Night Seeker

Chapter 7

On the drive home we didn’t talk much. Watching Ysandra bring a pack of werewolves to their knees had been sobering. If that’s the kind of power the Consortium had, I wanted in on it. I didn’t know how much I trusted them, but I’d rather align myself with them than against them.

“We have to tell Lannan we talked to her, but let’s wait till he’s asleep to discuss the werewolves, the task force, and the fact that the Consortium knows all about the war between the vampires and the Indigo Court.”

“Spot on.” Kaylin flicked the turn signal as we eased off the highway, onto the street leading to the warehouse. “Somehow I think even Lannan would go running back to the Crimson Court with that information, as much of a rogue as he is.”

We pulled into the parking lot and he turned off the ignition. We’d made it back to the warehouse without anything worse than a few swerves.

As we swept into the central room, everybody was eating. Everyone except Lannan, who was sitting off to the side, a smirk on his face as he flipped through an issue of Vamp. A slut magazine catering to the bite-me set, the monthly rag featured gaudy pictures of women-and men-dressed in little to no clothing, advertising their services for hire as bloodwhores.

He glanced up at me, his long lashes fluttering against the obsidian gleam of his eyes. Very slowly, he closed the magazine and set it to the side. “So, our illustrious trio returns.” Slipping off the arm of the chair on which he’d been sitting, Lannan sauntered over to me, circling me as I shrugged out of my jacket.

“Cicely, my sweet Cicely. Where have you been?”

I tried to ignore his proximity, but the feel of him behind me set me on edge. Shivering, I tried to ignore the magnetic pull he had on my body.

“We talked to Ysandra. The Consortium has accepted us in on an emergency basis. I signed a contract with her.” I turned to Lannan-I knew he was going to raise a stink about it. And I wasn’t mistaken.

“You seriously believe that will release you from your obligation to the vampires? Geoffrey’s actions do not negate the contract between you and the Crimson Veil. Don’t fancy yourself footloose, my dear Cicely.” He leaned in, his face inches from my own. My wolf ruffled its fur-Grieve wasn’t happy, that was for sure. “And didn’t Geoffrey tell you not to talk to the Consortium?”

I stood my ground. “He warned me about them, yes. But given that I now trust Geoffrey just about as much as I trust Myst, I’m not necessarily concerning myself with what Geoffrey told me.” I flashed him a snarly leer. I wanted to bait him. Just a little. “So, are you going to run back to him and tell him what I’ve done?”

Lannan froze, his gaze narrowing. He looked two seconds short of baring his fangs, but after a moment, he pulled back. “Don’t tempt me, girl. Don’t ever fancy yourself the winner in our little game of wit and will.”

“You’re edging onto shaky ground, Altos.” My father stood, motioning for Grieve to remain silent. “Remember, you stand in the presence of Summer whether Lainule is here or not-I am the King of Rivers and Rushes and I wield no small power. And Cicely is my daughter.”

Lannan paused, his gaze flickering from me to my father. Slowly, still swaggering, he disengaged me and headed toward the door. “I must drink and drink deep, and if no one here is offering their services-” He paused, glancing back at me. I looked away. “I shall return soon. And I’ll see if I can dig up some information on our newly minted vampire, little Leo.”

With that, he was out the door, a blur of motion. I let out a long breath and sank into a chair.

“I still don’t like having him here.” I waved away offers of soup and a sandwich. “We ate.” While they finished dinner, Kaylin, Rhiannon, and I told them what had gone down, including the parts we couldn’t talk about in front of Lannan.

“So the Moon Spinners officially belong to the Consortium, then?” Peyton asked.

“That we do, which means we have to keep records of our ceremonies and meetings.” Rhiannon held up the pamphlet that Ysandra had given us. “Though, considering we’ve been inducted on an emergency basis, I think they’ll understand if we’re a little haphazard to begin with.” She paused. “Do you hear that? A tapping?”

Kaylin squinted, heading toward the door. Chatter and Grieve moved to back him up. The rest of us prepared for the worst. It might just be Lannan-though he was fully capable of opening the heavy door himself-or it might be something far worse.

But when they returned, the men were followed by a couple of the Fae I recognized as Lainule’s personal bodyguards.

“Is there a problem?” Wrath slowly stood, a look of concern crinkling his face.

The guards knelt before him. “Lord of Summer, we entreat you. The Queen has taken ill and needs you. Come quickly, please.” They turned to me. “She asked for you as well.”

Without a word, I shrugged into my jacket and, following my father, headed out into the snow.

The moment we were outside, my father took my hand and, letting the guards lead the way, stepped through a shimmer that appeared in the courtyard. I caught my breath as the world shifted. Ulean was with me, and she laid a calming kiss of warm breeze on my shoulder.

This is no trick. This is how the Fae often travel. Your body should respond quickly, with your parentage.

And she was correct-within seconds, the vertigo vanished and the movement as we walked through the swirling mists felt almost familiar-like something I’d once known about but had forgotten.

And then we were in the realm of Summer, and the chill of the snow fell away, though something felt amiss. As we passed silently through the trees, along a rich path toward a glade up ahead, I noticed that the leaves were beginning to turn color-a rich shade of bronze. And that should not be. The trees were always a vibrant green here.

Wrath stiffened beside me, and he tugged on my hand, moving us faster as we neither walked nor glided but somehow moved forward through the sparkling vapors that rose around us.

The birds were silent, and in my heart, I knew something was horribly wrong. The birds never stopped singing in Summer’s realm. I closed my eyes, praying we weren’t too late to prevent whatever it was that was happening.

Up ahead, a barrow stood. It was not the true barrow of Summer, locked in Myst’s grasp in the Golden Wood, but a makeshift refuge for a queen and her people who had been ousted from their home. We came to the edge, and the mist vanished and we stood there, in the silent gloom of evening. The chill hit me then-just a slight tang, a presage of autumn-and I knew that Lainule was dying.

Wrath still remained silent, leading me into the barrow. The guards guided us to a chamber toward the back of the spacious hall. The smell of pungent earth held sway in the air, slightly sour and biting. There were Cambyra Fae everywhere, the people of Summer-my father’s people, and my own. They stood as one upon our appearance and, as Wrath and I passed, knelt into deep curtsies and bows.

My blood stirred as I looked into their faces, and for once I felt welcome. Praying they did not know I’d been Myst’s daughter previously, I smiled gently, trying not to envision the horror they’d been through when Winter had reached out for their land.

The guards stopped outside a chamber. Wrath motioned for me to attend him and entered through the oak-hewn door. The room was large, though not grand, and a bed-high and only reachable by a two-step footstool-stood against one wall. Silk curtains were draped from each corner of the ceiling above the bed, wrapping around the posts that rose a good eight feet from the floor.

The rest of the room was simple, yet elegant. A large armoire. A dressing table. A bath-looking to be made out of smooth tile-sat cordoned off by its own curtain. I wondered what Lainule’s chamber had looked like back in the Golden Wood-it must have been grand, and beautiful. Heartsick, I bit my lip.

As we approached the bed, there was a slight movement and a tall, graceful woman stepped from behind one of the curtains. She knelt before Wrath, but before he could greet her, she stood and her eyes were filled with sorrow.

“She is unwell. You know what makes her ill.” She sounded resigned, without hope.

Wrath nodded. “She is too far from her heartstone.” The woman glanced at me, but Wrath shook his head. “It is all right. This is my daughter, Cicely Waters. She is half-magic-born, and an owl-shifter like me. She is one of the Cambyra and will be treated as my heir.”

I caught my breath. This was the first time that I’d been introduced to anyone-at least more than a nodding glance-and I hadn’t expected him to announce he was my father.

“Lady Cicely, welcome.” The woman knelt briefly to me, then returned her attention to Wrath. “Your Highness, she must have her heartstone or the Summer will fade.”

“The Queen is the heart of Summer, yes, I know.” Wrath fell silent, then walked over to the bed. Two handmaidens drew back the curtains to show the silent form of Lainule stretched beneath a purple and green comforter, her golden hair spread out on the pillows. Her eyes were open, and she turned to look at us, but I could tell she was weak. I knew she had been fading, but for it to have come on so swiftly must mean that Myst was getting closer to finding her heartstone.

Wrath swiftly climbed the steps leading to the high mattress. He sat carefully on the side, the quilted comforter beneath him shifting ever so slightly. He took Lainule’s left hand in his own, interlacing her fingers with his, and lifted it gently to his lips, pressing a soft kiss against the pale skin.

Tears caught in my throat. As I watched the tableau, I knew they were speaking but without words. And argument or not, their love broke through their recent spat and Wrath leaned down and gathered her in his arms, pressing his lips to hers.

“You cannot die. The Heart of Summer cannot die.” He kissed her again, and she murmured something that I chose not to hear-it was for his ears only. After a moment, my father turned. “Lainule wishes to speak to you, daughter.”

I hesitantly crossed the room, holding my breath, trying not to cry. Lainule looked so delicate and fragile in her bed, so unlike the vivacity of summer. The Queen of Rivers and Rushes let out a long sigh, slow, like a breeze through hollow husks, as I approached.

Wrath stood back as I climbed the three wooden steps, hewn in oak, to the side of her bed, and took my place sitting next to her.

“Lainule, can you ever forgive me?” I wasn’t sure what I was asking forgiveness for-perhaps for bucking her will, for choosing my own life over the hope that I might be a weapon against Myst.

But her eyelashes fluttered and she looked up at me, motioning me close. I leaned in, my ear next to her lips.

“The only forgiveness necessary is yours. I should never have agreed to Geoffrey’s plan. It was madness to work with the Crimson Court. I know that now. Child, I am dying.”

And there it was, plain and simple.

“No, you can’t die. We need you. Myst cannot be allowed to rule the land. And…I need you. I don’t know how to be one of your people.” The words flowed out of my mouth, and I wasn’t even sure what I was saying.

She shook her head, just one simple shake. “Your father will teach you. But without my heartstone, I cannot hope to regain my strength. I do not have long before the Summer fades and Winter claims my soul. She is growing dangerously close to my heartstone. I can feel her reaching out her spindly fingers, searching for it.”

“She will not have it.” I sat back, biting my lip. “Tell me where it is and I will get it. But you have to tell me where to find it.”

“The danger is too great-”

“The danger without you is far greater.” I leaned close and looked into her eyes. “I am afraid, but I am more afraid of what will happen should Myst be allowed free rein. You must tell me where to find the heartstone.” I thought I knew where it was, but it was simpler to just ask and make certain.

Lainule looked past me, at Wrath, who gave her a simple nod.

“Do you understand what you are offering? No, you do not.”

“I’m offering to try to save your life.”

“No, Cicely. You offer so much more than that-you make a sacrifice if you choose to do this and I cannot tell you just what that is. Not yet.”

Stubbornly, I shook my head. “Tell me where to find it.”

Her eyes shimmered, and she paused, then finally nodded. “Very well. You must go deep in the woods, to Grandfather Cedar. Grieve and Chatter know where to find it. Once there, seek the portal that lies beneath the tree. You must enter the portal, then follow the path. Beware, it is guarded by creatures of wild and feral nature. You may be forced to kill them unless you can convince them to let you pass. They are there to protect my heartstone from all invaders.” Her breath was raspy, and she paused again, fighting for strength.

“I dreamed this! I dreamed I was doing this.” A spark of hope caught flame in my heart and I took her hand, forgetting that she was a queen and I the half-breed daughter of her husband.

“Then perhaps it is meant to be.”

“Did you and Geoffrey give the Shadow Hunters the antidote to their light-rage?” I prayed for a no. If they hadn’t, we could travel with relative safety during the daylight hours.

“No,” she said-the first piece of good news I’d had in a long time. “We disagreed and I destroyed the antidote and all the notes in my temper. And I staked the vampire who knew how to prepare it.”

Somehow, imagining the Queen of Summer staking a vampire brought horrible images to mind. But I was grateful to whatever had stirred her wrath.

She opened her lips-now chapped and bleeding-and whispered, “Then go, my child. Seek my heartstone and bring it back to me, if you can. But Cicely-I don’t think you realize what this will set into motion. Are you prepared to take the burden of saving my life on your shoulders? It will foreshadow so many changes that might not come to be otherwise. When you save a life, you bear its burdens for the remainder of your days.”

My breath caught in my throat. I could feel the immensity of her words looming around us, a curse, a blessing, a prediction. “Yes, I will accept whatever consequences come from this.”

“Then go, and the gods speed you. If you can recover my heartstone, I might be able to rise against Myst and push back the snows for a time. My people will go to war for me, if I rouse them. I hoped to avoid this-we’ve lost so many, but the choices dwindle, and hope now rides at the tip of a sword.” With that, she closed her eyes and for a moment, I feared she was already dead. But then she coughed and murmured in her sleep.

Wrath kissed her on the forehead and led me away, his face impervious and unreadable. As we exited her chamber, he turned to me.

“I cannot go with you-the Consort of the Queen may never lay hands upon her heartstone. But Chatter and Grieve will make the journey, and Kaylin.”

I didn’t want to say it aloud, but I knew that I also needed Rhiannon. She had to go with us. Wrath would try to nix the idea, but in my heart, it was clear that she had to be there. So I kept my mouth shut, nodded, and followed him back into the snowy night.

We were back at the warehouse within the hour. I blinked-it felt like we’d been gone all night, but then time had little meaning within the barrows and realms of the Fae. We gathered around the table and filled everyone in on what was happening. Lannan was still out hunting, which might be a good thing, considering his mood and what we were discussing.

Grieve looked shaken. “I will go, of course. If the Queen of Rivers and Rushes needs me, I will do whatever she requires. But is it wise to have me revisit Myst’s domain? She might sense me.”

“Then so be it. You must be there. Chatter, too. Kaylin…and Rhiannon.” I turned to my cousin. “I would not ask you to go, but I had a dream and in it we were searching for the heartstone. And you were with us.”

Wrath started to protest, but I shook my head.

“No, she needs to go. This much I know. And we must leave at daybreak. The Vampiric Fae weren’t given the antidote Grieve took-Lainule grew furious at Geoffrey over something-I don’t know what-and she destroyed what was left of it. So we’ll be able to journey during the light without too much worry.”

“What about the Consortium? Can’t we wait for them?” Rex asked.

I tipped my head to one side, considering. “Lainule is on her deathbed. We must regain the heartstone in order for her to survive. And if she dies…” I paused, not really knowing what to say after that. I turned to my father. “What does happen when a Fae Queen dies?”

He let out a shuddering breath and I realized how hard the question must be on him. “Then the heirs are run through a gauntlet of tests to determine who will take her place. If there is only one heir, she will inherit the throne without contest.”

“Do you and Lainule have any children? I know Grieve is a prince-”

Grieve cleared his throat. “Yes, I am a prince, but I would not inherit the throne, even though I am a relative of Lainule and Wrath. There must be a queen before there can be a king, and he may come from outside the bloodline of nobility. But a princess must bear the blood of the Queen in her veins or her soul. And there must be a queen. The King cannot rule alone. If Lainule dies-”

Wrath interrupted. “What Grieve is dancing around is that if my Lady passes over the veil, then I will abdicate to a new queen and her choice of consort.” He smiled, his face crinkling with the bare beginnings of crow’s feet. “It is all right, Grieve. You may tell the truth without worry I will take offense. This is the way of the law, this is the way of our people.”

I stood, staring at my father. “If Lainule dies, then you-”

“Will relinquish my crown and fade through the veil to be with my Lady.” He smiled at me. “But take heart, my daughter. You will go tomorrow and do what you can to save your stepmother. And we will cross other bridges when we come to them, should they arise.”

I hung my head, wanting to cry. Both my father and Grieve moved forward, but Grieve was at my side first and I leaned into his embrace, tears streaming down my cheeks. I couldn’t hold it in any longer-the stress and the fear and the loss hit me as my walls crumbled. I held tight to him, weeping as he pulled me to his chest.

“I love you, Cicely. I love you and I’m here with you. Hold on to me. I am your love. I am your anchor and rock. I will keep you steady.” His voice was low, purring in my ear like soothing music, and as I buried myself in his embrace, the smell of apples and pumpkins, of cinnamon and dust, and the rains of autumn swept over me. My love was caught between the summer and the winter-in the limbo of autumn, unable to return to his own world and unwilling to embrace the realm that had claimed him.

“I love you. I love you and I can’t imagine being without you ever again.” I found his lips, fire building in my stomach as I sought comfort in his kiss. “You will never belong to Myst again-I will never allow it. You are mine. You are my heart, my soul, my passion, my mate.”

Grieve swept me up in his arms. I looked up through streaming eyes as he challenged my father to stop him. Wrath stepped aside without a word as Grieve carried me into the bedroom and shut the door behind us.

All thoughts of who might be listening flew to the window as he laid me down on the mattresses, unbuttoning my shirt as I reached for the zipper on my jeans. Grieve gently removed my hand and slowly unzipped them himself, all the while staring into my eyes with his starry gaze. The depths of his onyx gaze swirled with stardust, and I felt myself falling deep into his core.

“Cicely, my Cicely.” He leaned down and was free of clothes, his bare chest pressing against my breasts. I shifted and he unhooked my bra, and then hooked his fingers through the sides of my panties and slid them off.

I sat up, still crying, staring at him. He was gorgeous, my love was, his platinum hair streaming down his back, his olive skin glimmering in the low light of the candle. With one hand, I reached out and slid my fingers along his arm, slowly tracing his muscles up to rest my hand on his shoulder.

He lightly brushed one hand against my breasts, caressing the nipples, his fingers tripping over my skin, setting off a series of explosions deep within me that grew like a chain of firecrackers. I gasped as he wrapped his arm around my waist and bent me back, leaning between my knees, his lips covering mine, tongue probing deep, searching for solace.

I closed my eyes, drifting in his kiss, soaking in his love and warmth as he reached down with his other hand to stroke me. The feel of his erection against my thigh made me spread my legs wider, the hunger within me growing. Everything paled compared to the need to feel him moving inside me, possessing me.

“Love me. Take me, my Prince.” I opened my eyes. “Myst will never possess your heart, even if she rips us to shreds.”

“She never did possess it, though she tried to claim me. It’s always been you, Cicely-when I met you, so many eons ago, I knew that you would be mine. Everyone told me you were the enemy, but in my heart, I knew that if I could not be with you, I’d rather be dead.” He bit his lip, moaning as he plunged deep within me, his strokes long and hard. “I will not share you.”

The feel of him thrusting within me, of his body sliding against mine as he rode me, spiraled me higher. The soft cries of his passion mingled with mine, and then a flash…and the world and its cares fell away…

I was standing on a hill, under the night sky, feeling the wind brush my cheek. The storm had been fierce and all I could think about was the scent of the rain-soaked cedars and mossy dell, and the fire in my belly as the hunger raced through me and the urge to hunt grew. The moon broke through the clouds, and I dropped my head back. I was Cherish, daughter of Myst, and the world was my banquet, a feast of blood and flesh and desire.

A noise to my left, coming through the woods, alerted me, and I quickly hid behind the nearest tree. With luck, it would be an unwary hunter coming through. The natives of the land were in tune with the woodland, but they had never encountered us before. My mother had recently moved us to the new land, leaving pockets of our people behind. Gone were the peasants and castles and soldiers and cities. Instead, here, the people were few but game plentiful, and there was room for us to spread and begin to expand our colony.

We bred slowly-my mother had had only two daughters, and I was the only one who survived. But we were gaining in numbers, and Myst explained to me that our natures were evolving as the mingling of the vampire blood took hold with the Unseelie lineage. We’d been driven from our home by the untainted dark ones and so had sought a new land in which to live according to our nature.

The sound caught my attention again-someone was walking along the path. I waited, biding my time, until he was near enough to catch. I could smell him-definitely male, although he smelled like sweetgrass and apples, hay and summer days, not like buckskin and hides.

I leaped out, triumphant, my fangs gleaming in the moonlight. And then-there was a moment when the world fell away, and I found myself staring instead of feasting. He was tall, with olive skin, and long gleaming hair. His eyes were shimmering topaz, and he cocked his head, looking at me.

Feast, you fool. Feast. You can take him down. The voice in my head urged me on, but still I stood there, unsure what possessed me.

“Well, are you going to kill me or not?” His voice was smooth, coiling over the words like a snake.

“I…I…” Unprepared for his easy manner, for the lack of care, I stepped back, tilting my head to squint at him. He was no native, that was apparent. And then I knew: He was of Summer’s descent. Unlike the Seelie from back home, he belonged fully to this land. But the scent of summer’s breath wafted off him like a beckoning finger, both enticing and irritating.

I knew who he was then. My mother had done her research. “You are the Summer Prince. Your name is Shy, and you belong to Lainule’s realm. Run now, while you can, Summer’s child, or I will devour you.”

He laughed, and his voice beckoned me forward. Suspicious, angry, I lowered my head, staring at him through the fringe of my lashes.

“I am indeed Shy of the Summer’s realm. I am Summer’s bear-child.”

“You should not laugh-do not laugh at me! Do you know what danger you’re in?” I should just have at him, get it over with, destroy the prince of our enemy and be done with it. But something stayed my hand.

Shy’s lips crinkled as he smiled. “Oh, I’ve heard tales of you. Cherish, the gem of the Winter Court. You are of the Indigo Fae-the Tainted Ones. We know well of you, beautiful enemy. We know of your charms and powers. Tell me again, why should I run? Do you really think you can destroy me?” And his voice was honey on the night breeze.

A wash of roses glided by on the wind and I caught myself falling under their spell. Mingled with a faint taste of apricots and the sound of the rushing river, they made me want to tear off my gown and go running through the field, naked, letting the moonbeams bathe me under the wild night.

I tried to tear myself out of the trance, but something held me firm, and then I realized that it was Shy-he had hold of me and I couldn’t free myself. I bared my teeth, but the feel of his skin against mine set me aflame in a way I’d never before felt. I gasped, shivering as the fire raced through my belly, Summer’s touch sparking feelings I’d only heard of.

“No,” I gasped out, but my hands were no longer pounding against his chest but racing over his skin. “No…” He pressed against me, hard and demanding, and my body-so long used only as a weapon-became pliant, responding. “No…” My breath came in ragged pants as he fisted my hair and laughed low.

“Cherish, the gem of Winter, what say you to the scepter of Summer? Will you bend? Will you fight? Will you yield? Will you…” He stopped then as our gazes locked, and within that moment, a lifetime of knowledge passed between us, and my will to fight-my will to destroy-faded like cloth left out in the sun too long.

“Cherish…” The triumph was gone. He stood back, letting me go, staring at me, fear and bewilderment crowding his expression.

I could have destroyed him then. I knew it, I could have ripped out his throat and taken him down, devoured him. But I was as trapped in the spell as he. I searched my memory, trying to decipher what emotions were playing on my senses. I’d never felt like this before, never wanted someone this way. Never wanted to…spare anyone. I’d killed hundreds of people over the years, and never once had I questioned what I was doing.

“Shy…” My voice was shaking, and I began to tremble and then cry. “What’s happening to me? What’s this feeling? I don’t want this!”

But he stepped forward again, slowly this time, and held out his arms. “Cherish?” It was a question, no longer a demand, and try as I might, I could not resist answering. I stepped into his embrace and he pressed his lips against mine, his tongue seeking mine, his arms holding me tightly.

As our lips met, the world shifted, and we were bound, and I knew then I was forever lost. The gem of Winter had fallen into Summer’s hands, and the only thing I knew was that we had both sealed our doom with a kiss. A kiss that I would willingly die for.