Priestess Dreaming (An Otherworld Novel) (34 page)

Aeval glanced overhead. “Áine lives, then?” There was a catch in her voice and I could swear a saw a tear in the corner of her eye.

Myrddin smiled at her then, ducking his head. “Aye. Your foster daughter lives. But she is under a curse. After you were imprisoned, they cursed her and took away her ability to shift form.”

I whirled to Aeval.
“Foster daughter?”

“Áine was commended into my care after she met the Merlin and fell in love with him. The Wing Liege assigned to me to watch over her. I tried to send her home when the great wars began, but she would not go. Before I could contact her kin in the Dragon Realms, the Fae Lords caught me and locked me within the crystal cave.”

She shuddered. “But we have no time to reminisce. He is within ten minutes of here. You have a plan, then? We have all our warriors ready, but a wyrm such as Yvarr will decimate the land before we can make a dent in him. As I said, I’ve been struggling to remember the Spell of Naming the past few days, and so has Titania, but neither of us was able to recall the complete incantation.”

“Myrddin will cast the spell on Yvarr, and I’m going to use the horn to make the initial wound. Then the others will attack and between everything, we hope to be able to kill him. I’d better prep the horn.” I moved to the side while the others continued discussing strategy.

As I pulled the horn out of my pocket, the energy quickened rapidly. The energy of Talamh Lonrach Oll must be causing a chain reaction because I slid into trance without any difficulties. Once again, I faced Eriskel in the center of the horn. He was looking particularly solemn.

“You know what’s going on, don’t you? I need the Master of Winds. I need him to call down the lightning for me.” I turned toward the mirror that looked into the Eastern realm.

Eriskel walked over to stand beside me. “You know that killing a wyrm will set off repercussions you can’t even begin to dream of?”

“I know that if we don’t kill Yvarr, many innocents will die as he ravages the country. The government will call out their own weapons to try to destroy him and things will escalate to an end none of us want to see.” I turned to face the jindasel. “I was given the horn for a reason. I’ve never used it lightly. Trust me?”

“I have no choice. You are the mistress of the horn and I’m your servant. Just remember, there will be repercussions down the line, and not from using the horn. Kill one, and it will waken others.” He stood back, and the Master of Winds appeared in the mirror, looking down from his rocky crag high in the mountains. The wind blew through his hair and he saluted me, arm held high.

“Master of Winds, I need your lightning. Sky Lord, I need all the lightning you can bring to bear.”

He grinned. “You have my full force, Lady Camille. As much power as is left in the horn will be charged with the force of the sky.”

And, just like that, I found myself back in my body, holding the horn, which now felt amped up by the force of over a billion volts of energy just waiting to be discharged. It set my teeth to chattering and I was suddenly terribly afraid of accidentally triggering it in the wrong direction. Not only did I have the force of one fucking strong-assed lightning bolt in my hands, but it was also magically enhanced, so it would not only strike, but it would strike and keep hold.

“Look—there he is!” The cry came from behind me and I hurried over to Myrddin’s side. I had to know what he was doing, and when he was doing it, so I could play my part. Smoky and Shade had both moved back into large clear areas and now they transformed, taking their natural shapes—Smoky, a great white and silver dragon, and Shade—a skeletal dragon with bones that were the color of the earth.

Morio shifted shape, too, into his youkai form. Delilah, Tanne, and the Fae Queens waited back of Myrddin and me. Bran was marching into position, leading the warriors, but he waited to bring them into the arena. If Yvarr let loose with a blast of flame, no point in having all targets on hand. Vanzir had vanished but I knew he was somewhere around, probably waiting in the Ionyc Seas so he could come in for a sneak attack.

Raven Mother moved forward then, and at first I wanted to shout for her to get out of the way, but I realized she was luring him in. He wanted her, he wanted revenge, and he was blustery enough to talk it up before trying to kill her.

She read him right. Yvarr appeared over the trees, huge and serpentine, reminding me of Áine but far, far older and more dangerous. He glimmered against the light of the storm, his terrible claws polished to a high sheen. At least half-again as big as Smoky, Yvarr was a horrible beast, beautiful and deadly and circling to strike. He spiraled down, aiming toward Raven Mother, and she let out a laugh that echoed through the air, amplified by magic.

“Yvarr—enemy of my love! Come down here, you coward, and face me!” The wind was streaming through her hair and she stretched her arms wide, inviting him to attack.

I had to remind myself that she was an Elemental. She could be hurt, but she was one of the true Immortals and there was no way Yvarr could kill her. Whether he knew that was another matter.

Yvarr spiraled down, landing on the ground in front of her so hard that he shook the land. “The Raven! I have waited long to repay you for my imprisonment.”

He really
was
under the misassumption that Raven Mother had played an integral part in locking him up. I wondered what part the Fae Lords had played in encouraging the idea. By now, I wasn’t putting anything past them.

“Wily one, how did you escape?” Raven Mother circled, moving his attention away from Myrddin and myself. She was giving us the opportunity to do what we needed to do.

“You forgot to destroy the key. Something seems to have opened my cage door, cunning one.” Yvarr’s skin glistened, the sheen of the scales illuminated by the glow of the clouds. “I see you have brought two wretched descendants of my kind to help you. They are puny in the face of my power.” And then, without warning, he turned on Smoky, breathing out a long breath of fire.

Smoky immediately launched himself into the air, bellowing as the flames scorched his wings. I braced myself to keep from screaming, but instead, followed Myrddin as he raced into the clearing, holding his staff up high. He was wearing his headdress and robes, and as a brilliant flash emanated from the staff, Yvarr jerked around, his sinuous neck writhing like a serpent.

“What is this?
The Merlin!
You cannot be alive!” There was a look in the wyrm’s eye—a flicker of fear.

I stood back, letting Myrddin do his thing.

Myrddin began to incant the Spell of Naming, and as he did, the energy in his words was so strong and so ancient, that it sent a shock wave through my body. If he controlled
this
much power, just what else could he do?

Ancient one of bone and flesh, of scale and hide and fire,

I seek your name, the truest word, force you to my desire,

This spell I weave, to seek the name, to hunt the key,

Through rock and bone and history,

Through air and wind and gale and breeze,

Through wave and ocean, lake and sea,

Through flame and ember and spark I seek,

Your name I call, Your name I sing,

This spell to me, your name will bring!

Everything fell silent, including Yvarr, and then a single bird—a raven—flew in and landed on the Merlin’s shoulder, cawing once. Myrddin laughed and shouted, “Yvancian Lucern Tregastius! Hear me and obey!”

Yvarr froze, and in that moment, I could see the spell winding around him like a silver net of sparkling wire. Smoky landed next to Shade and I could feel both sorrow and relief through our bond. He was mourning for Yvarr, even though he understood the need to do this.

“Show your most vulnerable area.” Myrddin was harsh and commanding, his demand held no mercy. He reminded me of Aeval in that moment, and I realized that as soft-spoken as he might be, I hoped we never had to tangle with the Merlin, because chances were, he’d come out on top.

Yvarr rolled over, showing his belly. Myrddin turned to me. “You have only moments. Hurry!”

I brought the horn to bear and yelled, “Hit the deck!”

Everyone scrambled, including Raven Mother.

I wanted to close my eyes. I didn’t want to see the damage I was about to inflict, but then I stopped. If I was going to attack a creature as powerful and magnificent as Yvarr, I owed him the respect of watching the results.

“Master of the Winds, I call down the lightning!” A bolt shot out from the horn, over a billion volts of energy, brilliant and neon hot. A single, flame-blue fork seared its way into Yvarr’s stomach, and the ancient wyrm let out a scream so loud it deafened me. He writhed, his serpentine body flailing, as the lightning exploded against him. It crisped the skin as he convulsed, the chain of lightning hopping and skipping around him, holding him in its fiery blue embrace.

A moment later, and Yvarr lay on the ground, still writhing, but hoarse from his screams. At that moment, Smoky and Shade moved in and as we watched, they finished the job, talons and great jaws flashing bloody as they ripped Yvarr in half.

The carnage turned my stomach. And yet, if we hadn’t gone in for the kill, if we’d hesitated, Yvarr would be ripping up the compound even now, and then moving on to Seattle.

I didn’t realize tears were running down my cheek until Myrddin turned back to me and gently reached out to wipe them away from my face.

“Little witch, this is the nature of life. These creatures . . . they may be beautiful, but beauty does not preclude deadly force.”

I nodded. I knew this all too well but still, the power we had over life and death never ceased to affect me. And Yvarr, as greedy and grasping as he might be, had been used and abused by my father’s ancestors.

I turned to Delilah, who sheathed her dagger. “I’m stick-a-fork-in-me done.”

She smiled grimly. “I have to say, I’m grateful I didn’t have to run into the mix. If we hadn’t been able to control him? We’d all be running for our lives now.” She wrapped her arm around me. “You okay?”

I let out a long, slow breath. “Yeah, I’m fine. Just . . . sometimes the energy can overwhelm me. How many of these creatures still exist in the world? Eriskel told me that Yvarr’s death would wake others. Whether he meant wyrms or other creatures from before the Great Divide, I don’t know.”

“What happened to your hand?” Delilah grabbed my hand up. I was still clutching the unicorn horn and as I looked down, I saw a row of blisters covering my palm. The pain was barely beginning to register.

“Fuck. Must have been residue from the heat of the discharge.” At that point, Raven Mother walked up and I stuffed the horn in my pocket. “Thank you. You distracted him enough for us to attack.”

She shrugged. “It would seem we’re in this all together, now wouldn’t it? Besides, my son told me about your journey, he did. You are too bright, my Camille, too beautiful for so much darkness. And yet, you would walk under the dark of the moon. It bodes well to incur your favor, young Priestess, yes it does, considering that which has been set in motion. But the deed is done, and I am off again. Do not forget—Raven Mother was helpful, was she not?” And in that singsong way of hers, she tilted her head and then, in a flash of light, transformed into a large raven and flew off.

In silence, we watched her leave.

Then, Myrddin stated the obvious. “You owe her a favor now, and so do I. We would do well to not forget that fact.”

I nodded. “Yeah, I’m aware of that.”

As the cheers rang out from the warriors and I ran over to make certain Smoky was all right, I caught sight of Aeval. She was looking at Myrddin, then she turned to stare at me. Her gaze was not unfriendly, but contemplative, and I flashed back to what she had said when she had looked at Morgaine.
“And so it plays out . . .”
and then, Raven Mother saying,
“It bodes well to incur your favor, young Priestess, yes it does, considering that which has been set in motion.”
Something had happened, and I didn’t have a clue what.

But I pushed the thoughts to the back of my mind as Smoky and Shade resumed their forms. Smoky was okay—he looked mildly singed, which was the most I’d ever seen him damaged, but he swung me into his arms, laughing. Beside me, Shade opened his arms to Delilah.

“We need to let Nerissa know everything’s okay,” I said.

“We will—no worries.” Smoky turned to look at Yvarr, and again, I saw the sorrow in his face. “He is one of the ancestors. One of our Titans. It seems such a pity to kill so magnificent a beast. But no worries, my love.” He kissed the top of my head. “I know why it had to happen.”

Aeval and Titania joined us. “The Merlin will stay with us, here in Talamh Lonrach Oll, until he decides what he wishes to do. I would not be surprised if he journeys to his old country and reestablishes the ancient groves. I have a feeling Stonehenge may be reclaimed from their government before long.”