Dark Ones - Even Vampires Get The Blues Part 27

Paen pulled out a map from a pocket on the door, spreading it out on the steering wheel. "Can you pinpoint where?"

One possibility jumped out at me. I didn't hesitate as I tapped my finger on a large beige shape. "Dunstan Moor. I just bet you he's taken her there."

"Why?" Paen asked. "Why would he want to kidnap her in order to take her to a movie set?"

"It's not the movie set that's the attraction," I said, making shooing motions until Paen pulled out onto one of the major arterials leading to the east. "It's the lodestone."

"The what?" Finn had used a couple of tissues from my purse and wiped up most of the blood that had streaked down from a cut above his eyebrow, but he still looked pretty grisly, especially in the gloomy afternoon light. Like Paen, he had shadows under his eyes, making me wonder how much sleep the two had during the past few nights.

"Lodestone." I fell silent, wondering if it really was just four days ago when Paen had walked into my office. We're running out of time.

I know. The pain and regret was in his voice, seeping through despite his attempts not to worry me.

I don't want your mother to have to experience this, I said, rubbing a hand on my chest, as if that would ease the constant agony of howling wind that seemed to tear me apart from the inside out.

I know you don't, love. I don't want you to have to live this way, either. We'll find the statue and the ma.n.u.script. Don't worry.

"Lodestone like the magnetic stone?" Finn asked.

"That's one meaning of the word, but in the Fae world, it also refers to a location that is strong with the magic of the beyond, a place that draws elves and faeries. It's like a doorway between realities."

"Something like the place your office is located?" Paen asked.

"Like founded land, only multiplied by about a thousand times. Lodestones are treated as holy places, as sanctuaries where only the most ancient of rituals are held. There are only three in the UK."

"And Dunstan Moor is one of these lodestones?"

"Yes. I felt it when we were there the other day, but didn't think much about it. That's why Uilleam and the other ghosts had such a strong presence-the land itself was founded, making it possible for them to be more than just an apparition in our reality."

"You think Pilar has taken Clare there?" Finn asked.

I shrugged. "It's the only logical place I can see he might want to go to in this area. Although he's a demon, and as such can't use the lodestone as a doorway, it's conceivable he could tap its power by means of some being who could, like Reuben..."

"... or Clare," Paen finished the sentence.

I nodded.

"What did you find out from Reuben?"

"Nothing," Finn answered, disgust evident in his brown eyes. "It was a complete waste of time. He was clearly afraid of Pilar, and had been in hiding since Paen ripped off his arm." Finn paused for a moment. "Did you know that a poltergeist can't function without his arms?"

"Er... no," I said, sidetracked for a moment into wondering if they could do the starfish thing and grow back their limbs.

"Well, according to Noelle, they can't. That's why Reuben was hiding from Pilar. He couldn't go into the beyond with one arm missing."

"Odd," Paen said.

I nodded. That pretty well sums up the entire last five days.

The rest of the trip was accomplished in near silence, our speculations of what Pilar might be trying with Clare too troublesome to put into words. We broke some serious traffic laws as we raced into the Lammermuir Hills, pa.s.sing through gently rolling hills, small farms, and endless stretches of land dotted with sheep. The sky was black as huge, ominous clouds gathered to block the sun until it was almost as dark as night. Paen followed the signs pointing the way to Dunstan Moor, pulling in at the same viewpoint where we'd parked a few days before. Although night was almost upon us, the sun sinking behind the hills surrounding the area, huge arc lights lit up the ground beyond the cl.u.s.ter of trailers and collections of small tents used to house wardrobe and makeup personnel.

"Looks like they're filming again," Paen said as he helped me over the guardrail.

Sounds of men yelling, a.s.sorted deathly screams, and the inevitable clash of metal confirmed Paen's guess. I glanced at the field where the mock battle was taking place, then scanned the people outside of the range of the camera. No familiar shape caught my eye.

"To h.e.l.l with them, I want to know where Clare is," Finn grumbled, following after us as we made our way down the low hill, angling slightly away from the bright lights.

I stopped for a minute and tried to locate Clare using my elf senses. I couldn't feel her presence specifically, but I had a hunch we would find her where the lodestone's strength was the strongest.

"I think she's over there," I told the two men, pointing to a small rocky cliff that rose behind the trailers. I started forward through the wild moor gra.s.s, heather, clumps of bracken, and occasional bluebell that made up the terrain.

"Sam," Paen said, taking my arm so I couldn't go any farther. "Stop. We need to have a plan of action."

"Plan of action? We're going to rescue Clare, find out from Pilar where the statue is, and then we'll get Clare to get it for us," I said, a little bit annoyed at the delay.

"Pilar has Clare," he pointed out, his eyes almost as dark as the falling night. "We can't just charge up and demand he hand her over."

"Sure we can. Once he sees the two of you, he'll realize he's outnumbered."

Paen shook his head. "He's murdered you, shot Clare, and thrown Finn aside as if he was a feather."

"Well then, I'll... I'll... I don't know. I can scry something. That might help."

Paen just looked at me.

"OK, so maybe it won't help," I said, throwing up my hands in exasperation. "You two are just going to have to be all manly with him. You're big, bad, immortal vampires. Do the creatures-of-the-night thing on him."

"Sweetheart." Paen sighed, releasing my arm. "I might have an exaggerated idea of my own strength, but even I don't believe we can overpower him by ourselves. He is a demon of immense power. It's going to take more than just the three of us and brute force."

"Well, this is just great!" I said, my hands on my hips as I turned to glare at Paen. "Why the h.e.l.l didn't you mention this before we drove all the way out here?"

"You told me to drive. I a.s.sumed you would have a rescue plan. Since you don't, let us create one now."

I looked at Finn. "Is your brother always this annoying?"

"Yes," he said, grinning. "But since he's usually right, we tolerate him."

"Fine," I said, crossing my arms over my chest while giving Paen a glare that would have scorched a mortal man. "What do you suggest?"

Paen looked thoughtful. "It would help if we knew exactly what sort of weaknesses water demons have. Do either of you know?"

Finn and I shook our heads.

"Sorry, they didn't teach demonology at Diviners' school."

A burst of noise from the battlefield momentarily distracted Paen. "Hmm. Then we'll have to use what we have here. Sam, tell us more about this lodestone. Is there anything related to it that we can use to gain the upper hand on Pilar?"

I thought. "Well, it's like I told you-it's a sacred place to Fae folk. Not religious sacred, but one revered because it provides a natural bridge between the beyond and this reality."

"So you're more powerful here than you are anywhere else?" Paen asked.I shook my head. "The power contained in the lodestone is not one we can tap into and use-it permeates the area, rather than people. That's why the ghosts were able..."

I stopped, my eyes meeting Paen's.

"The ghosts," he said, his eyes narrowing as he looked beyond me.

"You think?" I asked, not surprised that we'd had the same thought at the same time.

"Think what?" Finn asked.

"Are they here?" Paen asked, ignoring his brother.

I scanned the area. "Not sure. I need to open myself up to the location to find them."

"What are you thinking?" Finn asked again. "What do ghosts have to do with anything? What are you looking for?"

"Are you sure they'll have a physical presence?" Paen asked. Finn punched him in the arm. "Ow. We're thinking the ghosts might be able to help us with Pilar. Now, stop beating me before I knock your lights out."

Finn grinned at him as I closed my eyes and cleared my mind, preparing myself to listen to the site.

"Well?" Paen asked, clearly as impatient as I was to get on with things.

"I don't see... oh, wait. I think maybe over there." I opened my eyes and headed around the side of the trailer cl.u.s.ter to a flat area that stretched upward to a rocky cliff. "h.e.l.lo, Uilleam."

The big Scottish ghost turned from where he and a few of his fellow countrymen were perched on an outcropping of rocks, evidently watching the battle scene being filmed. All the men wore the same disgusted looks on their faces.

I held out my arms for him as if I was welcoming an embrace. Uilleam's face lit up. His body did the shimmering thing as he allowed himself to be grounded, striding forward to me with a calculating look in his eye. I ran for Paen and held up a hand for him to stop before he could pull me into another ghostly kiss. "Up to you, master linguist. Let's see if they're interested in helping us fight for Clare."

Four minutes later we streamed over the rocks that marked the edge of the cliff, behind us an army of ghostly Scottish warriors, all of whom were aching for a good brawl.

"You know what this reminds me of?" Finn asked. "Something out of Tolkien. Paen could be Aragorn with his army of the dead, and you could be Legolas, while I am-"

"You are going to be one sorry Moravian if you continue with that a.n.a.logy," I said, giving him a look that let him know I meant what I said. "I have no compunction about decking you if I have to."

Finn laughed, but the merriment dried up a few moments later when we reached the base of the cliff.

"Sam?" Paen asked, obviously hoping for some insight on my part.

"They're here," I said, holding my hands out, palms down toward the ground. "We're at the heart of the lodestone. I can feel they're here. There's something disturbing the grounding."

"Disturbing it how?"

I tried to locate the source of the disturbance, but the waves of power coming from the location itself were muddying the feeling. "Disturbing it. Making it not happy. I can only a.s.sume it's Pilar. Demons normally avoid places strong in power from the beyond, so it makes sense that such places wouldn't like them any more than the reverse."

"Then why did he bring Clare here?" Finn asked.

"Because it provides access to the statue, naturally," a voice called down from above us.

Uilleam shouted and pointed his sword at the cliff face. Standing on a ledge about halfway up, Pilar held a knife to Clare's throat.

Beppo sat chirping on a rock next to them. The ghosts roared something that made the hairs on my neck stand on end, and started swarming up the cliff.

"No!" Pilar yelled down at them, dragging Clare backward into what looked like a shallow cave. "Call them off, or I will kill the faery."

"I am not a faery," Clare snapped, trying to glare at the demon who held her by the throat. "I am a lingerie model. There is a huge difference between the two things! Why does no one else see that?"

Paen shouted something to Uilleam. The ghosts stopped their ascent, but they weren't happy about it, snarling and waving their swords around in a menacing fashion.

"She's a faery, she's immortal," I called up to Pilar. "There's no sense in threatening to kill her-you can't."

"I am so not a faery!"

"She'll be dead enough if I decapitate her," Pilar called back.

"Oh!" Clare yelled, looking even more indignant.

"All right, we've stopped the ghosts," I answered, moving a little to the side so I could have an un.o.bstructed view of Pilar. Paen wrapped an arm around me and pulled me up tight against him. "Now, let's talk. Why do you want Clare? She doesn't have any powers except the ability to talk to flowers-"

"You are such a liar," my cousin gasped.

We all ignored her. "-and the ability to wear sackcloth and make it look good. So why do you want her, of all people?"

Pilar laughed. "I wanted her because I thought you were dead. But as you survived, you will do. I will exchange your cousin for you."

"You've got a deal," I said without hesitation, pulling away from Paen.

"Like h.e.l.l he does," Paen snarled, pulling me back and stuffing me behind him. "You'll take me instead."

"Hey!" I said, slapping my hand on his back. "Less arrogance, if you please. He wants me."

"He's not getting you." You don't honestly believe I'm going to allow a demon to take you, do you?

He can't hurt me, Paen. I'm immortal now, remember?

He can decapitate you just as easily as he can Clare.

But he won't. He needs me.

It's a moot point. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself."You may have your soul, Dark One, but you cannot enter the beyond on your own," Pilar said, jerking Clare closer. "Nor can your brother."

"I don't have a soul now, so neither can I," I yelled around Paen, up to Pilar.

"No, but you have a cousin who can," he said. "You will be a hostage for her."

"It doesn't matter who can enter what-Sam is here, and I'm not letting her go," Paen said, stubbornness positively rolling off him.

I thumped him on the back again. Paen, truly I appreciate the anguish you feel at the thought of losing me, but I swear to you I'm not going to let him kill me. Again.

No.