Part 19 (1/2)

Can they see us?

The other owl answered. Yes, ghosts and owls are closely aligned. We are the creatures of dark magic. We ride in the wake of the Bean Sidhe. We bring tidings from the dead. Ghosts and spirits are part of our heritage. Yes, ghosts and owls are closely aligned. We are the creatures of dark magic. We ride in the wake of the Bean Sidhe. We bring tidings from the dead. Ghosts and spirits are part of our heritage.

Who are you? What is this? How am I doing this?

You, like your lover, are part Cambyra Fae. You are not just of the magic-born by birth, but half your heritage lies within the demonic Fae. Your father was one of the Uwilahsidhe, the owl people.

Part Fae. I was part Fae? I was part Fae? My mind tried to process the concept but I kept coming back to one thought. My mind tried to process the concept but I kept coming back to one thought. You knew my father? What was he like? What is his name? Is he still alive? You knew my father? What was he like? What is his name? Is he still alive?

Yes, I knew your father, and your mother, too. And yes, he still lives. His name is Wrath.

I want to meet him-is that possible?

But the owl fell silent as we twisted another loop around the house and he came lightly to rest in the oak again. He let out a piercing call that sliced through the night and I answered.

Not now. Not here. But he knows of you, girl. He knows of you.

And then he leapt and dove, and we were off once more, winging through the dark as he taught me to spread my wings and fly.

Early toward morning, the owl landed on the eaves next to my room. I landed next to him, exhausted, desperately needing to rest. We'd flown through the night, turning, dipping, but ever-always avoiding Myst's forest.

Time for you to return to your other form.

I blinked. My other form. My other form. There had been points through the night when I'd forgotten I had another form. There had been points through the night when I'd forgotten I had another form.

How do I do that? I can't get the pendant off.

Just focus on letting go. But do so inside or you'll topple off the roof. Ulean's voice was clear, distinct from the owl's. Ulean's voice was clear, distinct from the owl's.

As I pondered how to get inside so I could try to change back, Kaylin showed up in my room and eased the window open. He gently reached out and I hopped on his arm, and then he lifted me inside and set me on the ground.

I waddled around, my talons uncomfortable on the hardwood floor, as I tried to figure out how to s.h.i.+ft back.

Just let go of the form . . .

Ulean's comforting voice filtered through the slipstream again and I hooted softly, grateful she could read me even though I'd s.h.i.+fted form.

Just let go of the form . . . . . .

I calmed my thoughts, reached down deep. Consciously, I let the owl form dissolve, picturing myself as . . . me . . . Blink. Blink. A few seconds later, I toppled over on the floor, naked except for the necklace. A few seconds later, I toppled over on the floor, naked except for the necklace.

I'll give Kaylin this much: Instead of staring at me, he immediately covered me with a blanket from the bottom of the bed. I slowly sat up, rubbing my head, which hurt like a son of a b.i.t.c.h. The necklace throbbed gently against my chest.

”Before we even start to discuss this, please go downstairs and get me a cup of tea.” I slipped out of the blanket and into the thick terry robe that Rhiannon had loaned me. This time, Kaylin watched.

”Dude, eyes back in head.” I stared at him and he let out a soft laugh.

”Sorry, but you aren't exactly hiding it.”

”I just changed into an owl and flew around the yard for an hour or two or three. Why should I be thinking modesty after that? I mean, come on, it was . . .” I softened my voice, the sarcasm drifting away. ”It was the most incredible thing that's ever happened to me.”

He relented. ”Sorry, but as old as I am, I'm still young compared to others like me. And you're . . . you have a magnetism about you that's hard to ignore. Cicely, what happened out there?”

”Tea first.”

While I climbed into bed, s.h.i.+vering because now I felt cold all the way through, Kaylin dashed downstairs and returned ten minutes later with a tea tray holding a pot, two cups, and some toast and jam.

As we drank our tea and ate our toast, I told him everything. Told him about always feeling a connection to the owl, about getting the tattoos even though I didn't know why I had to, about the owl feather that I'd found on my pillow one morning, never questioning why it had come into my life, just accepting.

”The owl in the wood, he said I'm part Cambyra Fae, like Grieve. Can this be possible?” I stared at my hands, looking at them in a different way than I ever had before. I'd always known I was one of the magic-born, but having someone tell me I was part Fae was like finding out that I'd never really known who I was. I'd never known myself. Not fully.

”Possible? Yes. Likely? It seems so. What else could explain what happened? I suppose it could be an elaborate trap, but it doesn't feel like it to me.” He made sure I was comfortable, then headed downstairs after securing my window and making sure the protection charms were strong over it.

As I stared out at the growing dawn, I tried to comb every inch of what had happened, but the beauty of the experience kept flooding in and pus.h.i.+ng logic and thought to the side. Within half an hour, I found myself dozing off, and in my dreams, I soared with the great horned owl, still gliding the night sky.

Chapter 20.

The next morning, I was so stiff I could barely climb out of bed. At least, my arms were stiff. My shoulder muscles throbbed with a deep, pounding ache that I'd never quite felt before. I flashed back to the night before, wondering if it had been the transformation-if somehow my wings had been virginal and needed to stretch and carry me to build their strength.

Rhiannon was waiting downstairs, along with Leo and Kaylin. They all looked up at me and I realized Kaylin had spilled the beans. Eh, well, it kept me from having to explain again.

”So how was your night?” I asked, sliding into my chair as Leo set a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me. I glanced up to find them all just staring at me, silent. ”What? Okay, so I turned into an owl, went gallivanting around the yard, and boom, here I am, hungry and sore as h.e.l.l. What more can I say?”

”So Kaylin told us. What do you think it means?”

I stared at my plate. ”What it means,” I said softy, ”is that I'm not who I've always thought I was, for one thing. Otherwise . . . How can I possibly know everything this signifies? I don't even understand. It's going to take me a long time to sort this out, to a.s.sess what impact it's going to have. I always knew I was of the magic-born, but, Rhiannon . . . if my father is Cambyra Fae . . . does that mean yours might be, too? We were born on the same day. Neither of us ever met our fathers. And now, we can't even ask Heather.”

Rhiannon paled. ”I didn't even think of that. But wouldn't I know?”

”I didn't.” My childhood had been a freak show of abnormality, so I'd always attributed feeling out of place to the environment I'd grown up in, rather than blood. After all, I wasn't fully human-I was a born witch-and had never felt ”the odd one out” due to my magic.

”Should we tell Anadey about this? She might be able to s.h.i.+ne some light on our heritage.” The look in her eyes told me she was hopeful of finding out more about her past, too. Heather wasn't likely to tell her anything, now. Heather was lost to us.

I considered the idea. Anadey was the closest thing to an advisor we had. She was Marta's daughter, though not to the core, and she'd known our mothers before we were born. For a brief moment, I wondered if we could trust her, but tossed that worry out the window. We were long past the trust/don't trust stage. We'd pa.s.sed it the moment we told her about Grieve and the Indigo Court.

”Yeah. I think so. It's Sunday, n.o.body here works today, do they?”

”About that . . .” Leo s.h.i.+fted uncomfortably. ”I woke up to an e-mail that one of my tasks today is to chauffer you in for your first blood offering. Lannan wants to see you at seven tonight.”

”c.r.a.p, I'd almost forgotten about that. I guess I wanted to forget.”

Leo winced. ”I feel trapped in the middle. I have the option to leave my contract without retaliation. I'm thinking of giving up my job as a day runner. Especially now that you're working for the vampires, Cicely. I have a feeling you're going to have it harder than any of us, and I don't want to be put in a position to make it worse. I'm afraid that might happen.”

I glanced up at him. I hadn't thought about that before. What if they ordered Leo to do something to me-or with me-that neither of us wanted? He'd have no choice but to obey if he was still contracted by them.

Don't let him. Ulean's voice was urgent, prodding. Ulean's voice was urgent, prodding. You'll need him there. I promise you that. You'll need him there. I promise you that.