Chapter 7

Downstairs, I was happy to discover that Iris and Hanna had fixed a buffet of sandwich makings and clam chowder. My stomach rumbled as I fixed a ham on sourdough with Monterey Jack and ladled myself out a big bowl of the soup. As I slid into my chair, I looked at the others.

“I know why the ghostly activity is so strong.” I bit into my sandwich as the others stopped to stare at me.

“Well, are you going to tell us?” Vanzir asked, leaning back in his chair. A sandwich a mile high towered on his plate. I grinned. Vanzir didn’t always eat food—he didn’t need to feed in the same way we did—but now and then he got a hankering for something and he’d vacuum up everything in sight.

“I’m getting around to it,” I said, around a mouthful of food. After I finished chewing and swallowing, I told them what had happened in the bathtub. “So, yes, Gulakah is responsible for the increase in ghostly activity, but it’s not just lately—it’s been since before he was banished from the Netherworld. Which means that it must have been going on a long time here, Earthside.”

“And it’s increased lately because of his actual presence here,” Delilah said. “Pentangle said the only way to restore the balance…”

“Is to defeat him. But Gulakah is a god. How the fuck do we kill a god?” I motioned to Morio. “Pass the salt, please?”

He handed me the shaker, and I sprinkled it in my chowder.

“The gods are not immortal, though far more so than us. He must have some sort of weakness.” Morio leaned back, frowning. “But what is it?”

“His ego?” I shrugged. “He seems to think he’s invincible.”

“But he can’t truly believe that. Charlotine managed to repel him with a spell when we went after him out at the cave. She didn’t hurt him, but she did manage to affect him. That had to sting.” Shade frowned. “No, he’s not stupid—we can’t bank on his ego blinding him. We have to find a way into his inner sanctum.”

“Well, if he is associated with the Aleksais Psychic Network, Camille can go to their psychic fair that takes place on the thirtieth. We found the advertisement this morning.” Delilah slapped the newspaper that we’d gotten at Mystic Charms on the table.

“I’m going to need to disguise myself, though. I can’t go in looking this way or they’ll know who I am.” I frowned. “Iris, do you have any illusion magic that might work on me?”

She frowned. “I think so…we could dye your hair platinum!” Even as I started to protest, she grinned at me. “I know, I know. But I think…Morio, you have some illusion magic, too?”

An idea hit me. I turned to Trillian, who was working on his second sandwich. “My love, remember the talismans you found for us when we first met?”

His icy eyes twinkled. “I do. And I might know where we could scare up a couple more of those. They’re pricey to come by, and I’ll have to head back to Y’Elestrial to find them, but I can do that this afternoon.”

“Price doesn’t matter.” Smoky glanced at him. “I have gold should we need it—currency everywhere. Camille’s safety is tantamount.”

Trillian nodded. “You will come with me, then? I don’t know how much they’ll be. We shouldn’t be gone longer than the night.”

My mind flashed to an image of the two of them, skipping down a yellow brick road together, and I coughed, almost choking on my sandwich. Morio slapped me on the back as Iris handed me a glass of water. Wisely, I bit my tongue, but I couldn’t suppress a snort.

Trillian gave me a long look. “You have something to say, wife?”

“I don’t think she believes we can take a trip together without killing each other.” Smoky joined in.

I face-palmed, groaning. “Enough, you two. This is serious.”

“Now look—she’s been caught and is trying to divert attention.” Smoky was enjoying himself. I could see it in his eyes.

Trillian nodded. “We need to teach her better manners.”

“Agreed.” Smoky pushed back his plate. “So, what are the plans for this afternoon and evening? Trillian and I will be headed to Otherworld.”

“I’m due out at Talamh Lonrach Oll tonight, so I’m just going to hang around the house and rest this afternoon.” I didn’t want to overtax myself before tonight. The Triple Threat were likely to put me through the wringer.

Delilah finished off her potato chips and wiped her hands. “I think I’ll head to the office. I haven’t been there for a few days, and I need to check messages and see if anybody has any jobs for me. I’ll check in with Giselle for you, Camille, and make sure everything is going well at the Indigo Crescent. Then, I guess…”

“After that, you can help me research ways to dispatch a god.” Roz leaned forward, resting his elbows on the table. “There has to be some weakness recorded. We can go talk to Carter this evening. He’s part Titan. He has to know something about the gods.”

“Good idea,” Delilah said, carrying her plate to the counter.

“I’ll stay home, with Menolly and Vanzir. We can watch over the house this evening since Camille, Smoky, and Trillian will be gone.” Shade grinned. “Menolly and I are teaching Nerissa to defend herself, so it will give us time to practice.”

I knew that Menolly and Shade had been training Nerissa in hand-to-hand combat. Nerissa could defend herself just fine in werepuma form, but she’d never really learned in human form, and now that she and Menolly were married and she was living here, it stood to reason that she should get in some practice.

I pushed back from the table. “I need to meditate before tonight. I’m going to sit in the yard for a while.”

The others nodded. I kissed each of my men before I headed outside. In the hallway, I stopped long enough to grab my ritual staff. Aeval had given it to me right before I’d accompanied Iris on her journey to the Northlands. Nobody had taught me how to use it yet, and I knew better than to ask for details. They would train me when they saw fit.

The staff was a little taller than me. Made of polished yew, a knob of silver atop the staff held a quartz crystal ball almost the size of my fist. A wire network wove over the top to keep it firmly secure. The foot of the staff was silver-clad, and it fit neatly in my hand.

I carried it outside to the front yard, where my herb garden was just starting to make an appearance for the year. The new growth cheered my mood as I headed for the low rock I’d had Smoky bring me from out near Mount Rainier. It was smooth, flat, and comfortable and felt more natural than a bench. I carried the staff over to the rock and settled down on it, staring at the garden.

The lavender was growing, and the thyme bush was looking good. The comfrey was taking up an entire corner in the garden. Sage and rosemary and fennel grew in the kitchen-herbs section.

And then there were the herbs that were not pantry-friendly, but that I needed for spell work. Belladonna and wormwood, rue and mandrake. My mandrake plants were a little over a year old, and they had a ways to go before I could harvest them for the work we needed to do. But all of my dark moon plants were planted safely away from the ones we could eat as well as use in spell work.

As I leaned back, the cool breeze flowed across me. Once again, I tumbled deep into trance. Everything felt heightened, from the hairs on my arms to the air playing across my lips. My nipples stiffened in response—going into trance could be an incredibly sensual experience. Magic and sexuality were intricately entwined, and when one force woke in the body, so did the other.

The staff was still in my hands, and I ran my fingers lightly over it as I drifted gently with the astral currents. The yew branch resonated in my hand, a tingle flowing up my arm.

Yew—the tree of transformation and the Eternal Return—was one of the most sacred and potent trees there was, even more so than oak. The yew was for new moon work, for death magic, and the magic of the Dark Goddesses. It was the tree of renewal, the tree of death and of birth.

I traced over the surface and paused. Something tingled beneath my fingertips—a carving? Runes? But when I looked, I could see nothing but smooth wood. I raised the staff to my nose and inhaled deeply. A faint scent wafted up, one that I felt I should recognize but that eluded me.

Turning my attention to the silver cradle holding the crystal, I gazed into the quartz, rainbows shimmering from the internal fractures—prisms dappling the globe. They whispered to me, but their song was just beyond reach.

After a while, I took three deep breaths and held the last, letting it wash through me as I slowly brought myself out of the trance. Setting the staff aside, I glanced at my phone. Nearly six P.M. Almost time to head out to Talamh Lonrach Oll. I wrapped my arms around my knees until I felt awake enough to drive, and then stood and put my staff in the car. My priestess robes were already in there.

As I walked back to the house to let them know I was leaving, Smoky and Trillian came out.

“Are you headed to Grandmother Coyote’s portal now?” I ran over to them and slid my arms around their waists.

“Yes, we go to Otherworld.” Smoky leaned down and kissed my head.

Not to be outdone, Trillian planted a passionate one on my lips. “Be safe, wife. Do not make us fret when we return. We’ll be back tomorrow at the latest.”

Smoky swept me into his arms. “Trillian is right—be careful. I still do not trust the Triple Threat. But Aeval will guard you. She needs you. For what, I do not know, but I recognize the look on her face.” He kissed me again, then set me down.

I touched his arm. “Want me to drop you off? I’m going now.” They looked at each other, then shrugged and nodded. I held up one finger. “Wait right here. I just want to let the others know I’m leaving.”

I peeked into the hall and saw my purse and keys where I’d left them on the hall table. As I grabbed them, I called out, “Leaving for Talamh Lonrach Oll.”

“Be safe!” Iris’s voice echoed from the kitchen.

And so we were off. I dropped Smoky and Trillian at the edge of Grandmother Coyote’s land, then headed out to the freeway. It was going to be a long night, but at least I wasn’t feeling too exhausted. The trance work—both in the bath and in the garden—had recharged me.

All the way there, my thoughts were filled with a vast churning of ocean. All that anger and fury and pent-up rage…what a waste of energy.

If Otherworld was the U.N. of Faerieland, so to speak, Talamh Lonrach Oll was Faerieland over Earthside. Set on a thousand acres of land, northeast of Seattle and buttressed against the foothills of the Cascade Mountains, Talamh Lonrach Oll—the Land of Brilliant Apples—was the Sovereign Nation for the Earthside Fae. Ruled over by Titania, Queen of Light and Morning; Aeval, Queen of Shadow and Night; and lastly, our distant cousin Morgaine, who had been crowned the Queen of Dusk and Twilight, it was a growing, thriving community.

The government had agreed to a treaty with the Fae Queens—the Triple Threat, as I liked to call them. As long as they didn’t incite any antigovernment activities, they had permission to buy up to five thousand acres and claim it as a sovereign nation, where they could make their own rules and lead their nation. The rolls were growing quickly and their numbers already rivaled those of the Supe Community Council, at least for this area.

While most of the Fae did not live at Talamh Lonrach Oll, enough did to make it a thriving community, and the TLO Warriors were also a growing strength. Over one hundred strong at this point, the militia trained vigorously. The Triple Threat knew about the demon menace and had promised their support to us, especially since I’d joined Aeval’s Court.

I parked outside the silver gates that guarded the land. The land was completely warded, and I knew better than try to enter at a place other than the main gate. As I stepped out of the car, I was instantly hit by the rush of energy. Talamh Lonrach Oll was powerful, and its roots were buried so deep in history that no mortal could ever fathom just how aged the foundations of this land were. Not just the actual land itself, but the powers of Titania, Aeval, and even Morgaine—though our cousin was only half-Fae, like ourselves.

A scent wafted by—the smell of oakmoss and narcissus, of violets and newly mown hay, and a dozen other minor notes feeding into it. This was the fragrance of dark magic, the scent of summer passion, of sparkling lights in the forest at midnight, and it was the scent of my destiny.

The guards at the gate recognized me and swung it open, bowing as I entered. I curtsied to them, out of habit, and they waved me toward the horse and carriage that was waiting. The carriage was open, but since it wasn’t raining and the weather was cool but not cold, I didn’t mind.

The driver offered me his hand and I stepped in, carrying my bag of ritual gear and clothing, and then he handed my staff up to me and I balanced it across my lap. I had no idea where we were going; all I knew was that he would take me to where Aeval and Morgaine had bid him drive.

He let out a sound and the horse moved forward. As I leaned back, the evening fell into twilight. The sky was partially overcast, but the last of the sunlight filtered through, glancing off the trees. It was nearing evening.

The cobblestones resounded with the quiet clopping of the horse’s hooves as the path swerved and bent through the compound. Houses, all single-story, had gone up here and there, and more were being built as the population of Talamh Lonrach Oll grew. There were no electrical lines—the power for the nation came from the earth, through magic, and via wind, steam, and sun. The paths were lit with eye catchers, and signs marked the streets. The ES Fae Queens had borrowed the magic of the eye catchers from Otherworld, and in return, OW was borrowing some of the concepts of technology from over Earthside, only to create a new blend between magic and science.