Night's End (12 page)

Crawl blazed up, a rearing back, hissing at her, his fangs down and ready, but then he paused, and—simmering at a low boil that I could feel from where I stood—backed down.

“Very well,
daughter
. Make your offering, and I will do my duty and give you my sight.”

I followed her to the font as she watched to make certain Crawl stayed the distance. He moved too fast and could be on us in a heartbeat, but her warning seemed to have staved him for the moment. I hurriedly held out my hand, and she sliced deep, across my palm. I turned my hand palm down over the fountain, my arm wavering between two of the flames, and my blood spurted into the font. A moment later, Regina bade me remove my hand and then lifted it to her lips, licking it slowly, every touch of her tongue sending shudders through me. And they weren't unpleasant.

Crawl watched with greedy eyes, and Regina quickly moved me out of his reach again. “Old Father, drink and be satisfied. Then tell us what you see.”

In a blur, the Blood Oracle was at the font, his tongue dipping into the blood as the flames licked his face. He showed no sign that the pain was hitting him, though I knew it must be. But maybe time had seared his nerve endings; maybe he simply no longer cared.

“What say you?” Regina motioned for Kaylin to come close while I moved back to stand by Check. “Old Father, look into this one—is he loyal to Cicely? To the Court of Snow and Ice? Has he pledged his help to the Indigo Court?”

Crawl cocked his head, leaning close to sniff at Kaylin. “You smell like demons, like bat guano. You smell like a cold autumn night, and like ghosts of the past. I hear spirits around you—they follow you and watch, waiting to see what you do. But . . .” A pause, while the vampire seemed to take stock.

With a shake of the head, Crawl moved back to hop up on the cushioned seat. He hunkered down, his feet on the cushion in front of him, bony knees thrusting up near his chin. “Come here, young man.”

As Kaylin approached, Crawl grabbed him by the head and pulled him close, licking him across the eyes and face. Kaylin let out a cry but went limp as the Blood Oracle's hands held him tightly. And then, as a low beat began to resound through the chamber, Kaylin began to scream, writhing in Crawl's embrace. But the vampire held him firmly, not biting him, but breathing on him, his gaze fastened on Kaylin's unblinking eyes.

He twisted as Kaylin struggled, but never let go. Crawl's voice was raspy as he sank into a trance, and the words echoed off the walls of the chamber.

“This one is no danger to our sweet Cicely. He craves nothing . . . save for one young woman. But his threads of destiny lead in a different line than hers, so hearts afire will fizzle and love will wither. However . . . there are alliances being formed, but not the ones you fear—and not ones
to
fear. This one . . . He is destined for great things but not in this realm. Your destiny lies in a dim and distant land, boy—so prepare to leave your home. Your destiny will plunge you into the heart of the darkness from which your demon was spawned.”

And with that Crawl curled up on the cushioned seat and turned away, falling into a silence that echoed louder than his words.

Chapter 6

Kaylin slipped into a fugue as Crawl let go of him. Regina dragged him back for Check to carry—though she easily could have done so—and motioned for us to follow her quickly. We headed back through the maze of plain floor tiles as Crawl let out a shout that reverberated through the chamber. It was a howl, a guttural cry of frustration, and it scared the hell out of me.

We made it to the table, where Regina passed her hand over the crystals, and once more we took hands, with Kaylin draped over Check's shoulder. The room vanished as we fell back into the swirl of time, rushing every which way to return to the mansion.

I shuddered as the room began to materialize again—we were back in the small chamber, safely away from Crawl.

Turning to Regina, I gazed at her softly. “What happens if he ever gets free again? Can he get loose from his prison now?”

She regarded me quietly. “We have built in safeguards against that happening again. To be honest, we thought he was safely locked away the first time. It never occurred to us that anyone would be foolhardy enough to ever set him free. Geoffrey showed us that we cannot afford to trust even those closest to the Crown.” Regina passed a hand across her eyes, and I thought, for a moment, she looked almost human. Her lip twitched, and a vague wash of pain swept across her face.

I took a stab in the dark. “Geoffrey was a surprise to you, wasn't he?”

The Emissary stared at me, her hand back by her side. For a moment, I thought she wasn't going to answer, but then she gave me a faint nod. “We did not expect his disloyalty. We all go through loyalty tests—those of us within close proximity to the Crown. He passed his last. . . . There is unrest in the Vampire Nation because we now realize that at least some of the Vein Lords can—”

“Fake out the test.”

“Yes, that is one way of putting it. We never realized that was possible. So one of our tasks now is to develop a new form of testing that eliminates the chance for deception.” She paused, then glanced at Check who was studiously ignoring us. “You yourself now understand the nature of what it means to be a royal—and what it means to not know whom you can trust. Cicely, when you take a position of power, it means leaving activities, and people, behind. You can never be as free as you were. Even when you were under contract to my brother, you were freer than you are now.”

I nodded, absorbing her words. She was trying to help me. For whatever reason, she was doing her best to give me advice, and I'd be a fool not to pay attention. Regina might be harsh, and frightening, but unlike Lannan, she was all business, and she thought in terms of power and how to play it. She respected me more now because I had taken the throne.

Even though the thought rankled a little, I wasn't letting myself take offense. There was a mindset that went with power. And there was a mindset that went with being a vampire. Something about the turning brought it out, that much I understood. Though we might not like it, it was simply a fact. With the ability to destroy others, to turn them into the living dead, with the ability to control through glamour, came a certain arrogance. It was what it was.

I thought carefully before I spoke, because what I was about to say would affect the Court of Summer, too. But it seemed a good time to broach the subject.

“Will the vampires stand with us against Myst? And if we do defeat her, will we be able to forge an alliance afterward? As bad as the Indigo Court is, given what we saw down in the sewer system—with the creatures from the depths—we must think of the possibility that there are more dangerous beings in the world. In New Forest. I would prefer we work together to keep the town safe.”

Regina regarded me quietly, then said, “I cannot give you an answer—the final word must come from the Crimson Queen, of course. But I will do my best to convince her that such an alliance would be the best way for us to move into the future. The Fae Courts are changing. The Consortium must follow suit. And the Vampire Nation? It would do well to heed the signs of evolution.”

With that she moved to open the door, and we were once again back in the Regent's office.

Kaylin was beginning to come around as we schlepped him onto the sofa. Rhiannon, Grieve, and Chatter turned to me. I was about to speak when Chatter interrupted.

“I take it he's loyal to the Courts, or you would have let Crawl slurp him up?” The callous note in his voice startled me, but he just shook his head when we all turned to look at him. “You know I'm right. As much as I know this pains you, Cicely and Rhiannon, I also know we cannot allow our Courts to be endangered.”

“Chatter is right.” Grieve stood back, folding his arms across his chest. “So Kaylin passed the test?”

I nodded, thinking back to what Crawl had said. “Kaylin has a destiny that is going to take him away from us. And, I think, away from Luna.”

“I think I may know what it is.” Kaylin sat up at that moment, wincing. “I never want to see that freak again, but I'm glad I went. There was something playing in my mind—something I've been dwelling on ever since I was hurt. I haven't said a word about it, because I didn't know if it was just my imagination or not. But Crawl . . . he confirmed what I thought.”

“Are you all right?” I rushed over, kneeling down by his side.

“Well, it wasn't a walk in the park, and I feel like I've been hit by a sledgehammer—my head feels bruised inside and out—but I'll be okay.” He accepted the glass of water that Regina offered him, drinking it greedily. “I feel dehydrated.”

Regina motioned for Lannan to get the pitcher and refill the glass. “You probably are. The Blood Oracle . . . well . . . Let's just say he has more than one method of attack. And his touch is as unpleasant as his presence.”

“What did he confirm, Kaylin? We heard what he had to say, but what was he talking about?” I had a nasty suspicion but was hoping I was wrong.

Kaylin was unusual. We'd been in the Court of Dreams, talked to the King of Dreams who was the lord of the Bat People. The night-veil demons had chosen the Bat People as their children, but with Kaylin, it was a little different. His mother, one of the magic-born, had been possessed by one of the demons during her pregnancy. It had died, but its soul bonded with the child in her womb. The King of Dreams had told us there were a few others like him—a new generation.

“I must return to the Bat People and learn from them. There are things I need to know for my future. While I don't know what that future is, I knew in my heart long ago that it would lead me far from New Forest into a different realm.”

“I had a feeling that might be it. You have to return to the Court of Dreams, don't you?”

He nodded. “There are things only the Bat People can teach me. I think . . . it's the only way. They said I'm part of a new generation. I think I'm going to be at the forefront of . . . whatever my people will be called.” He hung his head. “I should never have led Luna on. I don't want to hurt her.”

Biting my lip, I decided to just be upfront about what I knew. “Kaylin, Luna cares about you, but she's still uncertain. She's held back. I asked her, while you were hurt. She told me because the future is so tenuous, she wasn't letting herself fall for you.” Even though I knew the news might hurt him, I hoped it would alleviate any guilt he was feeling.

Kaylin's gaze flickered to meet mine. “I hope you're right.”

With a heavy heart, I asked, “Are you feeling up to helping us? I know it's going to be hard for you to check Luna. Probing anybody's mind can't be pleasant.” And having Kaylin's demon in my mind hadn't been pleasant, either.

He pushed himself fully to a seated position. “Yeah, I'm ready. But . . . are you going to tell them first? And for me, it helps if they're asleep—or drifting off. I work better during that time, being a dreamwalker.”

Kaylin could travel the astral, in body and in spirit. That was how he could get into people's minds. The night-veil demon just made the process easier for him. I still wasn't entirely clear on what a dreamwalker was or how they became one, but I had the feeling he'd been born that way. Most of the magic-born had one innate ability over the others. I was a wind witch; Rhiannon worked with fire. Leo had been gifted with herb crafting. Anadey, Peyton's mother, had been an anomaly—she'd been adept with all four elements. Peyton's magic came out in divination.

I turned to Regina. “I hate to ask this, but is there a way to put them to sleep? Ysandra will be difficult, given she's so strong in her magic.”

Regina glanced at Lannan, who said, “Visotine.”

“What's that?” Kaylin stood and stretched.

“A safe knockout drug. It shouldn't hurt them. The stuff can flatten a horse.” Lannan shrugged. “We have occasion to use it on members of our stables. It will quiet even the most magical person.”

“You're sure it's safe?”

Regina nodded. “As safe as any drug can be. I have never seen anybody have more than a slight hangover from it. Should we administer it to them? It's simple, tasteless, and the dosage is easy to control.”

With a heavy heart, I okayed it. As Lannan left the room, I crossed to the window. It was snowing up a gale outside. When we had pushed Myst back, the winter had died down a little—felt more normal. But today, I closed my eyes and I could feel Myst on the winds. She was out there, no longer waiting but beginning her advance. The snow was a directed force, swirling in a frenzied dance, eager to gobble up the land.

For the first time, I began to think by the time this battle was over, I wouldn't have any friends left. Those still alive would probably hate my guts. As I stood there, contemplating what felt like a bleak future, Rhiannon joined me.

She put her hand on my shoulder, leaning against me. “We will win this. Don't fear. We'll win, and free New Forest of Myst.”

“But what then? The town is dying. People are being murdered on the streets. You saw the news reports. Will there be anybody left?” I turned to Regina. “We heard the news. What's going on in the town?”

She let out a soft whisper, as if to someone by her side. Then she flipped on her computer and quickly tapped something onto the screen. Another moment and she met my gaze.

“There were fourteen deaths today—the Shadow Hunters are in the town. Lannan and I already dispatched a group of men tonight to hunt them down and eradicate them. They seem tougher than before. I think Myst has been recruiting for strength rather than numbers.” She pulled out a file and tossed it across the desk. “I think you should see this.”

I picked up the folder. “What is it?”

“What we have managed to gather on Myst and her cronies the past few weeks. We noticed that attacks on animals near the town were growing—yes, we keep track of things like that.” Regina drummed her fingers on the desk. “The remains were . . . few, and viciously ripped to shreds. We're not stupid—we know Shadow Hunter attacks when we see them. So Lannan sent out scouts and began to find traces of them. They're cagey though, and good at hiding in the woodlands surrounding the town. Then, yesterday, the attacks on people began.”

“Yesterday? How many, total?” Rhiannon turned from the window, where she'd still been standing.

“Twenty-two deaths. Sixteen wounded, six severely.” Regina leaned back in her chair. “We can send scouts out into the woods, but the Shadow Hunters can hide by night and come out in the day. They know we can't chase them down during daylight hours.”

“I may be able to help there. I met my grandfather today. He said he'd send out reconnaissance to look for Myst's warriors. If the Indigo Court is holing up in the Golden Wood, we'll find them.” Though I said it with more confidence than I felt, I still felt that at least we had some hope.

At that moment, Lannan returned. He motioned for Kaylin to follow him. “They're all asleep and will stay that way for the next few hours. How long do you think it will take you to examine their thoughts?” Though he spoke to Kaylin, he looked at me, and in his face was hunger mingled with a strange sense of loss.