"Yes." Rhiannon slipped up beside me to stare down at the man. "But don't worry," she whispered. "Grieve wasn't born to the Indigo Court. I'm sure that he doesn't do that."
She was probably lying to spare my feelings, but I was grateful for the illusion right now. A glance at her showed she was holding steady. Anadey had already worked wonders with her and I looked forward to seeing her after a few months of steady practice. My cousin was going to be one hell of a force.
"You think he was in pain because he's out in the day, even though we're under a cloud cover? If he's infected with whatever plague Lainule and Lannan cooked up . . ." Leo knelt beside the Shadow Hunter and began searching his pockets. At my quizzical look, he shrugged. "Why not see if he might have something we can use?"
And just like that we became looters as well as killers.
He held up an odd-looking blade made of obsidian. The blade looked so sharp that I was almost afraid to touch it, but when I took it in my hand the energy seeped right through me, chilling me through. I almost jerked away but that would have been a dangerous mistake and I caught myself. The energy was sinking deep, curling around my nerves, sucking me into a numbness that felt oddly familiar.
"Help . . . me . . ." The words became molasses in my mouth and I rolled my head back, sinking to my knees.
Kaylin reached over and lifted the blade off my palm. "Your eyes . . . they were shifting, changing to--I'm not sure what. But I saw something there."
The fog began to lift. I shook my head. "Don't let me hold that again, it scares me." And it did. It made me think of sinking in quicksand, of being sucked down into the tar pits, of being consumed alive. "But we need to know what it is. Is there a way to transport it safely?"
He nodded, hoisting off his backpack. Retrieving a small box from the pack, he slipped the blade inside, then wrapped a rubber band around the box and replaced it in the pack.
"It should be fine for now. But yeah, I think we'd better find out just what the fuck's up." Reaching out, he rubbed his hand up my arm and I shivered. Kaylin did things for me, definitely, and if I hadn't been with Grieve, I'd be so right there. "You okay?"
"Yeah, but we'd better keep our eyes open. If one of the Shadow Hunters is still out and about, you can bet more are. And they aren't very happy right now, which tells us that Lainule's plan seems to have worked, at least to some extent."
We resumed our trek down the side of the ravine. I was more cautious in my footing and, muffled by the thick cover of falling snow, we silently descended to the bottom. The stream had totally frozen over, though I didn't trust the layer of ice to hold us, so we cautiously navigated the stepping stones again.
On the other side, we started back up the hill.
"Look," Rhiannon whispered. I followed her gaze.
Stretching between two of the firs was a giant spider-web, the strands shimmering with frozen droplets to create a sculpture in ice and silk, a monument to Arachne, a tribute to perseverance. It was huge, at least twelve feet from top to bottom, and the guylines were anchored a good fifteen feet between trees. A shiver ran up my back as I watched, waiting.
Slowly, out from behind the tree, scuttled the sculptor, the creator. The spider's body was easily the size of a salad plate, the jointed legs spreading out to easily two feet in diameter. The golden orb weaver was milky white, with shimmering gold markings on its body, and it scurried into the center of the web. Another joined it, and a third, and they waited, watching us.
"Motherfucking son of a bitch . . ." The sight took my breath away. I wasn't fond of spiders, but these gave me the creeps in a way most others never had. A wave of malevolence rolled off of them, toward us.
They are deadly in their bite--they are not your typical orb weaver. Be cautious, for these are Myst's pets. Snow weavers. Ulean blew in next to me on a chill gust, filled with snowflakes and ice.
I nodded, slowly, unable to tear my gaze away from the sight. They were beautiful and horrible, sparkling with energy that beckoned me to come forward.
Cicely, they are mesmerizing you. Please, say something and break their hold. Speak, child. Speak.
A sudden gasp and I realized it was me--I'd been holding my breath and my body had taken matters into its own hands. I shook out of the trance and hurriedly turned to the others.
"Don't look at them too long--they have some sort of control and they will lure you in and kill you. Or bind you for Myst. They're magical, and they belong to her." I reached out and shook Rhiannon, then Kaylin and Leo, making sure they weren't caught, like I'd just about been.
"Then she knows we're here? Are they her eyes and ears?"
"The owls and spiders hate each other," I whispered, looking back at the spiders to make sure they were still in their webs. And in truth, when I looked at them, I wanted to strike down the web. They gave me the feeling of overripe fruit, or cloying sweets covered with translucent flies.
"And you are Uwilahsidhe . . . of the owls." Kaylin stared at the spiders. "Should we try to kill them? Is it too late?"
"I think the question is, can we kill them?" I looked at him, and we read each other's eyes. He slowly shook his head. I gave him an affirmative nod. "No. We leave them. I have a nasty feeling that we'd be playing Russian roulette."
You are right, they are far stronger than you can believe. But they will stay in their webs. Fire will not hurt them, so your cousin should put away her flame. Just watch where you walk. There are others in the forest.
I whirled around to see Rhiannon bringing out one of the Molotov cocktails. "Stop." I motioned for her to put the bottle away. "Ulean just told me that fire won't hurt them--their magic is too strong. But they stay in their webs. Just be cautious as we continue, not to stumble into a stray web because there are, apparently, more of them."
And so we continued on our way to the Barrow, but now Myst surely knew we were coming. And we'd killed one of her people. I knew that the Mistress of Mayhem would be waiting with open arms and ready teeth.
Chapter 24
We came to the circle of mushrooms and cautiously skirted it, taking extra care since the path was now obliterated by snow. A few footprints here and there showed someone had been through here recently. As we turned to head toward the Twin Oaks, I heard a noise from off to the side. Before I could raise my fan in readiness, Chatter stepped out of the trees.
"Chatter!"
He rushed over to us. "Something has happened--Grieve is sick. Indigo Fae all over are ill. The light is making them sick and they can't come out, but even staying in the dark doesn't help too much."Rhiannon reached out and gently slid her hand down his arm, which seemed to calm him down. "It was unwitting. Cicely was--"
"Rhia--stop." I couldn't tell Chatter what had happened, nor Grieve. Lainule would have my head if I spilled secrets. "Chatter, how is Grieve? I thought he might be sick, my wolf tattoo has been upset all morning." A twist here, a little lie there, it added up but my life was no longer mine and I'd do what I had to in order to protect my family and friends.
Chatter looked at Rhiannon, confused for a moment, then turned back to me. "He's not in the main Barrow. We seldom stay there and Myst seems not to mind. I can take you to him, but it's still dangerous."
"We'll go with you but Chatter, if I have to I'll kill any of the Indigo Court that threaten us. You must understand that right now." I looked into his eyes, holding his gaze. "I can't have you turning on me if something goes down."
He shook his head. "No, I won't. And if you take out a few of them, I won't stand in the way. The Shadow Hunters live to kill and to hurt." His eyes glazed over for a moment, then he wiped the fog away and led us off the main path. "Follow me. You don't want to go toward the main entrance of the Barrow. It's too dangerous. Myst has guards out in full--they're in pain due to the light, but she doesn't care. That's part of their job. But it makes them worse."
We were breaking through the undergrowth now, heading into thick forest. Navigating it in good weather would be tough, but with the winter holding us hostage, it was harder. The snow was piling up--a good foot now, and I sunk deep with every step, having to slog through the heavy, wet drifts.
Within minutes we could no longer see the path and I wondered if we'd be able to find our way back, but Chatter gave me a shake of the head when I opened my mouth and I fell silent, trusting him. If he said we should be quiet, I'd be quiet. We wound around through cedar and fir, over fallen tree trunks, under heavy arching branches filled with snow that silently showered us in the sparkling, harsh land that the forest had become.
At one point, Chatter held up his hand and we stopped.
A small crossing in front of us loomed, and there, making its way slowly through the clearing to the other side, was a creature forged of ice. It was hard to make out the shape, though it was vaguely bipedal, and it gleamed with streaks of blue and purple frozen within its gleaming crystal shell.
I gasped, but kept silent. Ulean stirred at my shoulder.
Ice Elemental--very rare around here. Usually they're found on glaciers, or at the Poles. They're dying out, you know, as the glaciers melt. They will be a casualty as the world warms, unless another ice age is sparked off again.
It was so beautiful that I wanted to creep forward, to run my hand down the creature's sparkling side, but I restrained myself. I glanced at Leo, Kaylin, and Rhiannon, who stood just as rapt as I was.
It's beautiful . . . does it know we're here?
I cannot tell. Ice Elementals are far, far from the world of warm-bloods. They live outside of time, coming to life during the winter and fading during the summer unless they live in the lands of the long nights.
As it vanished into the undergrowth on the other side, Chatter waited for a moment, then motioned us on. We followed him deeper into the forest. For an hour, we followed the Fae, stopping now and then as he checked the slipstream for any Shadow Hunters.
Finally, up ahead I saw the entrance to a cave leading into the hillside. Chatter pointed to it and we headed toward the dark opening. As he stood back, waiting for me to enter, I sucked in a deep breath and paused.
Is it safe, Ulean?
No place in this woodland is safe, Cicely, but I don't sense danger at fingertip's length.
I entered, followed by the others. Chatter brought up the rear. He stopped, turned to the entrance, and in a low voice chanted a few words. A sparkling light filtered over the opening, cloaking it, and I realized he'd just made it harder to see from the outside.
The chamber was pitch-black, but after a moment, little Faerie lights began to light the inside and I found myself staring at a cozy living room. Several seats carved from oak were placed around a center pit, over which a rotisserie had been placed. A small stalagmite rose from the ground, a bowl chipped out on the top. Fresh water bubbled into the bowl, continuously cycling.
Chatter let out a long sigh. "We should be safe enough for a little while. I have to check on Grieve." He motioned to the benches. "Sit down, please." With a wave of the hand, he lit the stones beneath the rotisserie on fire and they blazed a merry warmth. "Warm yourselves while I'm gone."
"Let me come with you." I walked over to his side. "I have to see him. Please."
"If you're sure . . ." He cocked his head. "I don't know if it's a good idea."
"Chatter, we're here to take Peyton, Grieve, and you home with us. I'm going to see him, one way or another." I held his eyes and felt myself falling into his gaze. He blinked slowly and I found myself moving toward him, but then shook my head. "Don't try that on me. I'm part Cambyra Fae. I know what you're doing."
"Cicely, how can we go with you--"
"Shut up." I held up my hand. "You don't have a choice in this. Chatter, we're stronger than you think, and we'll do everything necessary to save our friends, ourselves, and this town. I love Grieve. He loves me. Take me to him."
"You may not like what you see." A sullen look washed across his face, but he wiped it away. "All right, follow me. But only you. Grieve would not tolerate more than your company right now."
"Are you sure you want to go alone?" Kaylin asked.
I shrugged. "I don't have a choice. Just keep alert out here."
I followed Chatter to the back, where another opening led to a narrow passage. It led so far back into the mountain that I couldn't see the end of it, but several chambers opened off of either side. Chatter led me to the first one and we slipped through the opening, ducking our heads in order to do so.
The chamber was fitted to be a bedroom. Soft lights lit up the inside, delicate and sparkling, and in the corner was a bed. The bed was carved from rock, piled high with moss and blankets. A dresser to the left looked like it had been plucked out of the Victorian era, and to the right, a divan and table, both from the Art Deco years. But my focus was on the bed, for resting in the center of the blankets, as still as death, was Grieve.
As soon as I entered, he began tossing and turning. My wolf gave a whimper--now that we were within touching distance it would be hard to keep the connection from re-forming. I rushed over to his side but stopped when he sat up, a ferocious look on his face.
"Stay back, I'm having trouble controlling myself. Even around Chatter." His eyes shimmered, the stars in them sparkling, calling me forward even as he warned me back.
"Grieve, what's going on? What's happening?"
I didn't dare tell him that I had caused this--in his condition, who knew what he'd do? Guilt warred with triumph--the thought that we might be able to get a leg up on the Indigo Court through this plague danced in my heart like Tinkerbell dancing on Hook's grave.