, she couldn’t hold on.” I’d never mentioned the fact that Mother had been waiting for me, with open arms, when I was killed. Camille knew from going through the ritual with me, where I’d cut Dredge off, but we’d never really talked about it.

Kitten made a small sound as she leaned against the counter. “I didn’t know that. I wish you would have told me earlier.”

I smiled up at her, feeling a hell of a lot older than I had a few years ago when we first came Earthside. “I wish I had, too, Kitten.”

“Enough long faces. I know these days have been hard on you, but you must breathe, let the tension go.” Hanna was busy as ever, and the room smelled like hot chicken soup and biscuits. “I thought you girls might like a bite to eat after all the fighting. You all look too pale.” She frowned. “Before you get too comfortable, everybody get to washing up while I dish up the food.”

“She’s right, but someone should check on Iris.”

“Vanzir has gone down to see her.” Hanna dusted her hands on a dishtowel. “He wanted to make certain she was all right when the driver brought her home.”

Speak of the devil, the kitchen door opened and Vanzir entered. He gave us the once-over. “Damn, you all look nasty. Iris told me all about it.”

“How is she?” Kitten wearily bit into a roll, crumbs trailing down her chin.

“She’s okay. Exhausted. Her mother-in-law was harping in her ear about running off and leaving the twins, but Bruce was seeing to her when I left. I don’t think tonight hurt her, but she’s going to need a good resting up. If I were you, I’d ask Smoky to get his ass back here in case you need any more ice magic.”

“Right. I suppose we have no choice. I’m done in. Let’s go wash up, have a bite to eat, and just… spend some time breathing.” Camille motioned to Morio. “We’ll use our bath. Meet you back here in ten minutes.”

Shade and Delilah headed up to their room, and I used Hanna’s bath, washing my hands and face. A glance at the clock told me it was barely seven thirty. I’d risen at four thirty, as soon as the sun set, and the ordeal with the Fyrun Fae had taken us around two and a half hours. As I headed back to the kitchen, Nerissa arrived home. She looked wiped, too.

I wrapped my arms around her. “I missed you.”

She kissed me, long and slow, her tongue playing over mine as a hazy wash of desire raced through me. I melted into her kiss, once again thanking my lucky stars I’d found her.

“You smell like you just came from a bonfire. Dancing around one out back?” She laughed lightly, but I shook my head and the smile died on her face. “What happened? Another fire?”

“Yeah. I guess you didn’t hear? The Utopia went up in flames. Luckily, they managed to save it, and we fought off several Fyrun Fae, though we had to bring Iris in to help. She’s exhausted, but we needed her ice magic, and since Smoky’s not here, we had to ask her to join us.”

Nerissa paled. “I had no clue. I stopped off to do some shopping on the way home. Is everyone okay? Did anyone…”

I shook my head. “No, no casualties this time, thank the gods. The club suffered heavy damage but it was all superficial. We ended up fighting some Fyrun Fae, though, and had to call in Iris to take care of them. She destroyed the gate through which they were coming. But she wore herself out big-time.”

A sound in the living room alerted us. The Whispering Mirror. Again. Since Camille was still upstairs, I went to answer it. As the fog cleared, I spoke to let Trenyth know I was there.

“It’s me, Menolly. What’s up?” Every time the mirror chimed now, we feared the news, because it kept getting darker and darker.

Trenyth motioned to the side and a rustling told me someone was there. A few seconds later, Aunt Rythwar appeared. Taller than Delilah, she was statuesque and regal, with hair as dark as Father’s and Camille’s, and eyes that were a brilliant blue. She was wearing a pair of trousers—which I’d never seen her in before, and a tunic. A dagger was strapped to her thigh, and she had a bow slung over her shoulder. This was a new side of Aunt Rythwar, for sure.

Her brow creasing, she cocked her head. “Menolly? I see Nerissa there in the background.”

“Yes, it’s me. The others are washing up.” Even as I spoke, a noise on the stairs alerted me to Camille and Delilah coming down. Shade and Morio followed them. “Just a minute.”

I called out, “In the living room! Aunt Rythwar is in the mirror!”

As they crowded in, I gave up my seat to Camille. She was keeper of the Whispering Mirror, and I was all too aware of how disconcerting it could be to talk to someone you couldn’t see.

“My girls… I’m so sorry.” Her own face was a mask, neutral. Full-blooded Fae could be incredibly volatile, and they could also be incredibly stoic. Right now, Rythwar in no way looked like she’d just lost her dearest brother.

“We cremated Father’s body today. We’ll bring him back to Otherworld when it’s safe enough. I hope you don’t mind. We’re going to hold a brief ceremony over here on Samhain, but we’ll wait till we can bring him home for full rites.” Camille let out a long breath.

Our aunt nodded. “I think that’s best. Meanwhile, I wanted to let you girls know that I’m moving into your father’s house—well, now it’s yours. But I’ve decided we can’t afford to leave it unguarded. So I’m taking some of my household guards and going to stay there.”

“Is that why you’re dressed like that?” I couldn’t help but ask. Aunt Rythwar had never worn anything but the most extravagant of outfits, and now she looked ready for a jaunt through the forest.

“There is too much danger to go about in fancy robes and gowns. I was trained in combat early—all of those who sit in the Court are. I still practice my skills and work with my trainer every month. I can handle myself. At least, I am not a burden to any who travel with me.” She winked in the direction of my voice. “I love you all, and wish you could come home, but Y’Eírialiastar is not a safe place to be. I heard about your escape from the palace. Your father would be so proud of you.”

I swallowed hard, choking back my tears. Camille and Delilah were trying to do the same; I could see it in their shoulders, in their faces. It was going to be rough for the next few months; that was obvious. We didn’t have the luxury to really let go and grieve.

“Auntie, please, be careful.” Delilah leaned toward the screen. “We can’t lose you, too.”

“I’ll do my best, and I’m taking guards with me. Tell my foster son Shamas I love him and miss him. And girls… be safe. Be careful. And I’ll see you as soon as we can meet.” She moved away from the mirror and Trenyth returned.

“I have more news.” He looked somber. “Smoky and Trillian found Venus the Moon Child. They will be returning home in a short while.”

There was more. There had to be, or he wouldn’t look so solemn.

“What’s going on, Trenyth? Was Venus dead when they found him? Or—Roz? He’s not hurt, is he?” I leaned over Camille’s shoulder, even though he couldn’t see me.

“No, both Rozurial and Venus are alive. Venus has his spirit seal. But your men found Benjamin’s body. The seal was missing. We don’t know where it went or who has it.”

Camille let out a soft murmur. “Not Ben. He was such a nice young man. And for so long, he thought he was crazy.”

“I’m sorry, I know you neither wanted nor needed this news. But you must know the truth of where we stand. As of now, we have no idea who possesses that seal. It could be Telazhar, it could be some random creature. All we know is that Benjamin was murdered, and whoever did it wanted to make sure he stayed dead.” He grimaced. “I will spare you the details. If you want to know, ask your men. They will be home within the hour.”

He leaned back in his chair. “I think, girls, that we have to settle in and accept this is going to be a long road to haul. We aren’t going to win this one overnight. Telazhar has seen to that. We are witnessing the dawn of a new age in Otherworld. Or perhaps, the reemergence of an old one—one we hoped never to repeat. Whatever the case, cinch yourselves in for a rough ride.”

“To quote an Earthside movie, Fasten your seat belts. It’s going to be a bumpy night.” Delilah chewed on her bottom lip. “All we can do is our best. Meanwhile, the world will keep turning.”

“That about sums it up,” I muttered. “We’re a cheerful little group here, aren’t we? But seriously, is there anything else we can do that we’re not doing?”

Trenyth slowly shook his head. “No. Just protect the Keraastar Knights and the four spirit seals we have in our possession. And find that last spirit seal remaining Earthside if you can. Meanwhile, we will search here for the one that belonged to Benjamin. We know that Shadow Wing possesses at least three. We cannot allow him to gain control of any more, or all is lost.”

And with that, he saluted us, and the mirror faded to mist again. Camille covered it with the black cloth that protected it and sat back, staring at the wall.

“Things are so fucked. Things are beyond fucked. I’d ask where we go from here, but there is no where. We just… maneuver through this mire one step at a time, and hope to hell we are still on the right path.” She sighed as Hanna entered the room.

“Time for food. You can worry later.” Her voice was as stern as Iris’s and we all jumped to attention.

As we filed into the kitchen, Nerissa spoke up. “While we eat dinner, why don’t we revisit my idea of creating a profile on Supe Matchups?”

Too tired to fight anymore, I gave in. “Fine. But I don’t like it. Two rules, though: You run all e-mails past us. And you don’t agree to anything without our permission.”

Nerissa stuck her tongue out at me, but nodded. “Oh, all right.”

Delilah fetched her bag and pulled out her laptop. As we gathered around the table, she fired up the computer and set it to the side of her plate. Thanks to the huge wooden table that Smoky had bought, we were able to seat a veritable army in the kitchen. And after they built Iris and Bruce’s house, the men had finished the addition to our dining area, which gave us plenty of room.

As Hanna served the food, Delilah pulled up the website, then slid the computer in front of Nerissa, who pored over the information.

“I still don’t like this.” I sat back, grumbling. “But if we’re going to do this, let’s do this right. Do we have a clue as to what they’re looking for?”

Camille frowned. “Violet was into bondage and domination. She was looking for multiple playmates. She wasn’t into pain, but that wouldn’t matter to the sex slave industry. They don’t care what their victims want or don’t want.”

She looked Nerissa up and down. “You should change clothes, though, if we’re going to shoot a video and put it up. Show off those amazing boobs of yours.” She wiggled her eyebrows at my wife. “How about a kiss, sweetheart?” Her attempt at a Humphrey Bogart impression fell as flat as the cake I’d attempted to make for Nerissa’s birthday.

I cracked up. “Oh please, if the two of you ever ended up trying to kiss, you couldn’t even reach each other. Between the two of you, the cleavage factor would keep you at arm’s length.” Shaking my head, I turned to Nerissa. “She’s right, though. You should probably put on something skanky. Or sexy. Whichever you choose.”

Nerissa headed toward my lair. “Will do, but if anybody touches my dinner, they’re dead meat.”

By the time she returned, everyone had been served. Chicken soup and biscuits and a hearty bowl of fruit salad were on the menu for the others. For me, Morio had enchanted a bottle of blood to taste like soup. Heated, it did my spirits more good than just about anything else could tonight.

Ever since he’d volunteered to give me some sense of my old life back through food-flavored blood, I hadn’t felt quite so much the outsider. I realized I’d never fully told him how much this meant to me. I’d have to remedy that. Maybe a present, or maybe just a quiet word when we had a moment.

Nerissa returned to the kitchen, wearing an off-the-shoulder cream top that gave full vantage to her ample bosom, and a high-waisted pink miniskirt with ruffles that grazed her mid-thighs. I set down the bottle of blood, the fire rising as I stared at her. I wanted to drag her down to the floor and fuck her brains out right here. I let out a low growl.

She picked up on it; her eyes met mine. “Tonight,” she mouthed, and I nodded. It had been several days—too long for us, but what with all the crap going down, sex wasn’t exactly high on the priority list.

As she passed by, resting a hand on my shoulder, I grabbed her fingers and brought them to my lips, turning them so I could kiss her palm. Then I let go, and she settled in front of the laptop.

“What should I say? I guess I use the webcam to make a video?” She licked her lips to moisten them, then glanced over at me. “I really don’t flirt. Well, I haven’t much since I met you.”

As the others dove into their food, I took notes.

Delilah and Camille threw out possible lines. Some of them Vanzir and Morio nixed on account of “a guy wouldn’t respond to that,” but finally, we had a short, sexy script and Nerissa fluffed up her hair, adjusted her off-the-shoulder top to reveal as much as she could without showing her boobs in toto, and she stood back so the webcam could catch her entire outfit and recorded the canned dating video. After that, she created an account under the name of “Puma Girl” and filled out the forms, uploaded the video, and that was that.

“Now we just wait for them to take the bait.” She sat back, frowning. “I just hope they do.”

“I think… whoever Lowestar chooses to replace Hanson will want to make a name for himself. He will probably be trolling the new members for any likely subjects.” Delilah frowned. “That’s what I’d do.”

Nerissa bit into a biscuit. “I have e-mail on my phone, of course, so I’ll add the account I created to use for the profile. I didn’t want them checking into my personal account. I tried to leave as little of a trail as possible that they might be able to track back here. Can’t help if they figure out that I’m not just renting my condo. But I doubt they’ll check on who owns the place. And I’ve been seen with you guys, but I’m not that high profile.”

My wife had just bought a condo when we decided to get married. She rented it out now, but it had stood empty for the past month after the last renter had to abruptly vacate for a new job.

“With a little luck…” Camille let out a sigh. “And we need a little luck right now.”

As they ate, and I drank my bottle of blood, there was a noise in the living room. I was closest so I ran in to find out what was going on. As I entered the room, I saw Smoky and Venus standing there. Roz showed up a moment later, his arm around Trillian.

For a long time, Roz had been unsure about ferrying people through the Ionyc Seas, but after a little practice on me—I was already dead and he couldn’t do much to hurt me—he’d discovered that he could take a passenger with him. One at a time, but he could do it. That little discovery had made life easier over the past months.

Delilah, who was right behind me, gave out a little squeal. The others followed behind her.

“Venus!” She ran to the old shaman. He looked older than the average Were, which meant he was incredibly old, but his hair still streamed golden down his back, and his eyes were the same color as Nerissa’s—a brilliant topaz. He was handsome, sturdy, and solid.

As he stepped forward, it seemed odd to see him without a limp, but then I remembered. The spirit seal he had carried in his leg for so many years had caused that limp. Now the fire opal was hanging around his neck, sparkling in a way that was almost frightening. It seemed a part of him—and he a part of it.

Venus the Moon Child had been the shaman for the Rainier Puma Pride, until he’d been conscripted by Queen Asteria for the Keraastar Knights. I wondered how the grizzled and crude puma had fared among the regal elves. Chances were, he could strike any one of them down without a problem. The man wasn’t just a Were; he was magic incarnate.

He held out his arm and pulled Delilah to him, kissing her on the cheek. With his other arm, he motioned for Nerissa to join him and he squeezed her to his chest, kissing her soundly on the lips. He had taught my wife how to handle pain, how to translate it into pleasure and use it as a healing force. And he’d taught her well.

Camille let out a shout and ran over to Trillian and Smoky. The dragon caught her up, whirling her around, kissing her soundly as he set her back on the ground, for Trillian to take his turn.

I turned to Hanna. “Can you fetch Amber and Luke? They’ll want to say hello to Venus.”

She nodded and took off for the parlor as Venus motioned for room.

“Let an old man have a chair, would you?” His eyes sparkled, though. As ancient as he might be, he was far from old.

As he dropped into the rocker, Venus gave us a long look before leaning his head against the back of the chair and closing his eyes. It was then that I could see the weariness below the surface that seemed to ooze out of his pores. Smoky and Trillian looked beat, too. So did Roz.

“Trillian, Smoky—why don’t you two go shower and change? Roz, use Delilah’s bathroom.” Camille motioned to Vanzir. “Meanwhile, somebody fix a plate for Venus. Soup and biscuits… whatever we have. Unless you’d like to wash up first, too.”

As Vanzir vanished toward the kitchen, Venus shook his head. “I took a shower at the Elfin camp this morning. I’ll bathe after eating. I know you have many questions for me and I’ll do my best to answer.”

At that moment, Luke and Amber entered the room. They greeted Venus in an odd dialect, one I knew I’d heard before but wasn’t conversant with.

But Camille touched her nose. “You speak in Melosealfôr?”

Venus nodded. “Queen Asteria ran us through an intensive course. It’s a rare dialect, and not many goblins or other miscreants would speak the tongue.”

She nodded. “It’s said that if the language falls from the tongue of an enemy, it will burn their lips with every word. Most of the powerful Cryptos—the ones who are of relatively good nature, that is—know it. And all of the Moon Mother’s witches and priestesses are schooled in it.”

Luke and Amber sat on the sofa. Luke looked a little more comfortable, but Amber still seemed disconnected. My heart hurt to think how good a friend Luke had been to me, and how strained things were now.

Venus seemed to pick up on my thoughts. “The seals, they change the wearer, Menolly. I’ve carried mine since I was first initiated as the shaman for the Pride. It changed who I was long, long ago. You have only ever known me this way. I was vastly different before I underwent the ritual that implanted it into my leg. This pair—this brother and sister—they are young still, in the way of the werewolves. The seals will work on them for many years and alter them. It is the nature of the artifact. Don’t feel bad. This is the way of the world, girl.”

His smile was genuine, if stern. I nodded, holding his gaze. He was a handsome man, that was for sure, in a seasoned, wounded way. I could understand how Nerissa had been drawn to him.

Camille let out a slow breath. “Can you tell us what Queen Asteria was planning to do with the Keraastar Knights? And if those plans are still viable?”

A crafty grin spread across Venus’s face and he let out a low laugh. “Oh, my fair girl, yes I know what she was doing. And I can, and will, let you in on her plans. As for the question of whether they are still viable… that I do not know. The seal Tom had, and Benjamin—if they can be recovered, we can bind them fresh to others who fit the energy signature. The spare one that Luke carries? We were seeking a match for it when the storm hit.”

“So what were you guys doing over there? What were Queen Asteria’s plans for you?”

The silence hung heavy. Venus stared at me, then his gaze moved to Delilah and finally to Camille. It seemed like he was debating whether to answer us—or rather—how to answer us.

“Should we tell them?” Amber spoke up. She didn’t seem nervous, but rather reticent, and I thought I could detect an edge of resentment in her words.

“Of course they must know, especially now. We are not autonomous, Amber. The Keraastar Knights were never meant to be. At best, we are pawns in the hands of destiny, and you would do well to remember that. And now, with the star who guided our destiny sadly under a mound of dirt, we must seek out another to lead us. We were never meant to rule ourselves.” Venus let out a long breath as Vanzir brought him a mug of soup and a plate of biscuits sopping with butter and honey.

Venus eagerly slurped the soup, and we waited patiently. Meanwhile, Smoky and Trillian returned from washing up, and Roz trailed in after them.

“Queen Asteria had stumbled over an ancient text—did she tell you? The Maharata-Verdi?”

This was a new one. We shook our heads. “No, go on. What is it?”

“A scroll from when the spirit seal was first created and broken into nine pieces. It comes from the great Fae Lords. They wrote it down… it is both a prophecy and an incantation. They predicted that one day, a force of nine knights would carry the spirit seals forth… that they would lead an army of magical warriors against a ‘great horde’ who was set to bring the worlds crashing in on each other again.”

“The Keraastar Knights,” Delilah said, staring at him.

Venus nodded. “Yes. The scroll directed that the knights were to be called the Keraastar Knights because of the central stone their Queen wore—the Keraastar diamond. When all nine knights come together, with the nine seals, and their Queen at their helm, it will create a shield that would repel Demonkin and hold the worlds apart. Because the Maharata-Verdi claims that if the portals implode, the worlds will crash together in a cataclysm that will destroy much of both. Not so much like a nuclear bomb, but it will have far-reaching impact on the future of both OW and ES, and release a fuckton of magical chaos.”

With that, Venus fell silent.

We stared at him. He’d pretty much dropped a bombshell on us.

“Okay, do you have the Maharata-Verdi?” It wasn’t that I’d ever doubt him, but had Queen Asteria truly possessed this document? She wasn’t the lying kind but we’d been taken in before.

Venus glanced at Luke and Amber, then slowly reached into the bag he had kept by his side and brought out a small leather tube. He opened it and withdrew a crackling scroll. The antiquity of the paper oozed off it, and at first I wondered how it had lasted so long, but when Camille whispered, “Magic… ,” I knew that it was enchanted.

As the old shaman spread out the vellum on the coffee table, the energy rolled off it so thick that even I could feel it. Camille and Morio knelt down by it, almost reverently. The writing on it looked old—very old.

Camille pored over it. “A very ancient version of Melosealfôr, it looks like. I can pick out part of a word here or there but nothing substantial.” She ran her hand over it, then stood up. “Venus is right, this is ancient beyond counting. I’d say it was created before they made the spirit seal—before the Great Divide.”

Morio nodded. “There’s magic in this scroll that even the Scorching Wars couldn’t rival. You said that there’s an incantation in it?”

“Queen Asteria could read this… and she herself performed the incantations. It binds the spirit seal firmly to the bearer on a soul level, but there has to be a match there—you cannot be bound to the spirit seal if you don’t resonate to it on an energetic level.” Venus took a big bite of a biscuit slathered with honey and butter. “In essence, this scroll creates the Keraastar Knights.”

The room fell silent. I stared at the ancient scroll. “You mentioned the Queen bearing the Keraastar diamond. Did Queen Asteria have that?”

He frowned, then shook his head. “No, but the scroll has a twin, and that twin bears the location of the diamond. And… I know the location of the twin scroll. Queen Asteria entrusted it to me. Why, I don’t know, but she had her reasons and told me one day I’d find out.”

“But if she’s dead, then what good would the diamond do?” Delilah frowned, a confused look on her face.

Venus took her hand. “Little Kitten, understand that the scroll predicts a Queen will wear the diamond… but not which Queen. Queen Asteria was not the one destined to finish the task. It was not for an Elfin Queen… but a Fae Queen. The great Fae Lords made the spirit seal to begin with. Asteria was not, at first, in favor of dividing the worlds. She came around, but it was the Fae race who forged the seals, it was the Fae Lords who rained terror down in the form of the wars that surrounded the Great Divide. They locked Aeval and Titania away. They drove the juggernaut that created Otherworld. So… my belief is that it will be a Fae Queen—an Earthside Fae Queen—who will wear and wield the Keraastar diamond, and she will finish rebuilding the Keraastar Knights and become their leader and champion.”

Camille let out a long breath. “But who… Aeval? Tita- nia?”

I slowly turned to her. “I pray it’s not Morgaine. We would be in for so much trouble if she rose to that kind of power.”

“We can’t let her know about it. But if we keep it from her, that means we keep it from Aeval and Titania. I don’t know how feasible that is.” Camille frowned, pacing the room. “For now, though, as long as the dragons protect the knights, we should be okay. But Venus, you must not let the dragons know about the Keraastar diamond.”

We all glanced at Smoky and Shade to see how they’d take that statement. But both of them nodded in agreement.

Smoky spoke up. “My wife speaks correctly. My people are avaricious. Especially the white dragons. My father’s kin are among the worst of the lot, and they will stop at nothing to attain power and treasure. For now, when you return to the Dragon Reaches, keep silent. And you must hide this scroll.”

Venus paled. “Where, though? It must be protected.”

“Carter. Carter could protect it, couldn’t he?” Vanzir stopped short as soon as the words left his mouth. “Never mind. No, you do not want a demon having that much information in his grasp. Not even a half-demon. I’m amazed you spoke of this in front of me, considering my nature.”

“You are not out to destroy this world,” Venus said.

“There is a place,” I said, mulling over every word, trying to decide if what I was thinking was actually a good idea or not. “What about your barrow, Smoky? It’s sealed off from the rest of the world more tightly than just about any place we know of.”

Camille nodded. “Yes… of course! The barrow. There are spaces deep within the chasm there that we could hide the scroll in—no one would ever find it unless they first destroyed all of us, then decided to go mucking about in there.” She turned to Smoky. “Can we hide it there, my love?”

A strand of his hair reached up to tickle her and then he nodded, his eyes gentle. “You may hide it in my barrow. But we’d best do it soon because once my mother and her helpers arrive to take Venus and the others back with them, they’ll sense anything this old in the house. Shade, stay here. Menolly, you and Rozurial—bring the scroll. I will go with you to help you through the barriers. You can find a place to hide it that even I will not know about.”

“You’d best go quickly.” Shade cocked his head. “I sense a stirring on the wind. The dragons will be here soon.”

“Then we go now, and will return as soon as we finish.”

And with that, we scurried to gather our things, and to go hide the scroll.