Darkling. Part 9

"Oh, sure," she said in a snarky tone. "You do realize that being around the three of you all day is enough to squash anybody's ego. You're all so d.a.m.ned gorgeous."

I flipped on my left blinker before making a turn onto Baltimore Drive. "Iris, you don't get it. True, a lot of men immediately react to us, but most of them end up either scared s.h.i.tless or get turned off by the fact that we don't fit their their fantasies once they get to know us. But men love your openness, your smile, and your ability to stand up for yourself without making them feel like you could eat them alive. Even though you could," I added, thinking about her ability to swing a good heavy skillet, not to mention her way with magic. "We're here," I said, pulling into the parking lot. "Will Bruce be at the meeting tonight?" fantasies once they get to know us. But men love your openness, your smile, and your ability to stand up for yourself without making them feel like you could eat them alive. Even though you could," I added, thinking about her ability to swing a good heavy skillet, not to mention her way with magic. "We're here," I said, pulling into the parking lot. "Will Bruce be at the meeting tonight?"

She shook her head. "No, he's got something going on with some Irish historical society. He's a charter member and has to be there."

The Belles-Faire Community Hall had once been an elementary school. As we entered the large bas.e.m.e.nt meeting room Wade was there, along with Sa.s.sy, but none of the other Supes had shown up yet. They were busy sprucing up the hall. Sa.s.sy had hired a caterer, and an incredible buffet of finger foods covered one long table. Just about everybody should find something to eat here, I thought. Wade motioned me over. I allowed him to press a quick kiss on the top of my hand.

"Menolly, good to see you. You too, girls," he added, nodding at the others who straggled into the room behind me. "Could you help set up chairs? I'd appreciate it."

"We'll do that," said a gruff voice from the door. We turned to see Zachary Lyonnesse and Venus the Moon Child enter the room, followed by several other members of the Rainier Puma Pride.

"Girls..." Zach said, nodding as his gaze came to rest on Delilah's face. His longing was transparent. Chase wasn't the only one smitten with our Kitten. Come to think of it, doubly good that we'd left the detective at home. The promise of testosterone feuds was already too great, given the caste structures of the different clans and nests. The last thing we needed was a rutting contest over my sister.

As I looked beyond him to the rest of his retinue, I spotted a face that sparked a sudden flame in my heart. Shaken, I froze. Nerissa was staring at me as hard as I was staring at her.

She detached herself from the group and crossed to my side. "Menolly, I'm glad you're here. I specifically asked to be included as one of the emissaries from the Puma Pride tonight in hopes that we'd have another chance to talk."

Taller than me by a good head, she was also strong. Lean muscles rippled under the smooth skin of her arms as she slipped out of her coat and draped it over a chair. Of course, I had her beat because of the vampire thang thang, but she was more than capable of taking down a good-sized man.

She reached out, paused a moment, and then as I watched, she lightly placed her fingers on my arm. Something uncoiled at the base of my spine and I shivered. As I stared into those brilliant topaz eyes that mirrored a pool of limpid sunlight, she wavered and I took a step closer.

Everything began to phase out as the scent of her perfume, the scent of her skin, the beat of her heart overwhelmed my senses. Inhaling deeply to fix her fragrance in my lungs and memory, I felt the thirst begin to grow as my fangs unfurled. Her neck was shimmering under the glow of the light, beckoning me in as she licked her lips and quivered under my gaze.

"Menolly? Menolly? Come back," an urgent voice whispered from behind me.

I whirled as my eyes shifted for the hunt. Wade let loose a low growl and gave me one shake of the head. He glanced at Nerissa, then back at me. Suddenly aware of where we were, and that one wrong move could set off a panic among the Puma crowd who might misinterpret what was going on, I closed my eyes and fought for control as I edged my way back from the abyss. d.a.m.n it d.a.m.n it. It would be so easy to push Wade aside, to sweep Nerissa under my spell, into my arms, to taste her blood, to leave a trail of kisses down her body...

"Menolly. Stop. Now."

The words echoed through my pa.s.sion-addled brain and I opened my eyes to find myself staring at an old hag, a woman cloaked in forest gray with steel teeth. She had more lines on her face than a tree had rings.

Oh s.h.i.t. Grandmother Coyote! I'd never met her, but Camille had, and her description was enough for me to know whom I was facing. My fangs retracted and I swallowed the lump that appeared in my throat. One of the Hags of Fate, Grandmother Coyote could wipe me off the map without so much as a whisper, and she'd do it without remorse if the need arose.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I..."

"It isn't her fault," Nerissa said. "I started it." She glanced over at Zach, who was staring at her, his face a crinkled mask of confusion.

"I don't care who started it," Grandmother Coyote said. "Remember where you are. Remember why why you are here. Much hinges on this evening. Do not disappoint me." She turned away then, and made her way over to Camille, who smiled uneasily. "So, are those demon fingers proving handy, my dear?" she asked, as I slowly relaxed and turned back to the werepumas. you are here. Much hinges on this evening. Do not disappoint me." She turned away then, and made her way over to Camille, who smiled uneasily. "So, are those demon fingers proving handy, my dear?" she asked, as I slowly relaxed and turned back to the werepumas.

Zach stared at Nerissa. "What the h.e.l.l is going on? Nerissa?"

She shrugged. "I think I'll be staying in town after the meeting, cousin," she said, shooting a questioning look at me.

I hesitated. I hadn't given myself to anyone since Dredge. He was the last man-living or dead-to touch me in my most private of places. Was I ready for another relationship? The thought of a man's hands on me scared me s.h.i.tless-the memory of Dredge still way too fresh. But a woman... not just any woman but there was something about Nerissa... Could I take her into my world and keep her safe? I gazed at her as she blew me a gentle kiss. I had to find out, one way or another.

"She's staying at our house for the night, Zach. Nerissa, you can ride back with me." Without another word, I turned and headed back to the front of the room where my sisters were in a whispered conference with Wade, Sa.s.sy, Grandmother Coyote, Morio, and Trillian. Iris had taken over hostess duties and was greeting folks at the door, putting them at ease.

Camille cleared her throat. "Good of you to join us," she said dryly. "People are starting to trickle in. We've lined up several guards from the major clans to keep order and planted them around the room. Let's hope n.o.body gets his muzzle bent out of shape."

I glanced around the rapidly filling hall. Most of the groups who agreed to partic.i.p.ate had sent a handful of emissaries, the number depending on the size and position of the clan within the Supe community.

The Rainier Puma members stood out, of course, with their height and their Scandinavian good looks. But the wolf clans were just as striking. Lean and muscled, the majority of their members looked Mongolian by nature and they walked with a refined arrogance that was hard to ignore. There were members in from the Olympic Wolf Pack, the primary pack in the state, but also a few from the Loco Lobo and Cascadia Packs.

The werepumas were limited to two groups-the Rainier Pumas and the Icicle Falls Pride, who were leaner and shorter than Zach's group. They rivaled Trillian for the obsidian glow of their skin, but Trillian had that OW look in his eyes and his hair was brilliant platinum, while the Icicle Falls Pride looked more like earthborn humans than Fae. They were black panthers, hiding out in the wilds of the forests, and their hair was as dark as their skin.

Camille hedged in beside me, Trillian right behind her. She nodded at the door. "Looks like some of the real closet cases have decided to show."

She was right. I wasn't sure just what kind of Supes they were, but a group of three disparate looking characters entered the room. And characters they were, with a fashion sense that looked about two hundred years out-of-date. I nodded at her and said, "Let's go greet our new friends."

We headed over in their direction and Camille gasped. "They're old Fae, Menolly. Very old Fae. I can feel it from here."

A woman and two men, they turned as we approached.

Their eyes glowed with an inner light impossible to miss. I wasn't sure whether they belonged to the Sidhe, or whether they were from a line far older than that, but whoever they were, the pall of dark magic hung heavy in their auras.

The men were average height, on the short side even, but they were st.u.r.dy with shoulder-length hair caught back in braids, and they wore golden cloaks around their shoulders. The woman was shorter than me, four-eleven at best, with long dark hair and a silver crescent branded on her forehead.

She inclined her head ever so slightly toward Camille. "Good meet, my Sister of the Moon."

Camille seemed transfixed, her face flushed with excitement. She returned the bow and held out her hands. "Welcome. We sure didn't expect to see the likes of you come through these doors."

Still in the dark as to who they were, I cleared my throat. "Camille, do you know this woman?"

Camille glanced at me, a wary look on her face. "Mind your manners," she whispered, then turned back to the trio. "Thank you for coming. We need all the help we can get."

"We'll reserve our decision on whether to get involved until we know more," the younger of the men said. He glanced at me. "Creature of the night, and yet one of us... though not quite. You and your sisters are from the Otherworld, correct?"

I inclined my head slightly, still wary. "I'm Menolly D'Artigo, this is my sister Camille, and the blonde over there is Delilah. We're from Otherworld, yes, though our mother was Earthside human. And you are?" Camille might be willing to p.u.s.s.yfoot around them but until I knew who they were, I wasn't about to drop to my knees for anybody.

The woman smiled then, faint but with a twinkle in her eye. "You may call me Morgaine. I'm a Daughter of the Moon, like your sister here."

Morgaine? My jaw went slack and I hastily backed up a step. "Not the the Morgaine?" Morgaine?"

She let out a low chuckle. "The one and only."

One of the greatest sorceresses to ever live, Morgaine was half-human, half-Fae like we were, although it seemed she'd managed to avoid the short circuits in her wiring that afflicted most half-breeds. Morgaine had chosen to stay behind during the Great Divide and it was thought she'd faded into history. From her appearance, it was obvious that the rumor mill had been working overtime. She was as alive as any of us. Well, as alive as Camille and Delilah.

I glanced at the men. "Then these must be..."

"Mordred, my nephew, though many make the mistake of thinking he's my son. And this," she motioned to the older man, "is Arturo, my mate from the Golden Wood."

Her eyes flashed with the same violet as Camille's. Maybe a connection because of the moon magic, maybe something else. I glanced at Arturo. He looked FBH, but there was something about him that didn't quite track. Mordred, on the other hand, was obviously part Fae.

Camille gazed at Morgaine, totally playing the fan girl. "My teacher taught us about you. You were the greatest sorceress that ever lived. We are honored by your presence."

Morgaine reached up to caress Camille's face, lingering on her cheek gently. "So you have returned to our world. Why, might I ask?"

Her question seemed innocent but something tripped an alarm. "We have our reasons," I said before Camille or anyone else could respond. "We're here to find out about our mother's heritage. We wanted to know more about her." A blatant lie, but I had an uneasy feeling that wouldn't leave me alone. "So what brings you to our meeting tonight?"

Mordred stared at me, impa.s.sive, but I had the feeling he didn't buy my story. "It's time to wake the great powers. Time to reclaim what is ours."

Wake the great powers... reclaim what is ours... That didn't sound friendly. I turned to Morgaine. "And by great powers, you mean... ?"

Camille gasped. "The Merlin? Are you searching for the Merlin? Is he even alive?"

Morgaine shrugged, and her glamour fell away. She suddenly looked tired and wrung out. "Yes, we're looking for the Merlin. We hoped you might have heard something about him. I don't know if he still lives or not, but Mordred, Arturo, and I are doing our best to find him. If the crystal caverns still exist, then we'll do whatever it takes to wake him up. And the Lady of the Lake, too."

"You are attempting to bring Avalon back from the mists and shadows?" I wondered, Just how powerful were these three? Or how powerful did they think they were?

"No." Morgaine shook her head with a wry grin. "Avalon is long drifted from this realm. And Arthur, my darling Arthur, if he woke, he wouldn't be able to adapt to the modern age. But we can still reach through the veil and call our allies from ages past."

"Don't count on t.i.tania. We've met her," Camille grumbled.

Morgaine raised her head. "Don't be so quick to judge. It's not easy to be overthrown and cast out of queenship." She glanced around. So far it seemed that n.o.body else had noticed her and I began to see that she'd woven a glamour around her that she'd only lowered for a few of us to see.

I shrugged. "What's your purpose? You say you want to reclaim what's rightfully yours, but what are you talking about?"

Camille gave me a nasty look. I knew I was bordering on outright rude, but I didn't care. I didn't like glib plat.i.tudes from humans, and I didn't like it when the Fae offered them either.

The sorceress tapped her nose. "You'll know in good time. Meanwhile, if you hear word of the Merlin, let us know."

"And how are we supposed to do that? You settling in around here?" I asked, wary now. If they were going to become permanent fixtures in the area, we'd have to keep an eye on them.

"I apologize for my sister," Camille broke in, her voice edging on p.i.s.sed. "You'll have to excuse her; she's forgotten a lot of her manners since she died."

"No matter," Morgaine said. "We'll be in touch. Trust me." She glanced around. "Your meeting's about to start, so we'll be off. You may not hear from me for some time. Don't bother hunting us out. Look to ravens and crows for word from me." She paused, then patted Camille's cheek again.

"Don't let anyone," she added, glancing at me with a baleful stare, "make you jump to conclusions."

Then, with a brief nod and before Camille or I could say another word, they turned as one and swept out the door.

I cleared my throat when they vanished up the stairs. "What do you make of that?"

Camille snorted. "I don't know, but you sure were Miss p.i.s.sy. Although, I have to say, they really didn't tell us much, did they? I wonder where she's been keeping herself all these years. She certainly seems in better shape than t.i.tania, I'll give her that much."

"Something about the encounter doesn't ring square to me. Are you sure she's actually who she says she is? That she's on the up and up?"

Camille let out a long, shuddering sigh. "As starstruck as I am, to be honest, I'm not entirely sure. Let's ask Grandmother Coyote," she added, and before I could protest, grabbed me by the arm and dragged me across the room.

I managed to catch a glimpse of several members of the Blue Road Tribe-werebears-entering the room before, once again, I found myself face to face with Grandmother Coyote. She'd ensconced herself in a chair in the corner and was observing the room as it filled up.

Camille brought her up-to-date on Morgaine's appearance. "So, we want to know, is it really her and what does she want?"

Grandmother Coyote motioned for us to sit down. At her feet. Camille dropped to the floor and I wasn't far behind. When one of the Hags of Fate told you to sit at her feet, you sat.

She looked around to make sure we weren't being overheard. "Morgaine she was, indeed. Remember: Not all help can be trusted, even if it does not run in evil paths. There are few who can rival the sorceress, but she carries a great thirst for power. That thirst has been her undoing in the past. I doubt if she's learned much over the years."

At least Grandmother Coyote wasn't being cryptic this time. I frowned, wondering just what this little jewel of information was going to cost us. With the Hags of Fate, there was always a price.

"Then we shouldn't trust her?" I glanced at Camille, who stared at the floor, crestfallen.

Grandmother Coyote held my gaze. "There are few you can trust in this world. Even those who mean well can crumble under pressure. The more people who know your secrets, the more the chance for betrayal. That's why I'm here tonight. A warning: Think twice before you spill secrets about the Demonkin, because once you push Humpty off the wall, you're left with a mess of scrambled eggs." With that, she stood and made her way over to the buffet.

Camille and I sat, staring at one another.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I know you wanted to hear something different."

"My teacher regarded Morgaine as a heroine. I feel like one of my role models just fell off the pedestal. I wonder what all that talk about reclaiming what's rightfully hers is about. If she's going around mucking with ancient powers, then we'd better keep our ears open until we figure out just what the h.e.l.l she's trying to do." She smacked her hand against the ground, then pushed herself to her feet. "d.a.m.n it, I hate this. There are so many variables, so many unknown factors at play in the balance now."

"Maybe she won't find the Merlin. Or maybe she'll go somewhere else. The Merlin can't be around here," I said, a nasty thought creeping in. "You don't think she knows about the spirit seals, do you? That she's looking for them in hopes of using them herself?" Surely someone like Morgaine would refuse to play second fiddle to a demon. If she were after them, she'd want them all for herself.

Camille flashed me a stricken look. "I hadn't thought about that. Well, h.e.l.l in a handbasket, as if we didn't already have enough to worry about."

"Well, push it to the side. We'd better grab Delilah and the boys and have a quick discussion about the rest of what Grandmother Coyote said. I'm not so sure this meeting's a good idea after all," I muttered.

Camille nodded. "Me either."

Just then, the Hag of Fate returned, an incongruous Harry Potter paper plate filled with cookies in her hand. "One last thing, girls."

If she had one more discouraging word to say, I was going to bag it and take off for home. But she just gave us one of her steely grins that would have sent shivers down even Dredge's back.

"My payment for advice..."

Camille cringed. The last time she'd owed an I.O.U. to Grandmother Coyote, she'd had to play chop-chop with a demon's fingers to pay her debt.

"What do you want, old witch?" I asked, deciding that I'd had enough bulls.h.i.t for the night. Camille gasped, but Grandmother Coyote just laughed.

"I like you, girl, but mind your manners mind your manners." The cautionary tone was unmistakable and I swallowed, acknowledging her warning with a nod. "I'm giving you a particularly delicate a.s.signment."

"Just me or Camille, too?" It didn't seem fair. Camille had been the one to ask the question. But fairness wasn't par for the course in the world of the Immortals. Any which way it worked out, I wasn't going to whine about it. No sense in ticking her off any more than I already had. Walking a thin line in the playground of the G.o.ds required both balance and timing, and I wasn't at all sure I mastered either when it came to diplomacy.

"Both, though the lion's share will fall to you. It will be up to Camille to convince you to go through with it."

Uh oh. Camille and I looked at each other.

"This can't be good," I said. What the h.e.l.l was going to happen now?

Grandmother Coyote let out a long, low breath. She squinted, laugh lines creasing the corners of her eyes. "Menolly, you're going to have to do something you have vowed never to do. When the time comes, you'll know what it is, and you'll balk. But do it you must, regardless of your aversion to the idea. A long thread of destiny hinges upon your action... or inaction. Don't fail me. If you shy away, you'll upset a critical balance."

Before I could ask her to elaborate, she turned and vanished like a wisp of cloud under the glimmering sun.

I blinked. "Things are spinning out of control."

Camille shook her head. "I hate to tell you this, but things spun out of control the day we decided to accept this a.s.signment from the OIA." She glanced at the front of the room. "Come on, we've got to put the skids on our original plans for this meeting. And we have to come up with something to replace it with in less than ten minutes."

As she hurried to the podium where Wade was conversing in quiet tones with Sa.s.sy and Delilah, I couldn't help but think that we'd already set in motion the wheels to a very big, very dangerous machine.