And so we marched in, twenty of the guards in front, ten behind us.
The cavern was fairly empty, like many of Washington’s caverns, and while it had its own form of cave debris, it obviously wasn’t an old mining tunnel, but instead naturally formed. The walls were damp; around this area moisture crept in everywhere. Moss and mildew clung to the rock, and the smell of mold filled my nostrils. The walls were slick, and I wondered if there were bats here—immediately thinking of Kaylin as the image sprung to mind. I didn’t know if bats hibernated for the winter, or whether they were hiding in the recesses of caves like this one.
Chatter immediately created several glowing balls of the Faerie fire he could summon in order for us to see. Even though the light would give us away, we couldn’t function without it. They bobbed along beside us as we headed deeper into the cave.
Pulling my thoughts together, I focused on the mission at hand. The guards ahead of us were silent, walking like they might be in a dream, alert, but not tense as we navigated the labyrinthine maze.
Ulean was whispering to Check, who seemed to be able to hear her, leading them toward the Vampiric Fae. And then we curved yet around another bend and found ourselves face to face with the Shadow Hunters.
Shadow Hunters. Among the most vicious creatures that ever lived. Myst’s army of the damned. Vampiric Fae, and at one time, so many eons ago, I’d been one of them—Myst’s daughter. The flashback I’d had when I’d been with Lannan haunted me. I was always aware that part of me, lurking far below the surface, still yielded to their siren song. There was a predator inside me, even though I’d never allow her to surface. That was what Geoffrey had wanted to do—turn me like he turned Myst, into a creature of the dark and endless night, not true vampire, but stronger than both Fae and vamp. And I’d rejected him.
Shaking my head to clear my thoughts, I jerked up as the guards swarmed in. The Shadow Hunters were on chains, and they lurched against their bondage. At least they wouldn’t be free to do more damage than they could while chained. But I stopped mid thought as one in the front row growled low and harsh and broke off his collar, racing forward.
“Trap—it’s a trap! The chains are false!” Check turned, pushing his way through his men, aiming directly for me, even as another guard swept up Rhiannon in his arms. Check grabbed me and we were on the move, away from the sudden fray. But I forced him to set me down—gave him a direct order.
“Your Majesty—it’s a trap. They’re off their tethers—Geoffrey knew we would find him and he set this up.” Check kept glancing over his shoulder as the sounds of battle grew loud, including the screams of some of my men.
“I don’t care. You get your ass back there and help. I won’t get in the front lines, I promise. Just go. The men need you. Luna, Peyton, and Ysandra need your protection more than I do. I’m giving you a direct order, mister!” I shoved him back toward the fight.
Reluctantly, he turned and obeyed. I watched him go, then stepped back.
Ulean, I must raise a storm so terrible and swift that it will kill these Shadow Hunters in their tracks. Can I do it and still retain control over the wind?
That is problematic. To fight this many, you will have to use close to the full measure of your connection to the winds. It will be touch and go, because you need to raise a twister, and the energy of the vortex—it takes on a life of its own.
I’d done so before, but not as large, and for this, I needed fast and furious and deadly. A scream echoed from in front of us, and I could hear my men as the Shadow Hunters broke into the front lines, ripping and shredding flesh and bone.
I have no choice. Guide me, Ulean, if you can. Help me stay steady.
I have your back, Cicely. I am here.
And so I screamed out, “Clear a path. Now!”
As they gave way, I summoned up the winds, drawing them into myself, at first coasting on their power, but then embracing them, feeling them begin to flow through my veins like blood pulsing thick. They buoyed me up, raising me high into the cavern, as I rose up against our enemies. I gathered the churning winds, twisting them into a swirling mass, spinning them round and about. And then, I whispered, “Twister,” and the world went crazy.
The tornado sprang out of my hands, the swirling winds rising quick and swift, forcing their way out from me. The vortex roared, howling as it lurched forward, picking up speed. In the enclosed chamber, it became a vehicle of death, picking up anything that wasn’t fastened to the walls or floor and using them like arrows, shooting them from out of the vortex to impale the rock walls.
My people scurried away, crouching, trying to avoid the rising winds that threatened to pull them in. I worried, trying to control the storm’s path, but it was like trying to herd a bunch of cats. Only this was one cat, very big, and as the energy grew and took on a deep, rumbling laughter in my mind, I realized it was not at all interested in being controlled. It began pulling on me, and I slipped into the maelstrom, feeling the joy of destruction rise within me.
The power to destroy, to tear foundations from moorings, to rip and shred and bring the winds to conquer all who stood in their path…I leaned my head back, relishing the destruction as I brought the twister down on the Shadow Hunters, who were scrambling to get away. They would not escape me, would not be able to run far and long enough away from my reach.
I sent the winds reaching out to embrace the Vampiric Fae, catching them up with the storm, tossing them about like a flurry of autumn leaves. They tried to hide, tried to bury themselves behind rock and stone, but in my fury, I sought them out, sucked them from their hiding places as their voices blended with the keening of the winds.
I rocked them in the twister, slamming them against rock walls and ceiling, enjoying the hunt. And then, when I was growing bored, wondering where there might be other quarry, Ulean reached in, dancing with me in the cacophony of my storm.
Cicely, bring it back. Or let it go. But it’s time to disengage yourself from the vortex, let go of the storm now. Let it be.
At first I resisted, but then a little voice of reason—that sounded suspiciously like Lainule’s voice—echoed in my head, warning me to bring the storm home, to put it to rest. I pushed aside the passion of the storm and found my core and center. And there, I was able to take control once again and slowly reel in the power, pulling it back to myself. A moment later, the winds abruptly died, and I was back to myself, standing in the aftermath.
I turned, almost afraid to see what I’d done. Mostly, I feared that any of my men might have been caught up in the mayhem…or worse, killed. But they were there, scattered behind stalagmites and in rock crevices, and they slowly emerged. Ysandra was staring at me, her eyes wide. Luna and Peyton gave me brief smiles, but they, too, looked worried. Grieve slowly walked over to me.
“Are you all right?” He took me in his arms, examining my face like he might be searching to see if it was truly me.
I nodded, breathing deeply. “No one was hurt, except the Shadow Hunters?”
“Yes, love. Everyone came through. Well, we lost three of our men before you raised the storm. They were dead the minute the Vampiric Fae broke ranks.”
“Was Check…?” A sudden fear that my favorite guard might have been caught in the slaughter raced through me, but Grieve calmed my fears.
“No, no…Check is all right.”
“I’m here, Your Majesty.” Check stepped forward, looking bruised and battered, but still very much alive. “The Shadow Hunters are all dead.” He sounded worried, and I wondered why everybody was so concerned. I’d been able to control the storm.
This time, Cicely…but there may come a day when you won’t be able to control the winds. And that day would be tragic for so many reasons.
Lainule managed to control them. I have to learn how, too. I sighed. “Well, then. Let’s get in there and find Leo and Geoffrey before they wake.”
“A little late for that, lovely.” The voice to my left chilled me to the bone.
There, within arm’s reach of me, stood Geoffrey, and beside him, Leo. And behind them, what looked to be a good dozen other vampires, all looking ready to rumble. Geoffrey was holding one of my guards, who was slumped forward, and it was obvious he was dead.
As I stared at Geoffrey, Peyton let out a scream and rushed toward him. Although Check caught her before she was in reach of the vampire, that did it. The rumble was on, and we were all in the fray.
Chapter 20
Ignoring Peyton’s rush, Geoffrey tossed the guard aside and turned to me with a wicked grin on his face. He was too close. As I stumbled, I felt—rather than heard—Check deposit Peyton behind him, then race back toward me, with Grieve strong on his heels. But the vampire was too close, and I was still drained from raising the storm. Geoffrey grabbed me by the wrist, dragging me toward him, his fangs flashing in the light of the Faerie fire.
His long dark hair pulled back in a ponytail, he was handsome and mesmerizing and I couldn’t pull my gaze away from him. He was bringing all his charm to bear and, as hard as Lannan was to resist when he pulled out all the stops, Geoffrey was even harder. He was more disciplined than Lannan, and there’d been a good reason that he’d been chosen as Regent.
I wanted to run, but couldn’t, wanted to fight, but my will slipped away. I leaned into him, smelling the dust and the age and the power that emanated off his clothes, his body, his very aura. At that moment, I saw what Myst had seen—brilliance and ruthless ambition, and a charisma hard to ignore.
As he pulled me back, holding me in front of him with his teeth poised above my neck, the other vamps moved forward, with Leo in the lead. Rhiannon let out a low growl as he laughingly turned to her.
“Well, I see your lover welcomed you back. Used goods, Chatter. I hope you remember that every time you fuck her. But wait—there won’t be another time. This time, I’ll kill you and turn her and we’ll all be good.”
And with that, he lunged, lashing out at Rhia. She jumped back, and her eyes began to glow. I couldn’t move, and I couldn’t look away, so tight within Geoffrey’s embrace.
“You signed your final death warrant when you fucked with me, lover boy.” A glow began to surround her and she raised her hands, the flicker of flame springing to life.
The vampires, including Leo, stopped in their tracks. Geoffrey shifted, pulling me back away from the group. And then Leo jumped toward her, meeting her outstretched hand. The flicker of flame became a blazing jet, and the fire struck Leo straight in the face. As the other vamps swarmed around him, taking on the guards, Leo began to burn, bright and hot, and his screams filled the cavern. Rhia had gotten to him before Chatter or I could.
Geoffrey took that moment to drag me away, all the while whispering, “Since I have you, I might as well use you.”
I knew what he meant. I knew what he wanted, and I wasn’t about to allow it. He couldn’t keep his fangs poised on me now that we were in motion, and I took advantage to struggle against his hold. And then an idea hit me. He wouldn’t be expecting it at all. I began to shift.
The transformation was uneven, but I had been right. Startled, Geoffrey let go of me in order to get a better grasp, still not comprehending what was going on. At that moment, I pushed the transformation, hurrying it as fast as I could, and the next second, swooped up toward the high ceiling of the chamber, out of his reach. He thundered, and the next thing I knew, he had changed into a bat and was headed my way.
I swept toward him. In bat form, I had no clue if he was as impervious to damage as he was when he was a vampire, but we were going to find out. As I barreled toward him, talons first as if I were picking a rat off the snow, Geoffrey veered, circling out of the way. But he must have been off his game, because I turned on the wing, a sharp turn, and cut him off. I clipped him a hard one, talons nicking his wing, and—disrupted—he plummeted to the ground, shifting as he fell. I knew I couldn’t damage him while I was still in owl form, so I retreated to a safe distance to transform back into myself.
As I landed, shifting, everything seemed like it was on fast-forward. The vampires and Fae were fighting so quickly, moving so fast, it was a blur of motion, and there was nothing I could do. I couldn’t even tell who was winning.
Leo was burning as Rhiannon pelted him with yet more fire. She seemed to source it out of an endless well of anger and fury. He crisped as ashes flaked off him. And yet she went on, a flamethrower on legs. A moment later, with a last shriek, he turned to dust, and the flames fell silent.
Meanwhile, Geoffrey tangled with Grieve. They were rolling on the floor, and Grieve had a huge wooden stake in his hand. Geoffrey slashed at Grieve and the stake went flying. My love was pouring blood from where the vampire had raked him.
Before I could move, Peyton dove into the fray, somersaulting over the both of them to roll and come up with the stake in hand. Grieve pulled back, and she landed, hard, on Geoffrey, impaling him through the heart. A hushed pause in the cacophony and Geoffrey turned to dust, scattering to the floor.
A few moments later and all the vampires were dead, along with ten of our guards. I pressed my lips together. It was over. We had won, at a cost. Wearily, we all slumped on the floor, staring at one another. Another moment saw Lannan and his men enter the cavern. As I looked at him, I realized there was no turning back. Life would never be the same.
It was time to go home to my icy realm.
Chapter 21
The aftermath of battle is never easy. I could talk about how we made our way back to the Barrows…how we burned our dead on the sacred pyres…how, shell-shocked and tired, we were too weary to even speak. But I won’t. It’s impossibly dreary, and sad, and the cleanup after war isn’t much fun to reminisce over. Lannan and I said very little to each other, and Grieve avoided him, too.