Part 11 (1/2)

Thirty miles east of Seattle, Snoqualmie was nestled in the foothills of the Cascades, towering mountains of fire and ash. The Cascades were the home of Mount Rainier, a majestic volcano who was merely biding her time until she blew again. Her sister, Mount St. Helens, had lost her peak back in 1980 with a thunderous explosion that killed nearly sixty people. When Rainier went, if she blew big, so would a huge swath of the population who lived right in her path. The land around the Pacific Northwest was alive, all right. Alive and churning beneath the layers of rock and soil and forest.

Snoqualmie's main claim to fame, other than a mountain pa.s.s by the same name and a ski resort, was that the city had played host to the filming of Twin Peaks Twin Peaks, an odd show I'd watched on reruns a few times and found disconcertingly spooky. Considering what we faced on an almost daily basis, I couldn't explain what about the show creeped me out so much, but it was a good scare, unlike the kind in which we always seemed to get entangled.

We had to pa.s.s through the Eastside in order to get to Snoqualmie. A conglomeration of cities-Redmond, Bellevue, Woodinville, Kirkland, Issaquah-each had their unique charm. The Eastside was the heart of high-tech in the Northwest, with software companies dominating the area, led by Microsoft. And the area itself was developing at a rapid rate. Bellevue's skysc.r.a.pers were giving Seattle's tall towers a run for their money. As we drove through the glittering wash of lights and concrete, I held my breath, thinking how different this was from my home.

And yet . . . and yet . . . Otherworld had its own brilliance and towering palaces and marbled buildings that we seldom saw over Earthside. And the magical lights of the eye-catchers glittered as brilliantly, though not quite so neon, as the scattered lights within the gla.s.s-and-steel buildings. Just replace the hum of electric wires and cell phone towers with the buzz of magical energy, and the two realms weren't so different after all.

As we sped down I-90 and then turned off on exit 25, the trees grew tall and thick on either side of the freeway. The towering firs loomed dark over the landscape, and the undergrowth was thick and full with burgeoning ferns and huckleberry and scrub holly and wild gra.s.ses.

The Cascade Mountain Range and its foothills, running the length of Was.h.i.+ngton down into Oregon, were a wild region. Mountain lions and bears and coyotes roamed the hills, occasionally venturing into the outskirts of the city, and the land felt rugged and tough. If you weren't up to the challenge, you could die in the mountains in any number of ways, none comfortable to think about.

As the engine hummed, I inhaled deeply, then let out a long sigh. How many times had we raced off to quell a problem in the past six months? How many nights had we spent bas.h.i.+ng heads and getting beat up in return?

The problem with rogue portals opening showed no signs of stopping. Cryptos and Fae were showing up everywhere, especially around the Northwest. Guarding the portals that opened into the Subterranean Realms was proving to be difficult, because the OIA had been absorbed into our Queen's army and for now, we were working off the radar.

One thing we had to be grateful about, though, was that the new portals showed no signs of opening into the Sub Realms. The Netherworld, yes, but the Sub Realms-not so much. A blessing we couldn't ignore.

I leaned forward and peeked over Roz's shoulder. He was riding shotgun, while Morio drove, and considering he had the map, it was probably a good arrangement. ”You're sure that Karvanak hasn't got wind of the seal yet?”

He shrugged. ”As far as we could tell, no. Of course, there's no guarantee, but I don't think he'd be torturing that poor man if he already had the information. He'd just eat him. Rksasas do that, you know. They eat humans, along with other species.”

Shuddering, I slipped back in my seat. ”Yeah, I know, but thanks again for the visual. Just what I needed.”

Smoky, who was sitting on my right, snorted. ”I eat people, too.”

”Not like that,” I said. ”You don't just go devouring innocents, and we know it. Maybe some dragons do, but don't pretend that you're like them.”

He narrowed his eyes. ”You've got a mouth on you, girl,” he said, and it wasn't a compliment by the tone in which he spoke. But I noticed he didn't contradict me.

I glanced over my shoulder at Camille, who was sprawled in the back, along with Menolly and Vanzir. ”Did you bring the unicorn horn?”

She nodded. ”We have no idea what we'll be facing. I figured I might as well bring it, especially since my hand's still sore, and it's going to hurt like h.e.l.l to run energy through it.”

Vanzir let out a huff of impatience. ”We get the seal, then you take it wherever you need to take it. Then what?”

”We start searching for the fifth one, I guess.” I shrugged. ”That seems to be our current direction, don't you think?”

Camille shook her head. ”I hate to remind you of this, but the demons aren't our only rivals for the spirit seals. I'd say it's a good bet that Aeval, Morgaine, and t.i.tania are probably looking for them, too. And should they find one, I'll lay odds they won't be keen to turn it over to Queen Asteria. The pit of my gut tells me that Morgaine wants to give them to Aeval.”

Morgaine. t.i.tania. Aeval. Three brilliant and terrible queens. We'd recently found out that Morgaine was a distant relative of ours, but she didn't seem to put a lot of stock into blood ties unless it benefited her own agenda.

”Get real,” Menolly said. ”They played you like a Spanish guitar. I grant you that Grandmother Coyote had a hand in it, but I still maintain they somehow put her up to convincing you that it was your destiny to help them.”

I gulped. I'd been wondering the same thing, but it never occurred to me to say it to Camille's face. For one thing, no matter what had really happened, there was no changing the outcome. For another, the thought had flickered through my mind that perhaps Camille had been so desperate to believe we had allies that she'd allowed herself to be blindsided.

Whatever the case, with her help, the three n.o.bility of Earthside Fae had reestablished the fallen regime that had been, at one time, the Unseelie and Seelie Courts. Now, Morgaine, t.i.tania, and Aeval ruled over the Courts of the Three Queens. And they weren't just sitting around looking pretty.

”Have you noticed just how many Earthside Fae have been flocking to the area? The Supe Community Council has been paying attention, and rumors are filtering out that there's a growing unease rising between the Earthside and OW Fae. The FBHs are thrilled by the novelty, but they don't see the potential dangers of the situation. We have enough on our plates without coping with yet another civil war between the Fae, this time one between the realms.” I shook my head.

”Wonderful.” Menolly sounded anything but thrilled. She flicked Camille on the head with her thumb and forefinger. ”I still think you were off your rocker to help them.”

”You've made that abundantly clear,” Camille said quietly. ”I've taken a lot of flack for my actions from a lot of people, so maybe, just maybe, my own family can lay off lay off?”

Her eyes narrowed. ”You really really think that I acted on impulse? That I didn't know what I was doing? I knew perfectly well. I also know that it will take a miracle for them to allow me to stay on should the OIA ever regroup and the death threat on our heads be removed. I'm as good as gone from the fold, no matter who wins the war in Y'Elestrial. Lethesanar . . . Tanaquar . . . doesn't matter. I'm history to any government who had a hand in the Great Divide. And if you think I didn't consider that think that I acted on impulse? That I didn't know what I was doing? I knew perfectly well. I also know that it will take a miracle for them to allow me to stay on should the OIA ever regroup and the death threat on our heads be removed. I'm as good as gone from the fold, no matter who wins the war in Y'Elestrial. Lethesanar . . . Tanaquar . . . doesn't matter. I'm history to any government who had a hand in the Great Divide. And if you think I didn't consider that before before I helped Morgaine and t.i.tania free Aeval from the crystal, maybe you're the ones who are blind. When the Hags of Fate tell me to do something, I I helped Morgaine and t.i.tania free Aeval from the crystal, maybe you're the ones who are blind. When the Hags of Fate tell me to do something, I do do it. This is bigger than just us. Bigger than Otherworld.” it. This is bigger than just us. Bigger than Otherworld.”

Smoky let out something that sounded like a huff. He was glaring at me, and I had the feeling he was none too happy with Menolly, either. He kept quiet, but I could feel him tensing beside me.

I also felt my own inner equilibrium beginning to blur, and I took a deep breath, trying to avoid s.h.i.+fting. Family arguments always gave me the most stress, and I had a hard time keeping it together when we squabbled.

”The portals,” I whispered. ”You did it because the portals are breaking down.”

Camille glanced at me, looking surprised. ”Ten points for Kitten. The fabric that separates the three realms was never meant to be stretched so tightly. The Great Divide was a big, fat mistake, and the OW Fae who partic.i.p.ated in it are going to have to acknowledge their error sooner or later. And I don't think we have until later later.”

”Do you think any of them still exist? Beyond Queen Asteria and the Fae Queens?”

”I'm fairly certain there are a few of the forefathers still alive. But that doesn't matter. What matters is that the system is collapsing, and we have no idea how this mess will affect our problems with the demons. Shadow Wing might be able to rip through the portals easier with the fabric dividing the realms breaking apart. We aren't in this alone; the Earthside Fae can help us, but we need to give them a reason to. And not feeling second-cla.s.s to OW Fae might just be the start.” Camille frowned, leaning her head against the side of the car.

I suddenly felt like a heel. I'd been judging her actions as if she'd gone rogue, or-and I'd only admit this in my heart of hearts-a part of me had secretly wondered if she just wanted to get in good with the Fae Queens. Now I stared at my hands, not knowing what to say.

Menolly cleared her throat. ”Gee, Sis, you might have told us all this back when it all went down. I thought . . . oh, never mind what I thought. Your heart's in the right place, but I still don't know about your head. But what matters is that we gather our allies and do our best to capture the spirit seals before anybody else does. Even then, I wonder what Queen Asteria is going to do with all of the seals. If they're all in one place, it could spell big trouble if the Elfin city is ever under siege from a bigger foe.”

”Oh joy,” I mumbled. ”Give us something new to worry about, why don't you? Let's just focus on one thing at a time, shall we? We capture the fourth seal, take it over to Queen Asteria, and talk to her about our concerns. Okay?” My head was spinning with all the debate. All I really wanted was to find a nice warm corner and curl up to sleep for a dozen hours or so.

Morio, who had been silent until now, said, ”Delilah's right. Everybody just calm down. Grandmother Coyote knew what she was doing, so drop it and quit hara.s.sing Camille. We're almost to the exit. Once we take that, we've got another ten or fifteen miles to drive, and we'll be headed up the hillside toward the cave. I suggest you all use the time to catch a little rest. Just close your eyes and doze or something.” He sounded p.i.s.sed-the first time I'd really ever heard a testiness to his voice.

The fox demon was usually impa.s.sive, but apparently we'd managed to ruffle his feathers. I glanced at Smoky again, who looked grimly pleased at Morio's words, and decided that the best defense was a quick catnap. I leaned my head on Zachary's shoulder-he'd been listening silently to our debate-and closed my eyes, letting the rumbling of the wheels lull me into a light snooze.

Some twenty minutes later, I was rudely jogged out of my slumber to find that we were heading up a steep grade that was b.u.mpy as all get out. My guess, unpaved and covered by chunky, rough gravel.

As we jolted along, I turned around in my seat. Camille and Menolly looked quiet, both lost in thought. I reached over the backseat and lightly rested my hand on Camille's shoulder.

”I'm sorry,” I said softly. ”I never meant to imply you didn't know what you were doing. I admit that I thought you did what you did for different reasons, but I was wrong. I'll never doubt your actions again. You've held us together for a long time, and I trust you.”

Her eyes glistened. ”Thanks, Kitten. I appreciate that.”

Menolly rolled her eyes, but she nodded. ”Double that from me, too. We're a team, and we have to stick together. Let's leave the infighting to the politicians.”

That was as good as a tearful apology from our sister, the vampire, and Camille knew it. She sniffed and dashed her hand across her eyes. ”Man, I'm tired. I just want to get tonight over and go home and sleep. I have so much to think about from today.”

”Yeah, especially since you know that Trillian's just playing undercover spy again and not really in danger. Pretty shabby of him not to tell you,” Menolly said, then glanced at me. She'd gone too far, and she knew it. Menolly was great in a fight, but diplomacy was a long ways from being one of her strong suits.

Camille stared at her, then shook her head. ”Don't even go there. I'll deal with Trillian later.” Her voice said case closed case closed in no uncertain terms. in no uncertain terms.

I turned back around in my seat. What the h.e.l.l was going on? We'd never been at each other's throats like this. Of course, we weren't really arguing, I tried to tell myself. We were all tired, stressed out, and facing yet another night of battle against some undead fiends.

”Maybe we'll get lucky, and they'll just be a bunch of Caspers,” I said, trying to lighten the mood.