eldritch files 07 - elemental blood (2 page)

Crwys looked at his friend with scorn.
Why would I do that? I've told you and I've told Kyle a million times, she made her choice. And that choice wasn't me.
Yet, that thought didn't stop him from wearing the ring he'd given her on a chain around his neck or make him want to touch it less.

Kyle doesn't buy it; neither do I. She's hurting. She's in pain. A lot of pain—something
you
know a lot about. She needs you.

"No," he said aloud and moved away from Levi and his damn Demon. "She doesn't."

"Who doesn't what?" Tas said as she came back to them when the men left with the body bag on the stretcher.

"Nothing."

"Okay, well," Tas said, "I've been thinking. Purs don't usually use magic on humans unless they feel threatened or someone steals from them."

"Steals from them?"

Nodding, she said, "Exactly. They're very private. They keep to themselves, and they horde their land and protect it fiercely. Yeah, they enjoy war and battle, but really, they're a good people."

"Uh huh,” Levi said. “That’s like saying a serial killer loves killing innocent people, but they really have a heart of gold.” He put his hand on Crwys's shoulder as Tas walked a short distance away, looking at their surroundings. "Can they do that to one of us?"

"Us?"

"Yeah, the supernatural crowd. Those of us not human."

Crwys smiled. "Yes, they can. It just takes a lot of magic behind it."

"Even you?"

"Even me." He checked his phone again. No more information came.

"You know, if you're that angry at her, you shouldn't check your phone all the time."

Crwys pushed Levi away. "Fuck you."

Tas appeared out of nowhere and swatted his nose with a plastic evidence bag. "Watch your mouth in front of your elders."

Elders? "Tas, you can't be any more than mid…maybe late twenties. I'm"—he put his thumb against his chest—"over thirty."
Way
over thirty.

"I'm a lot older than I look," she said in a low tone, though her expression appeared more troubled. Crwys assumed it was this new case and not him guessing a woman's age, which he'd been told was a taboo many times by Sam.

Sam.

Damn her. Damn all Witches. Faeries. Vampires.

Just…

Damn
.

"What's wrong?" Levi said.

Crwys opened his mouth to answer, and then closed it when he realized his partner was asking Tas. The woman was walking around the area as if looking for something. When she circled back to them, she sighed. "This just doesn't make sense. Purs don't reveal themselves like this. It has to be something else." She looked at the two of them. "You’re sure it’s not Faeries? Maybe a Morrigan?"

"Well,
the
Morrigan, 'cause there's only one of those, is deep inside of
Alfheim
living in a tree," Crwys said. "I know this because Tzariene put her there a long time ago."

"You know this, how?" Levi said.

"You hear a lot when you're hanging by your bones above a giant precipice." Crwys didn't smile. That ordeal at the hands of a crazy Faerie queen was still fresh on his mind and not something he joked about lightly. It had been one of the lowest points of his life, surpassed only by the moment he found Sam's engagement ring on the kitchen table. No note. No message. "I'm still leaning toward this being Purs.”

"Is there any place we can learn more about them?" Levi said. "Question them?"

“Any of the Nisse only show themselves when they want to," Tas said.

"Then let's make them want to." Crwys turned and headed back to his Mustang as the others jogged to keep up.

"What do you have in mind?" Tas asked in a worried tone.

"Asking the one guy who might know about them, seeing as he's good with search engines." He glanced back. "We're going to see Ivan at
Bell, Book and Candle
." It would be his first visit to Sam's shop since her disappearance. The first time he'd spoken with Ivan or Kyle in two months, even though Ivan sent him daily updates. He dreaded stepping foot inside because he knew he'd sense Sam. Feel her absence.

A month ago, he'd moved out of the apartments above the store and into Ina's old house, which had become Sam's when Ina was found dead. Though, Inamorata Devonshire had died a long, long time ago. At least there he could sleep, even if it was in fits and stops. Too many nights waking in a cold sweat, reaching for her against icy sheets.

Crwys unlocked the door and everyone piled in, with Tas in the back. He was silent as he pulled the Mustang into morning traffic and focused on the case in front of him. The half-stone bodies of innocent humans, once again caught up in the darker world.

He just hoped he could come up with a plan on this one before Prescott turned those bodies over to the CDC and exposed the Purs.

And that darker world they all lived in.

TWO

:I told you this wasn't a Dragon.:

Shut. Up!

I really,
really
didn't need Arcana's bitching at that moment. I was too busy concentrating on where my Elementals were, directing their attacks and making sure Bastien's wolf didn't get caught in the fray. To be honest, I was getting tired of arguing with the voice in my head. Literally. She didn't comment again but did lend her power where I needed it.

What irritated me more than anything was…she was right. It wasn’t a Dragon.

It was a Griffyn. I had no idea they existed, but given the experiences in my life this past year, I shouldn't be surprised. And it looked just like a Griffyn would look in my imagination. Lion's back end, tail, body, and neck; front feet and head of an eagle, with huge feathered wings. The colors were muted since it was still night in Oregon, and I was concentrating more on its beak and extremely large talons.

Just then, those talons caught Bastien's wolf as he lunged from the side. His yelp of pain tore at my heart and pissed me the hell off. Enough of this stupidity. I called on Arcana to give me full power.

And she did.

Bastien rolled to my right and didn't move. I couldn't go to him yet. I faced down the snorting, squawking beast, and with my hands out at my sides, I let the red sparkling power of Arcane flow from the center of my chest, over my shoulders, down my arms and cumulate in my hands. Black, bubbling balls of smoke formed in each of my upturned palms. To me, the power did little more than tickle, but to the Griffyn? Oh, he sensed it all right and started to take off into the sky.

Maybe I should have just let it go. Maybe if I weren’t so pissed and disappointed I would have. But my companion was hurt, and it wasn't his fault. It was mine. And I planned on making it right. "
I am a child of the wandering wilde. I command the sky, the sea, the Earth, and the sun. With the power of my will, so will it be done!
"

The Arcane released, and I felt it as the two balls of black, sparkling power wove around each other before they collided with the Griffyn, just as it became airborne. The thing shrieked and fell to the ground, writhing in the grass before me. Whatever revenge I sought, or whatever hatred or anger I had, evaporated as I watched my Arcane Power tear the magnificent beast apart.

I did this.

:Then fix it!:

I…I don't know how!
I felt my Elementals as they rejoined me, coming close to me to reenergize. I was a part of them, and they a part of me, now that I'd performed the binding ritual. By doing that, I'd grounded them in this world and made them powerful.
Very
powerful.

We took down a Griffyn…

-You have to hurry, Samantha
,
-
said Belenos, my Fire Elemental. He appeared as a Salamander, about the size of a basketball, with whips of fire and smoke about him.

Arcana stop it!

:
You
have to stop it!:

Dammit it all. I ran toward the writhing Griffyn and gathered my Elementals to me. Together, we reined in the devastating power of the Arcane. I could feel her trying to help, but getting caught in the flow. I sensed Coventina, my Earth Elemental, to my right, in the shape of her battle-ready Gnome. Zephyros, my Air Elemental, had his arms around my middle, stabilizing me, acting like a ballast. And above everything, ready, was my Undine, the mermaid Sionna.

Once we were in sync, the Arcane fire died quickly. Sionna dumped cool, rejuvenating water on top of the Griffyn as it lay on its side. I dropped to my knees when I saw the charred, featherless remains of the Griffyn's wings, as well as the smoking, raw skin of what had once been the lion's hide.

I did this.

I wrought this kind of destruction.

Again.

The Griffyn had done nothing wrong, except object to my attacking it…because I thought it was a Dragon. And not just any Dragon…but
her
.
Sweet God Mother…I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore.

It was my Arcane that answered. There had been a time when she would wrap her ethereal arms around me and comfort me. But after two months of driving my Elementals forward in pursuit of the Dragon that killed my mother…there was very little adoration left. What took its place was biting commentary and condemnation.

:
Heal her.:

Her?

:If you don't heal her, her children will die.:

Oh damn. This was a
mama
Griffyn. I put my hands to my mouth. Oh shit…I nearly killed a mother. Just as my mother had been killed. Taken her from her children, just as my mother had been taken from me.

chérie
,>
came Bastien's voice, soft but strong through the link. He might have been wounded, but the Wolf’s ability to rejuvenate if given time always amazed me.

I shut off that link and crawled close to the panting, charred creature. It seemed death and agony followed me everywhere I went.

I sensed Bastien as he tried moving.

:He's shifting back and forth to heal. He'll be fine. Now fix your damn mess,:
Arcana said.

Zephyros settled on my shoulder. -
We are beside you. Call Spirit.-

Call Spirit. He meant I had to surrender to my fifth Elemental.

Me.

I put a hand on the back foot of the beast, though I doubt she noticed it because I sensed her agony the second I had contact. Almost as quickly, my Elementals gathered around me, soothing me, comforting me, coaxing me to relax. To let go. I heard Belenos's singing to my right. He had a beautiful voice, and I thought again of the beautiful young man he'd shown me and wished I could see him again.

I wished I could see them all as I had that night at the altar.

-Even me?-
Zephyros said in his calmingly soft voice.

You, most of all
, I whispered to him.

As always, I found myself in the meadow, with cherry trees in full bloom and grassy hills nearby. A Unicorn stood in front of me, with a coat the color of pale indigo. "I did it again."

Yes.

I swallowed. "I need to be punished."

No.

"Please…" I felt an overwhelming weight on my shoulders as I fell to the side and lay in the grass beside the Unicorn. "Help me."

I didn't know if she would or wouldn't. Meaning…I didn't know my own mind, I guess. And how could I know it? Look what I'd done to myself, to those I love, and to the one man
I'd
ever loved.

Stop
.

"Stop what?"

Look back.

I didn't know what that meant, so I pulled my legs into my chest as I sobbed. I thought I heard the impatient snort of my mother, as a wolf or as a human, and looked up to see the Unicorn was gone. I sat up. I was alone in the meadow, and the sun was sinking over the vast hills. I'd never seen the sun set in this world. I didn't think it was possible.

"
Chérie
?"

The night in the meadow ended when I heard Bastien's voice. I opened my eyes and beheld his handsome face. He'd pulled back his red hair, and I could just make out the healing bruises on his face. I reached up and traced the scars on his face, the ones that wouldn't heal. He'd gotten those because of me.

Relief brought the corners of his mouth into a grin. "Aw…
mon Dieu
," he said as he ran his fingers through my hair. "I thought I really lost you this time."

This
time. He was right. There'd been several close calls in the two months since we left New Orleans. It took a few seconds before I remembered this instance. "The Griffyn?"

"Gone. Flown to her babies." With that, he sat back and I could see we weren't in the forest anymore, but in our motel room. When we started this journey, Bastien had respected my wishes to keep the relationship friendly. My feelings for Crwys hadn't changed. They never would, though I was quite certain after my rather silent escape his had.