CHAPTER Twenty Four
Several hours later I was standing in a darkened street staring up at a familiar looking building. Corrigan had tried to contact me with his Voice several times, but I had shut him out. I’d make it up to him later. It was probably better he didn’t know what I was about to do.
I touched my stomach very lightly. “I know this is do what I say, not do what I do, but this is not something I want to catch you ever even thinking about. It’s a bad thing. The capacity for evil resides in all of us and what I’m about to do could well be considered evil. So don’t you dare try anything like this yourself.”
I looked back at the house. I knew I wasn’t exterminating their entire species. I knew there would still be some left over who weren’t there this night. Some who may well want to come after me for this. But I had decided there were no more choices to make. Not now. I’d just have to hope it was enough to make damn f*cking sure they were too scared to ever try to really come near me or mine again. I thought briefly of Aubrey. He probably wouldn’t have been too happy but he’d have understood. In a way it was revenge for him as well as protection for my family. Then I closed my eyes and thought of dragon.
Fire and blood and anger mixed up inside me. The pain of transformation was fleeting, as if giving a blessing to my decision. I opened my eyes, a red haze clouding my vision as if all I could see was a fine mist of blood. And there would be f*cking blood spilt this night. My little match hovered in my mind. I considered it for a second, then blew it out. I wouldn’t be needing it.
*
When I arrived at Alcazon, it was still possible to hear the clanging sirens of the fire engines. I completely ignored them, heading straight up to the restaurant and the now very familiar private room at the back. Everyone was already there. Alex and Balud were sitting together at the far end. Good. That meant there had been some progress made on the weapons. Several of the council members were already in deep discussion.
“Do we know whether it was Endor or not?”
I sat myself down and jerked my head towards the attending waiter, and asked him for a glass of milk. I could feel Corrigan watching me, but I didn’t look his way.
“It doesn’t make sense that it was him. We know he’s going after Air next, not Fire.”
“And he would need to attack a fire based creature, not just kill them with fire. But who else could it have been?”
A silence descended around the room. Several heads slowly swiveled in my direction. A tall glass was carefully placed in front of me with beads of condensation already forming around it. I leaned over and picked it, taking a sip and idly watching the waiter depart.
“The vampires were attacked this night, Miss Smith. Rather catastrophically.”
“Indeed,” I murmured.
“Their numbers have been decimated.”
I caught a drip on the edge of the glass just before it fell onto the table.
“That is a shame.”
“Crazy psycho bitch,” someone hissed.
There were several intakes of breath. I merely smiled.
“So,” I said, putting down the milk and looking around, “do we have an entry point into Dorchadas or not, then?”
The Arch-Mage stepped in. “We’ve worked out a way. There are indeed some considerable wards in place to prevent strangers from wandering in, but we think we’ve come up with a way to stop that from happening. Having the Fae has helped enormously.”
Beltran nodded. “We can combine our magic with the mages and focus it in such a way that when they open the portal, there won’t be so much as a flicker of attention drawn to it.”
“Excellent.” I turned to Alex and Balud. “Have you made any progress on the palladium?”
The mage looked remarkably unhappy. I had the feeling it wasn’t to do with the fact everyone was pretty much convinced I’d just nuked two dozen vamps out of existence.
“We have.”
“And?” I prompted.
“Dude,” he said, shaking his head, “we were idiots.”
Balud cleared his throat. “It appears I made an error. The document I found suggesting palladium was harmful to necromancers was actually a translation. And it seems not a very good one.”
I’d been right all along. I sighed. “Let me guess – there should be an article in front of palladium. It’s the Palladium. Not palladium.”
The pair of them nodded.
F*cking hell. Three tiny letters had spelled out our failure at Loch Ness.
“So the Palladium isn’t as useless as we’d thought,” I said. “The question is how does it work?”
Everyone stared at me.
“It’s a statue. A tiny wooden statue. It’s hardly a f*cking machine gun. What are we supposed to do? Hit Endor over the head with it and then he’ll collapse and die?”
Nobody answered. I stared around the room. “Well, will somebody f*cking find out?”
Several heads bobbed up and down vigorously. Maybe they were afraid I’d set them on fire too. It turns out I was a monster after all; I just needed to have my priorities changed.
“Okay. I need one representative each from the mages, shifters and faeries.” I nodded to each one in turn. “We’ll enter Dorchadas within the hour.”
Corrigan folded his arms across his chest. “You can’t go.”
I gave him an irritated look. “I’ll be fine.”
“No, absolutely not.” He shook his head implacably.
“Mackenzie…”
I was excruciatingly aware of everyone following our little byplay. “You can’t tell me what to do.”
I understood his reasons for demanding my non-participation, which meant I was staying calm. That didn’t mean I accepted his point of view though. I was pregnant, not helpless.
“We’re not going to attack, or do anything that will give away our presence,” I said gently. “We’re just to do a bit of information gathering. Hence only four people will enter. We can keep a low profile if there are less of us.”
“Spying!” Alex interjected. “Cool! If I go along can I get a watch that shoots tranquiliser darts? Or maybe a fountain pen disguised as a gun?”
I raised my eyebrows at him. “You want to come along?”
He shrugged. “I’m not the best person in a fight, Mack Attack, I’ll be the first to admit that. But I’m great at keeping hidden and, besides, if Aubrey can step up to the plate then so can I.”
“I’m happy for Mage Florides to volunteer himself,” the Arch-Mage interjected.
Corrigan stood up. “I will be representing the Brethren.”
Of course. I gazed up at him with a mixture of gratitude and exasperation.
“I’m a werepanther. My fur is darker than anyone else’s so I’ll be better placed to conceal myself in shadows.” He jerked his head at me. “Your red hair makes you a target. You should stay behind. It’s just common sense.”
I growled at him. “I will wear a f*cking hat.”
The Summer Queen rose also. She clearly wasn’t enjoying my banter with the Lord Alpha. “Lord Sol will attend in the name of the Fae.”
Corrigan scowled.
“Great.” I checked my watch. “Set up the portal. We’ll go in thirty minutes.”
I drained the rest of my milk. I needed to splash some water on my face to freshen up. Hopefully I could borrow some deodorant or perfume from someone too. The smell of bonfire still clung to my nostrils and I was fairly certain my clothes reeked of baked vamp.
*
Thirty minutes later, the four of us stood together, ready to broach the Otherworldly barrier to Endor’s realm. Alex was hopping from one foot to the other. I wondered whether he was regretting volunteering. He gave me a quick tense smile when he caught me looking at him, and continued jumping around. I hoped he wasn’t going to end up being a liability.
Solus hooked his arm through mine. “This is simply wonderful. The two of us together, in the dark.” He sent me an arch look and a saucy wink. “Why anything could happen.”
I could almost see the hackles rising on the back of Corrigan’s neck. I pointedly re-directed Solus.
“Have you managed to get a date yet with your Celtic student?”
He suddenly deflated. “No. She has thus far remained immune to my quite considerable charms.”
“Imagine that,” I murmured.
“It’s a war of attrition, dragonlette. She’ll agree eventually. It’s meant to be.”
The Fae was obviously aware of Corrigan watching us closely because he abruptly flipped back to flirting. He wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “How do you feel about a threesome?”
I was saved from answering by the crackle in the air, signifying that the portal to Dorchadas was open. Instead of the usual pretty purple flickers in the air, however, these were darker. Nausea rose up through me. I touched my stomach almost unconsciously in some pathetic attempt to prepare myself. Prepare us, I amended silently.
Solus went through first, followed by Alex, with me, then Corrigan bringing up the rear. As soon as I was through, I retched. It was an effort not to groan aloud, but I managed, just, to keep quiet. When I straightened back up, Corrigan was watching me with disapproval.
Alex held something out in his palm.
“What’s that?” I kept my voice low and quiet, unsure whether there was anyone around who might hear us.
“Breath mint.” When I narrowed my eyes at him, he grinned slightly. “I was in Russia with you, remember?”
“You were in Russia? When?”
I rolled my eyes at Corrigan. He may have been speaking in a whisper, but his annoyance was still obvious. “For f*ck’s sake. You’re going to need to stop doing the whole protective thing. Platonic relationship, remember? And even if it wasn’t, I think I’ve proven I can take care of myself.”
A muscle jerked in his cheek. I could see him battling with himself to avoid taking our little spat even further.
Wrong time, wrong place, my Lord.
It’s not just yourself any more. You need to show a bit more maternal responsibility.
I just slaughtered half the bloodsuckers in the city. My maternal responsibility is doing just fine.
He snarled in my head. Were they threatening you?
Solus cleared his throat. I realised Corrigan and I were facing each other, gesturing expressively with each Voice communication. I guessed it looked pretty strange. I snapped back into the physical world as Alex broke in.
“Which way, dudes?”
Focusing on what we were supposed to be doing, I took a step backwards to stare into the darkness. There was very little to be seen. I was getting so very tired of the dark. Corrigan raised his head and sniffed, then pointed to his left.
“Can you smell Endor?”
He shook his head. “Nothing so specific. But there are living creatures off in that direction.”
It was good enough for me. We headed off in single file, Corrigan in front so he could use his superior sense of smell to keep us on track. The ground beneath us was crunchy, making it difficult to tread quietly. I peered down, trying to work out what it was we were walking on. It seemed to be a mixture of materials, different sizes and lengths. There was a curved shape to one that was just like…I looked back up. Okay. We were walking on hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of bone fragments. Excellent.
The air felt clammy and heavy, almost as if a thunderstorm was about to break. I sucked a breath deep into my lungs. It left an unpleasant taste on my tongue and I made a face. I really didn’t like it here.
We’d hardly travelled any distance, when Corrigan halted. I almost went careening into Alex’s back, and only just managed to pull myself back in time. I leaned out to my right, trying to see why we’d stopped. There was a faint glow up ahead. Bingo. I crossed my fingers that it was as a result of Endor himself, and not some other nastie we’d have to avoid. Tapping Alex on the back, I motioned for him to veer right, and then for Solus behind me to head left. If we could flank whoever it was, and get close to see what they were up to, then we might just learn something useful. Corrigan turned and looked me. He flashed a sudden grin, and exploded in a mess of ripped clothing and black fur. His werepanther form padded up and he butted his head against my stomach, purring. He might have been trying to look like a cute harmless cat, but the powerful muscles rippling down his black feline body belied his true self. I scratched his ears, then pushed him gently back around and forward.
Corrigan as a werepanther made no sound at all while he picked his way through the path of bones. I, on the other hand, was like a heavy footed elephant in comparison. No matter how gingerly I tried to tread, there was still a sickening noise of crunching under my feet. I lifted myself up onto my tiptoes and began to move more slowly. We didn’t have the Palladium with us and we weren’t prepared for a fight. It was imperative Endor didn’t hear me.
The light grew stronger as we approached. It was some kind of fire, burning in a small metal barrel. Surrounding it were several free standing walls which oddly appeared to be moving. I strained my eyes. What the f*ck was it?
Corrigan spoke in my head, causing me to jump. Birds. Lots of birds.
I peered closer and realised he was right. Each wall was covered with them. Different kinds and different sizes. I spotted crows, pigeons, even a peacock. Every single one of them seemed to be affixed somehow through their bodies. Their wings, however, were flapping and free. The lack of sound caused by their continuous movements was beyond eerie.
Air. My returning Voice to Corrigan was grim.
Indeed.
Is Endor there?
He shook his great panther head, stating the negative. Then the smell hit me. I wrinkled my nose; it was blood, lots of blood. You’d have to kill a lot of bloody birds to make the atmosphere smell that strongly. I drew closer to see what it was, and spotted Alex gesturing to me from the other side. There was a stone table close to him with something outstretched on it. I took another step and realised it was a kelpie, spread-eagled and sliced open. Nausea rose again through the pit of my stomach, warring with bloodfire. The kelpies may have double-crossed us, but it appeared that Endor had then double-crossed them back.
Solus appeared silently at the opposite side of Alex. I stopped moving and watched him approach the nearest wall of birds. Their wings continued to beat noiselessly - and uselessly. He stepped up to one and began to stroke its head, his lips moving as he murmured something. Then he took several steps backwards, and made some kind of gesture.
I blinked at him. What was that? Frowning, I moved round Corrigan to get closer. Solus had connected his hands together and was flapping them as if to mimic a bird. I nodded. Okay, yes, I could see the birds. Then he pointed to the fire. I had no idea what he was on about. I was just on the verge of asking Corrigan if he had any idea when he suddenly hissed in my head.
Get down. Now.
I launched myself downwards, only just managing to move my palms to hold my weight and avoid the bones in time. Corrigan was equally down on his haunches, his green eyes slitted. I couldn’t see where Alex or Solus had gone. Then I heard footsteps. Oh, shit. I lifted my head slightly and realised that Solus was still bathed in the glow of light from the fire. He was too close to the wall of birds and, even though he was also hunkered down on the ground, he was far too visible. He began to back away, staying low, but the footsteps were getting nearer. A dark shape passed by, barely ten feet away from where I was. It was clearly Endor. I watched in panic as Solus still tried to manoeuver himself around without making too many sudden movements that might attract Endor’s attention. All the necromancer had to do was glance over and then he’d see him.
The wall to the far side of Solus began to flap with more vigour and energy than before, drawing my eye away from the Fae. Endor obviously saw them too because he began to stride in their direction. A diversion. The birds were working for us and creating a diversion. Solus scrambled up and managed to back away out of sight just as Endor reached the birds and kicked one of them. There was a sickening crack as its neck broke. The rest of the birds slowed their movements in response. I could feel anger and heat filling me. That f*cking bastard. My fingertips tingled. I glanced down, then realised green fire was flickering at the edges of my hands. Quickly, I dropped to my stomach, managing to avoid making any sound, and shoved my hands under my body to hide them. Green flames would be a bit of a f*cking giveaway.
Endor moved from wall to wall, trailing his hands over each of the birds. I carefully rose to my knees and stuck my hands under my armpits, then nudged Corrigan with my elbow. He nodded, and the pair of us began to very, very carefully back away. With every single step, I was terrified that Endor would hear us and turn around. Thank f*ck he seemed absorbed in his walls of horror, oblivious to anything else. There was one point my foot landed on a bone, causing it to snap. To my ears, the noise was as loud as a foghorn, but Endor didn’t register it. It took a few minutes, however, before I could breathe again.
By the time we reached the portal, Alex and Solus re-joined us. I sent a questioning look in Solus’ direction and he nodded, but placed a finger to his lips. Then he vanished back through, with Alex following. There was the familiar creak of bones shifting, and Corrigan returned to his human form, standing back upright. He was, of course, fully naked. My eyes travelled down from his face, then back up again. Good Lord. He licked his lips as if daring me to say something. I took a deep breath, composing myself, and gestured towards the portal. He grinned at me with the hint of a promise in his jade eyes, and went through. I swallowed, forgetting to feel nervous at my impending retching and followed after him.