Kissed by Eternity (6 page)

The portal opened onto a small clearing not far from a stream. I heard the sound of rushing water not far away. On every side we were surrounded by the dense forest of the Otherworld, which was filled with semi-sentient trees and flora with a hunger for human flesh. It was no wonder that people who wandered through the Queen's portal by accident rarely returned to our world. And here I was popping in and out like a prodigal daughter.

Was it me, or were the woods a little more ominous than before? The tree trunks seemed closer together and darker somehow. The underbrush was definitely heavier, and it rustled liked creatures were watching us. Since it was the Otherworld, I was nearly certain it was the bushes themselves doing the watching. I repressed a shudder.

Inigo hauled himself to his feet and glanced around in awe. This was his first time to fairyland.

"Holy shit, there's a lot of green." He sniffed. "I don't like the smell of the place."

I inhaled again. "All I smell is green stuff."

He shook his head. "Underneath there's something…" He sniffed again. "It smells foul. Like something's dead."

I couldn't smell it, but the whole half-dragon thing gave him a definite advantage in that department. I'd have to take his word for it. Just then, Haakon tumbled out of the portal. He lay flat on his back in the grass, staring up at the green-tinged sky.

"What a rush." He sat up, blinking his ice blue eyes. "Although I could have done without the landing." He rubbed the back of his head and staggered to his feet, adjusting his weaponry. "Where to?"

"The last time I was here, Morgana had a castle somewhere nearby. I imagine Alister will be there."

"How can you tell it was around here?" Haakon asked. "Everything looks the same."

"That's what you think," I mumbled. I glanced around, taking in my surroundings. I was fairly certain we weren't far from the clearing where the Queen's portal had spat us out on my last trip, but this place was entirely unfamiliar. The guys were staring at me, waiting for me to make the next move. Crap. What now?

Last time I was in the Otherworld, I'd been able to control one of the lesser fae. A tiny winged creature. It hadn't been happy, but it had done what I told it. Maybe I could call one of those things, whatever they were, and make it show us the way. Maybe it could even tell us where Alister was for certain.

"All right, stay back," I said. "I'm going to call a Sidhe."

The two men exchanged glances but otherwise said nothing. I guessed they were used to my powers by now. Good for them. I sure wasn't.

Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes and mentally reached into the center of my being where my powers slept fitfully. Eager at my approach, they roiled around each other, trying to get out. I forced them back, allowing only Earth to answer my call. It slid slowly out of its hiding spot, unfurling through my body like a living thing. Twining down my arms in shimmering vines of verdant green, it wrapped itself around me like a lover.

I visualized it forcing its way into the ground beneath our feet. The earth began to shake. Haakon and Inigo staggered a little as the ground gave a solid heave. My feet remained rooted, held in place by my power. I willed it out into the Otherworld, searching, seeking, until it found what I needed: a tiny speck of sentient life in all the wild green.

Not that the plants of the Otherworld weren't sentient. They were, after a fashion, but this spot of color was different.
Come to me,
I ordered. The tiny being resisted, but not for long. With reluctance it began to move my way.

"It's coming," I said.

"What is?" Haakon asked suspiciously.

I didn't answer. It was already here. A tiny winged creature flitted into the clearing. It was about the size of a tiger swallowtail butterfly, only its wings were pale lavender spotted with lemon yellow. It sparkled beneath the green sun like it had been attacked by glitter.

"What do you want?" it snapped sharply in its small, squeaky voice. I heard the unsaid "bitch" in its tone.

"Alister Jones," I said. "You know who he is?"

The tiny creature sighed and crossed its arms, beating its wings furiously to keep aloft. "Who's asking?"

I sent out a tendril of my power and wrapped it tight around the little bug. "You know who I am."

It snarled, flashing wickedly sharp teeth at me. "I know. Hunter."

"Then tell me what I wish to know."

"Fine," it snapped. "Yeah, Jones is here. Whining pain in the ass. Thinks he's king of the damn universe."

"The Queen is hiding him?"

"Shhhh." It looked like it might rupture a spleen. "Don't say her name. Do you want her to hear us?" The creature glanced around, terrified, as if the bushes were full of the Queen's men. Which they might be, though I doubted it. My Earth power would have sensed them.

"Is she? Hiding Alister Jones?"

"Of course she is."

"Why?"

"How the Titania should I know?" Apparently using the names of dead Sidhe queens was acceptable. "She doesn't answer to the likes of me."

"But you know where Alister Jones is."

It shrugged. "Of course. All of Fairy knows where she stashed him. In that damn castle of hers."

"Show me."

It sighed. "Fine. Whatever. If I do, will you leave me alone?"

"Once you show me the way, I will let you go."

"This way." It flitted off into the trees, and I followed. Haakon seemed doubtful, but Inigo didn't hesitate, tromping along behind me. Eventually Haakon came along, grumbling. For a Viking, he could sure be whiny.

I followed the winged fae for what seemed like hours but it was probably only about fifteen minutes until we burst out of the overgrown woodland into what passed for sun in the Otherworld. We were in a small clearing at the edge of a cliff. Far below that cliff rushed the black, ominous waters of a raging river.

"That path leads to the castle," the little creature said, pointing to a narrow track barely visible between two enormous trees. "I think you can make it on your own from here. Unless you're too stupid." It sneered at me. "Now let me go."

"Fine. Go." I released my power from it but gave it a good swat with my hand for the "stupid" remark. It squealed angrily as it tumbled through the air and tangled in the branches of a tree. I could still hear its tiny voice cussing me out in two different languages as the three of us headed down the trail.

"Looks like a goat trail." Haakon stared at the path leading to the castle. His mood wasn't improving.

"Don't be an ass," I snapped. His eyes widened. "It's the same trail Jack and I took from the castle when we were chasing Brent Darroch. If he can manage it, so can you."

"What is it with this guy and the Sidhe Queen?" Inigo wondered aloud. Nobody answered. It was rhetorical. We had no idea what Alister and Morgana were up to, but it couldn't be good.

As we followed the path toward the castle, the air became increasingly thick until it was like breathing soup. It was hot, too. Hotter than the bloody jungle we'd tromped through in the Caribbean. Trailing vines slapped at bare arms and faces, and heavy branches dripped water on us until our clothes were soaked. It must have rained recently.

It seemed like ages before we finally escaped the forest onto the hillside overlooking the Queen's castle. Had the black stone grown darker since the last time I'd seen it?

"There's no way we can make it back to the portal quickly," Inigo murmured. "It's been ten minutes already, and we're not even to the castle yet."

Only ten minutes? Guess time really did pass differently in the Otherworld. I smiled grimly. "Don't worry. I've got a plan."

"Sure hope so," Haakon muttered. "This place is too hot for my blood."

I ignored him. "Let's go."

It took another ten minutes to reach the bridge that spanned the river in front of the castle. Distances, like time, were deceiving in the Otherworld. The gate stood wide open, allowing easy access to the castle courtyard. As we pressed closer to the portico, I saw something dripping down the castle walls. Thick, black sludge oozed across the black stones. No wonder it looked darker. I sniffed and almost gagged. It smelled worse, too.

"I don't like this," Haakon growled, sliding his sword from the sheath along his back. Not that it would do him any good. The Sidhe were impervious to man-made weapons. Only a Sidhe blade could kill a Sidhe.

"I don't like it, either," Inigo said, his voice low. "I know the Queen's Guard is off fighting the djinn, but this doesn't feel right. There should still be guards."

I agreed, but we didn't have a lot of options. "Fan out," I said. "The faster we find Alister, the faster we can get the hell out of here. And make sure he has the grimoire. We need that book." I still had no idea why, but I knew it was important.

We passed beneath the portico into the courtyard unscathed. I scanned every inch of the open space for possible attack. Nothing; there was nowhere for anyone to hide.

I was all set to yell "clear"—I'd obviously been watching too many cop shows—when a roar shook the courtyard, rattling my very bones. I glanced around wildly but other than me, Inigo, and Haakon, there was no one in sight.

"What the Hel was that?" Haakon shouted.

I didn't have time to answer. Another ear-splitting roar rattled the windows. A shape shifted out of nowhere. One minute nothing, the next a giant creature stood in front of us, its teeth dripping bloody saliva. It was a monster halfway between a Minotaur and a demon, eight feet tall at least and nearly as wide.

The top half was bull-like with horns so sharp it could spit a goat. Or a Hunter. The fur was shaggy and dark, trailing midway down the beast's chest, and the nostrils were wide and flared. The teeth, however, were pure demon, sharp and jagged.

The bottom half was sort of human-shaped but with cloven hooves for feet and yellowish skin that looked reptilian. The hands were human, too, except they ended in long, razor-sharp nails.

"Holy shit!" Inigo yelled. "What is that thing?"

I had no idea. I'd never seen anything like it. "Shift!" I yelled.

He didn't even ask. In a split second, there was a dragon the size of a horse sitting where Inigo had once stood, its blue scales shimmering aqua in the greenish light. Haakon's eyes widened, but otherwise he appeared unsurprised. Although he'd sensed Inigo's true nature, I doubted he'd ever seen a dragon shift before. It was a pretty amazing sight.

The beast snarled at Inigo's new form, snapping its jaws hungrily. Haakon slipped a shorter half sword out of the sheath at his side. I guessed he wasn't taking any chances. I pulled a gun from where it rested against the small of my back. It was loaded with lead, which wouldn't kill a Sidhe but would slow it down. Would it work on the creature?

I raised my arm and fired a single bullet straight into the monster's brain. The bullet ricocheted off the thing's skull and smacked into the wall. The beast whirled on me and roared again. Guess not. The bullet hadn't even penetrated bone. All I'd done was piss it off. I reached down and pulled a blade from my boot. The Sidhe-crafted metal glinted in the sunlight.

With another earth shattering roar, the beast charged.

Chapter 8

The Minotaur demon thing thundered across the slippery black paving stones, steam trailing from its wide, red nostrils. It let out a bellow as it picked up speed, heading toward me like a freight train. I shot again; this time the bullet went into its shoulder. Nothing. It didn't even pause despite the blood pouring out. Shit.

A split second before I became demon meat, I dove out of the way, hitting the paving stones and sliding on my belly through fetid slime. Wonderful. There went another pair of jeans.

The Minotaur demon let out an angry roar, its hooves scrambling against the cobblestone in an attempt to find footing. I rolled onto my side so I could see what was happing. Last thing I needed was to get gored in the back. Not a good way to end a trip through fairy land.

Slowed down by poor traction, the beast was still trying for me, straining with every ounce of strength in its body. Duh. I'd put a bullet in it. It was probably pissed as hell, although from what I could tell, the wound was already healing. Fortunately for me I had backup. Inigo, in dragon form, flew above its head, slashing with claw and teeth, shooting fire, which had little effect except to piss off the beast even more.

Haakon, on the other hand, was having more luck. Each slash of his sword opened a wide gash, spilling more dark blood onto the ground, where it mixed with the black slime. But it wasn't killing the thing. Each slash caused the creature pain, but it also healed in a matter of seconds. Then again, Haakon wasn't carrying a Sidhe blade.

I stared at the blade in my hand. Six inches of cold, fae steel. Would it even work on this beast? I mean, I could kill a Sidhe with it, but a monster like this? And what about the demon aspect? Was it really a demon? If so, that was a whole other kind of killing.

I strode toward the three figures and jumped into the fray. Inigo saw what I meant to do and lowered his tail enough so I could grab the tip of it. A quick flick, and I flew through the air. I landed a bit harder than I meant to, but I was where I wanted to be: on the humped back of the Minotaur demon. I grabbed onto its horns as it reared back, trying to throw me off. Guess it didn't like having a girl on top.

With a grin, I stabbed the blade deep into the soft spot between skull and ear. The thing shuddered, staggering to its knees, keening in pain. I yanked the blade out and thrust again. It shook its giant head, trying to dislodge me. I hung on to the hilt and the horns for dear life, squeezing my legs tight around its middle. When it stopped shaking, I yanked out the blade again, preparing for another thrust. With a massive shake, it sent me flying across the courtyard. I tumbled to a stop next to the fountain, shaking my head. Gods, that hurt.

Inigo and Haakon continued their onslaught, but the beast never wavered. It was clear I'd done some damage, but not enough. Not nearly enough. Regular weapons weren't hurting it. A Sidhe blade hadn't done anything. Heck, even a dragon couldn't bring the monster down. It was not of Sidhe, that was for certain.