Night's End (24 page)

Rhiannon shook her head. “No—she can't have been gone long.”

“Well, we'll have to start the meeting without her.” I was irritated. People needed to check with me before running off to take care of errands. “Okay, here's what we're going to do. We have to split up. I don't like it any more than you do, so keep your complaints. But this is how it's going to be. I will lead a group into the Golden Wood. We go in search of Myst's heartstone.”

“We're going with you.” Peyton set her jaw. I recognized the stubborn streak in her rising.

“You can't.” I didn't want Luna and Peyton prowling the woods. I didn't want them out there, endangering themselves. “We need to fly through the forest, my friend. And very few can match our speeds. Besides, somebody needs to be here to guard the Veil House and wait for the vampires to wake.”

“What about Rhiannon and me?” Chatter cupped his mug of tea. “What would you like us to do?”

“We will leave most of our Fae warriors here to guard the house and, if needed, scour the town. They will report directly to you and Rhiannon. Rhia, you're in charge. If you have to, you and Chatter can lead another routing on the town. But be cautious—this storm is going to become far worse before long. A whiteout is nothing to get caught in. And very hard to navigate.”

“I need to go with you, Cicely.” Kaylin cocked his head. “I have to go with you.”

I stared at him and something deep inside whispered,
Let him
. “All right—but my men will have to help you. No bitching about it.”

“Understood.”

As we armed up, my cell phone rang. It was Ysandra. I quickly punched the Answer button. “Yes?”

“Cicely? I need your help.”

“Where are you? What's going on?”

She sounded frightened, and when Ysandra was afraid, that meant there was trouble, big-time. “I'm over at the school a few blocks away. Dakota—Lannan's day-runner—texted to let me know there were children trapped in the school. Parents have been calling the emergency vehicles but nobody can get through. They thought we might be able to do something since we're near. Everybody was busy, and the school is so near the house that I decided to bring my group of Consortium guards over to gather the kids up—it's only a few blocks away, and I thought it would be easy enough. But it's all gone horribly wrong.”

Oh fuck, no.
“What's going on? Shadow Hunters?”

“I wish it was just them. No, Myst sent in more than the Vampiric Fae on the snows. We have snow weavers building webs outside the school, and they are trying to get in. I heard rumors that some houses in Snoqualmie are covered with webbing. They've come in force, Cicely. This is Myst's full push. It's now or never. Either we defeat her this time, or she will lay waste to this region and pick up steam.”

I stared at my phone. “I'm putting you on speaker, give me a second to fill in the others on what you've said so far.”

As I ran down what she told me, then tapped the button to put Ysandra on speaker phone, the enormity of our situation was beginning to hit me and my stomach clenched, thinking of the kids trapped in the school.

“Go ahead. You're on speaker.”

“Thanks. As I said, Myst is making her push. It might seem a far cry for her to blanket an entire city, but reports coming in from Seattle say it's snowing heavily there, too, and they're expecting extreme ice and snow within a couple of hours. The long winter has begun. Ragnarök is rolling in, not on the shoulders of the frost giants, but on the wings of a crazed queen. Can you come get us?”

I bit my lip—we needed to get out to the woods, but the children were in danger, and so was Ysandra. “We'll be there. How many kids?”

“Fourteen. The others made it out, but how many made it home safe, I cannot tell. I do know that we can't hold out much longer. We've locked them out for now, but there are so many ways into the school. I have the children huddled in a classroom, and my guards are blocking the doors and trying to keep the snow weavers from breaking through the windows. Hurry, Cicely. Or we aren't going to be here when you arrive.”

And with that her phone went dead. The bars on my phone vanished. I picked up the house phone but it, too, was dead.

“I suppose the television is out?”

Luna nodded, pale. “We're cut off, then.”

“Yes. It won't take much to bring down the coast. The grid isn't all that stable and the infrastructure of this country is already strained and weak. Come on—we have to go rescue Ysandra and the kids. All hands on board, and we're fighting Myst's spiders, so be prepared.”

With that, leaving a small contingent of men at home, the rest of us armed up and headed out into the storm.

Chapter 12

We moved into the storm, leaving behind enough of our men to guard the house should anybody decide to try to invade. My bets were that Myst was still focused over in Snoqualmie and turning her sights on Seattle, but she'd given her minions a free hand in branching out. I also had the feeling she'd ordered them to leave me alone. In other words,
leave me for her
. She wanted her revenge as much as I wanted mine.

The streets were so clogged with snow there would be no other way of getting there except on foot. As we turned the corner, about twenty yards down Second Street we saw flames. The school was still several blocks off, so we knew it wasn't that, but a house had caught fire, probably from someone trying to stave off the cold, and it was blazing brightly. The fire department was nowhere in sight. Maybe they were trying to plow through the streets to get here. The snow was piling up so fast and thick, that even the fire engines would have trouble navigating New Forest. We were here, though, and so I sent over one of my men to see if there was anybody still trapped inside.

He returned. “No, they are all safe, at least from the fire. But Your Majesty, if we continue on and leave them here, while waiting for the emergency response . . .”

I saw where he was going. “The Shadow Hunters may attack them. Or the snow weavers. Or worse. I see your point. How many are there?”

“Five—a father, the mother, and three children. Two cats and a dog.”

I thought quickly. We didn't dare take them along with us. “Take three men and get them back to the house. Then catch up with us as best as you can. But be wary. We have no clue what other monsters Myst has managed to dredge up while she's been recharging. For all we know, she might have discovered an abominable snowman or two.”

He gave me a curious look, clearly not understanding what I was talking about.

“Yeti? Bigfoot's cousin? A form of
Sasquatch
?”

“Oh! The Old Man. Yes, we know what they are, and they are highly dangerous and unpredictable. We will be cautious, Your Majesty.” He gave me a quick but decisive bow and then chose three other men and headed over to the family. Satisfied they'd have at least a decent chance at safety, I motioned to the others, and we moved on again.

As we moved farther into the town, the extent of Myst's snow weavers was obvious—houses were covered in thin sheets of icy webbing, and I could only pray that those within were able to withstand the siren song of the snow spiders. Here and there I caught a glimpse of one, sparkling in the night. They were fierce and terrible, milky white with golden sparkling stripes that ran their length. Orb weavers, but with a deadly venom and an even deadlier ability to lure their prey into their webs.

As I eyed the houses covered in webbing, my first thought was to rush in, to rescue whoever might be trapped within. But then reason dawned. We couldn't stop the snow weavers, not until we stopped Myst. We had to focus on our task at hand and not get sidetracked.

The going was rough—the snow was deep and even for those of us used to the snow and ice, the storm raged like a crazed animal. Hunter was skimming the surface—my grandfather seemed able to skate across the snow like a water skipper on a pond. But Luna, Peyton, and Kaylin were not faring as well, and my men were helping them along. Rhiannon, Chatter, and the Summer Guards fared somewhat better but they, too, were bogged down by the heavy snows. Finally, in frustration, Rhia moved to the front of the pack with Chatter, and the pair joined hands, motioning for the rest of us to stand down.

We sidled back as the sparks sizzled and popped around them, and then—in one long streak—they sent out a burst of flame through the snow in front of us. It traveled a good twenty yards before sputtering out, melting away some of the ice and snow.

Rhia shook her head. “Takes more energy than it does good. Might as well just slog through.”

And that's just what we did. We drove our path through the clogged roads, pushing against the winds, which were gusting heavily now and whirling the snow into a blinding fury around us. By now, we could see no more than an arm's length away from our bodies and were doing our best to continue in a straight line so we wouldn't get off track.

“How are we going to know when we get there? We can barely see the side of the road, let alone anything beyond it.” I had to shout to be heard over the wind.

Check, who was leading us, moved closer and leaned in. “Can Ulean go ahead and lead us, Your Majesty?”

Ulean, did you hear him? Can you lead us to the school?

That I can—it is easier for me to navigate than you. Hold for a moment and let me scout out where you're at.

We paused, huddling as the storm raged. I thought I could hear howling in the slipstream, and for once prayed I was wrong. Because if I was hearing a howl, it was one of the Shadow Hunters—and that meant they were on the rampage. Shivering, I leaned toward Grieve and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders. We waited, counting the seconds, counting the minutes. I was beginning to worry, but then Ulean was there, sweeping around me in a succession of quick gusts.

We are near the school. You will want to verge to your right—about twenty-five degrees—and you will be on-target for the front doors. They are about one thousand feet ahead—you will be going through the front lawn. There are Shadow Hunters in there, and they have spiders with them, and goblin dogs.

Oh fuck. Fuck, fuck, fuck. What about the children and Ysandra? Are they okay?

They are barricaded in a room—the first hall to the left, first door to the right. There are large windows, and right now, Ysandra and her Consortium allies are managing to hold a force field against those attempting to break through, but they won't be able to for much longer. They are strong, but the Shadow Hunters are stronger.

Fuck. We need to get there now. How many do you estimate?

Shadow Hunters? I cannot tell you. But they have at least a dozen, if not more, of the snow weavers with them. Remember: They can mesmerize you, Cicely. They can lure you in, even now.

I remembered all too well. We'd encountered them several times out in the woods, weaving their massive webs, hiding, waiting for victims. They were beautiful and terrifying, and they could hypnotize their prey, as well as poison them. Deadly and quick, the snow weavers were creatures of nightmares.

If we head straight, we'll run right into the school?

Yes, you're directly on track now.

Then, damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead
.

“Let's move. Check, head directly to that direction.” I pointed. “We'll be facing a bundle of Shadow Hunters and snow weavers, and I think some goblin dogs—so be alert. They'll be as blind as we are, though, at least before we get into the school. Ysandra and her crew can't hold out for much longer.” I pulled out my dagger. Even though I wouldn't be on the front lines, I wasn't about to go in unprepared.

Luna tapped me on the arm. “Before we go . . .”

“Yes?”

“Let me . . .” She stepped back and closed her eyes. Within seconds, a shadow began to descend on our group, and a mist settled into her body. She looked up, slowly, a cunning in her eyes that was abnormal for her. As her eyes met mine, she let loose with a hearty laugh, and the next thing I knew, we were surrounded by shadows.

“We have backup,” she said.

I stared at the army of the dead that filtered in and around us. Shades in muted tones of shadow and light darted between the snowflakes, barely there, and yet their silent hush carried the weight of a hundred soldiers at our command. They were a darksome force, fierce and feral, and the look on Luna's face scared the hell out of me. The gentle Luna had faded, and the wild-eyed Dorthea had taken her place. Full and robust, the spirit had taken over and now I could feel her unspoken orders filtering through the ghosts who joined our company. They would move at her slightest word. I could feel their loyalty, and it scared the hell out of me. What if Dorthea took it into her mind to sic them on us, instead?

But as I stared at Luna, at the spirit inhabiting her body, Dorthea cocked her head. “Why would I want your position, girl? I have all the power I want right where I am. What's more—Luna has given her oath to you. And I must abide by that.”

Then I realized—regardless of the fact that two spirits now inhabited one body—our friendship, which I'd probably forever destroyed, would carry Luna through on my side, and anybody hitching a piggyback ride on her.

Olrick and a band of the strongest took the forefront. Check, Fearless, Hunter, Grieve, and I came after. Behind us, Kaylin, Luna, Chatter, Rhiannon, Peyton, and Rhiannon's guards hedged us in. The force of the dead swelled behind them. And at our backs, holding the rearguard, marched the rest of our warriors.

The wild tangle of energies charged the air. Summer and Winter, the spirits of the dead, the forces of our friends—all combined to create a whirlwind of static as we forged onward toward the school.

We counted down, with Ulean guiding us through me. And then she told us we were on the grounds, and there was an insurgence of movement as snow weavers appeared on the front lines, backed up by the ghostly figures of Shadow Hunters caught in glimpses through the strengthening blizzard.

The snow and mist were so thick that we could only fight whoever was directly in front of us, and our warriors spread out, a core group surrounding Rhiannon and myself. Once again, I found myself chafing against the restrictions, but I also knew that for us to take down Myst, I had to stay alive. So I let myself be protected; I reined in my frustration and thought of the bigger picture. The fighting was a blur of snow and blood around me, and I longed to be doing something productive—something helpful.

Rhia tapped my shoulder, and I leaned close. “I know—I know what you're feeling, but this is our life now. You have to bite the bullet on this one, Cicely. You know how much we need you later on.”

Grimacing, I wondered if I should have even come. We were tying up resources protecting us that could have been focused on fighting instead. Though our personal guards would have stayed home, it would have made things easier if we weren't here. Unlike the Fae Queens of history, Rhia and I weren't strong warrior women . . . yet. We were more liability than help.

“You should wipe that look off your face, Your Majesty.” Check leaned close, pressing his lips near my ear. “You look defeated. The men take their cues from you. You show depression, they will follow suit. We need you to stand tall, to claim your place and prove to us why we want you with us in the field.”

I cocked my head. “How'd you get inside my mind, Check?”

He grinned. “It's my business to watch you, to anticipate your needs and moods. I'd be remiss in my duties if I didn't pay attention to things like this. Now straighten your shoulders and rally the men. Encourage them. They will need all the encouragement you can give before this war is over.” He glanced over at Rhiannon. “And Mistress of Summer? Might you do the same.”

With a glance at Rhiannon, I shook away the lacework of frost and cobwebs that had been weaving their way in my mind and stood tall. Rhia followed suit. I wasn't sure what a rallying cry might be, but then I decided we'd just have to do it my way. I wasn't a warrior queen of old, I was Cicely, and I had to be myself—and that had to be enough.

“Beat the freaks back! Make spider stew out of them! You are my troops and you can do this. The snow weavers belong to Myst, and Myst's ass belongs to
me
!”

Ulean caught my voice in her currents, sweeping it through the troops, sweeping it into the slipstream so it echoed through the schoolyard. It hung in the air for a moment, then shattered like crystal and my warriors surged forward again. The dead swarmed through the blinding snow, adding to the fray, and though I couldn't see what was going on, the clashing of swords mingled with screams, and I knew our men were taking down the Shadow Hunters.

A few moments later, and I found myself moving on, Check and Fearless guiding us forward. We worked our way relentlessly toward the school. Ulean told me we were nearly there, and then—suddenly—we were at the doors, and they opened. My men surged forward, and the next moment, we were inside. The power still held, so entering the building, coming out of the storm, was like emerging into daylight from darkness. There was blood on the floor, but the halls were relatively empty. I remembered Ulean's instructions.

“First hall to the left, first door on the right!” My voice echoed off the high ceiling and the empty corridors, and we moved in a wave. The dead went ahead of us. By the time we reached the hallway there were bodies littered everywhere: Shadow Hunters, their life force sucked out of them. Some still remained on foot, it seemed the dead could only feed so much, but my men made quick work of them, and when the last one fell, Olrick pounded on the door.