The Waning Moon Page 19

  “Nire odolarekin, lotura hori apurtu dut.”

  Something popped in my head. It was like the time I dislocated my kneecap. I swayed on my feet and blinked a couple of times to clear my vision.

  “It is done,” Finn said.

  “Be more specific,” Florence said.

  “The bond I created the night I met Ellie is broken. I didn’t create anything new.”

  “Are there other bonds between you and Eleanor?” Florence asked.

  “I’ve never created another bond between us.” Finn said.

  “That’s not what I asked. Are there any other ties—created by you or anyone else—connecting you to her?” Florence sounded like she was losing patience.

  Anger tightened his eyes, but Finn didn’t reply. His actions were answer enough. He grabbed my bloody arm again and said, “Sever konexioa. Nire odol prezioa da.”

  Florence raised an eyebrow at Finn. “Does that take care of all of them?”

  “There are no more bonds between me and Ellie,” he said.

  “If you did not create the second connection, who did?” I asked.

  “That was not part of our bargain,” he said. “Now, either kill me or let me go. I do not wish to stand here bleeding in front of you any longer. Your vampire looks hungry.”

  “I would sooner eat the leavings in an abattoir.”

  Finn flushed and the skin around his eyes tightened. This was not his best night ever, and I worried about how this was going to come back and bite me in the ass. He didn’t have a good track record in handling hurt feelings, and I wasn’t hopeful he’d suddenly matured enough to not seek revenge for this level of humiliation.

  “As long as I am with you, he won’t harm you,” Raj said. “How were you able to stay close to him for so long? His mind is an abandoned maze, overgrown with dark, thorny thoughts.”

  “He was a pleasant diversion.”

  Finn flushed even deeper. “I was more than that.”

  “You were my friend, once. However, any claim you might have had to my friendship is long gone. Now you’re a piece of my past that won’t stay buried. You cannot even remain a fond memory.”

  “Leave,” Florence said.

  We all backed up a couple of steps to give him room. Finn backed away from us. I felt his movement as he hit all the fly-paper like magical extensions that survived the encounter. They’d worked!

  Finn glared at me and then disappeared.

  “The good news is my shields stayed up the entire time.”

  “Nicely done,” Florence said. “And now, look to your mate.”

  I turned. Isaac’s eyes were more yellow than brown now, and he looked incredibly stressed. I walked into his arms and kissed him. “Hey, baby, he’s gone now. You can relax.”

  “He cut you,” Isaac growled.

  “Yes, but he broke the two bonds tying me to him, and my cut has already healed.”

  Isaac visibly struggled to get a hold of himself. “Do you need me to go?” I asked.

  “No!” he shouted. Then more quietly, “No.”

  I stayed until his breathing slowed, until his eyes returned to brown, and until the extraneous body hair faded away.

  “What do you think he’ll do in retaliation?” I asked, trying to draw attention away from Isaac’s lack of control. I wondered how much of it was because I’d been in danger and how much of it was a response to Finn’s taunting about a big secret he hadn’t yet shared.

  “He won’t slink away, tail between his legs?” Raj asked.

  “He kidnapped me and had me tattooed in iron when I told him I’d never love him that way. He wouldn’t know a strategic retreat if it bit him in the ass.”

  “Let’s not worry about it now,” Florence said. “The day after tomorrow, you’ll open the gate. Nothing will happen between now and then. Rest tonight and tomorrow. Thursday will be here before we know it.”

  I didn’t sleep well that night. I’d sliced fingers and a pointy ear tip off of Finn. I’m not sure I would’ve left him alive if Florence didn’t think we needed him. In two days, I would take another step towards breaking the world. My lover and mate was keeping secrets. All I wanted was one, tiny thing under control. I rolled over and scrunched my eyes shut, trying to will my brain into stillness. A movie played in my mind: Finn’s ear, him slicing into my arm, Isaac leaving me, Isaac dying in my arms, Isaac dying by Finn’s hand. My mind didn’t come up with any secrets that’d be big enough to change how I felt about Isaac or juicy enough for Finn to gloat over. I buried my face in my pillow. The movie played again. And again.

  I gave up any attempts to sleep when the first hints of dawn streaked the eastern sky. I tried to climb out of bed without waking Isaac, but an arm snuck around my waist and pulled me back into his body.

  “Where’re you going?” he whispered.

  “Coffee,” I whispered back.

  “Not alone.”

  “My alarm system is still active. Nothing bigger than a raccoon has been through.”

  “He’s seen your shielding now. He could adjust. I’ll be glad to be gone from here and go somewhere he’s not yet been. Hopefully it’ll be harder for him to track us now.”

  “You guys can stop whispering. I’m awake,” Florence said from the other side of the camper.

  “Sorry to wake everyone,” I said, peering out of the curtain covering our side of the camper and meeting Florence’s eyes.

  “This is actually what time we usually get up,” Isaac replied. “It only seems early to you because you generally sleep another two or three hours.”

  I punched him lightly in the shoulder. “I don’t sleep until nine.”

  “You did last week.”

  “Only because you kept me up all night—”

  “Don’t finish that sentence,” Florence said.

  “You’re grumpy this morning.” I said.

  She glared. Grumpy Florence didn’t enjoy being teased.

  “I’ll make coffee,” Isaac said. I kissed him, sending my tongue out to flick across his lips. His desire surged through our bond and I smiled.

  “Coffee, please,” I said as I pushed him away. He growled and kissed me until I was gasping before leaving the camper.

  Florence was shaking her head. “Why did I ever agree to share a camper with you two? Am I finally slipping into senility?”

  “We’re inspirational. You could write love songs about us and make millions.”

  “I’ll keep that in mind.” Florence crawled out of her bed and started going through her suitcase.

  I dressed and went outside. Isaac handed me a cup of coffee and I breathed in the aroma before taking a sip. Perfection.

  “I’m growing as a person,” I announced after finishing the first cup and holding it out for a refill. “I am no longer the grumpiest morning person around.”

  “I told you mixing decaf in with the regular in increasing proportions was a good idea,” Florence said.

  “What?!” I looked down at my coffee and then at Isaac. I’d been betrayed. “This is decaf?”

  Isaac looked a bit sheepish. “I thought we weren’t going to tell her.”

  “I didn’t want you to have any big secrets,” Florence said.

  “It’s not 100% decaf,” Isaac said. “It’s about half-caf. We decided it’d be good to ensure none of us had a caffeine dependency in case we start having trouble getting coffee.”

  “Did you even look at the emergency stash in the trunk?” I stalked over and opened it. The hidden panel swung up to reveal water, a filter, cans of food, and dozens of bags of whole-bean coffee.

  “Those are the emergency provisions?” Isaac asked.

  “There’s booze under the coffee.”

  “Who put her in charge of shopping?” Florence asked.

  “I had some downtime before the full moon and made an executive decision. There’s enough food and water for a month if we’re frugal—more if we supplement with fresh food. There’s enough coffee for six months, less if we
use it in trade. And there’s a decent amount of liquor. I also purchased plenty of ammunition. We won’t need it, but it will be good in trade.” The rest of the trunk was lined with strapped down gasoline cans and first aid kits. We were as prepared as I could make us.

  “You are...” Isaac searched for a word.

  “Amazing? Fantastic? Resourceful?” I suggested.

  “I was going to say crazy, but those other words will work.”

  I smiled up at him. “You adore me.”

  “That I do, Princess. That I do.”

  I’d stuffed supplies in the storage spaces in the camper, too, but maybe now wasn’t the time to show how much beer and wine I’d stockpiled. Priorities.

  I went for a mid-afternoon run with Isaac, trying to burn off my nervous energy without expending the energy I’d need to get through the gate opening. By sunset, my stomach churned with anxious nausea. In twenty-four hours, I’d be opening my third gate.

  Rays of sunlight hitting my face finally forced me out of bed. After coffee and breakfast, we packed up camp and drove to a state park 100 miles southeast of St. Louis. We set up camp in the abandoned campground and waited for our ride. At one o’clock, Christopher and Luis arrived. We drove back to St. Louis and convened at the pack’s house before heading to Cahokia.

  It was less than forty-five minutes until sunset when I walked into the center of the henge. Florence and I sat and built the magical weir that would slow the rush of gate magic into the world.

  Florence took ownership of the weir and left me with nothing but nerves to hold on to. The pulse of power steadily increased. It was almost time. The wolves standing guard along the perimeter were a barely felt presence on the edges of my mind. Nervous energy steered me into a rapid, jerky pace in the center of the wood circle.

  Raj, his eyes hidden by sunglasses to protect himself from the last rays of the setting sun, dropped into the circle, interrupting my pacing.

  “Will you be okay?” I asked.

  “This is fine. Are you okay?”

  I nodded and then felt the first spike in magic.

  “It’s starting.” I positioned myself in the center of the henge. Raj headed to a position along the perimeter to guard Florence’s back. When I stepped into the unopened gate, the power snapped my limbs into an X and I hovered a couple of feet off the ground. Raw magic poured through me, overwhelming my senses. I fought to hold onto consciousness while I channeled the magic into the holding pond of the weir Florence maintained.

  I tensed in preparation for the surge of power I’d feel when the gate opened. I dropped my shields in preparation, and was tackled to the ground. The energy coursed through me, burning my synapses when I couldn’t control it anymore. I rolled over. Where were my bodyguards?

  I looked around through the purpling dusk. The shifters, most of whom had gone furry, were fighting. It looked like there was a contingent attacking and one defending, but I couldn’t tell which were on my side. Raj and Isaac were standing over Florence defending her from a small group of trees—Fae, then—and my attacker was…“Finn. What the fuck are you doing?”

  “Stopping you.”

  “Too late.” I pulled away from him and sent the last of the energy into the gate construct. The gate snapped into place and yawned open for a brief moment before slamming shut. It was closed now, but I’d done my job, and the magic was flowing out trying to find a balance between the two worlds.

  “Not stopping you from opening the gate. Stopping you from noticing.”

  “Noticing what?”

  He smiled and dread settled over me. I kicked him in the balls. While he was hunched over, I unsheathed my sword and cracked him on the head with the pommel. He slumped into unconsciousness. I ran over to Raj, Isaac, and Florence. They were okay, and the tree creatures were down for the count. It looked like the shifter battle was winding down, too, and Christopher and Luis were running over to us.

  “Everyone okay?” I asked. Everyone nodded.

  Luis asked, “Is it done?”

  “It is.”

  “How long until she passes out?” Christopher asked.

  “About twenty minutes, if prior experiences have any bearing,” Isaac said. There was something wrong. I looked at him.

  “What is it?”

  “Not now.”

  “Later?”

  He looked past me. I looked at Raj, and he shrugged. “I did not see what they showed him.”

  “Later,” Isaac repeated.

  “Fine. Let’s get out of here.” I turned and headed towards the getaway car, my friends flanking me. Between one step and the next, the world grayed out and I fell. Someone caught me, and the last thing I heard before the blackness overwhelmed my senses was, “That was not twenty minutes.”

  Chapter Fourteen

  I WOKE UP gasping. Magic burned me as it looked for an escape. I flailed and realized I was tied down. I started screaming and Isaac was there.

  “Shhh…you’re okay,” he whispered.

  It took a few minutes to quell my panic and control my breathing. It was dark, but I could tell we were in the camper.

  “Why am I tied up?”

  “You’re not.” Isaac turned on the light. I looked down. I was in a sleeping bag that had twisted around my limbs. I wanted to laugh, but the panic was too near the surface.

  “Help me out?”

  Isaac set down the battery-operated lantern and unzipped the sleeping bag. I stretched out my limbs and sat up.

  “How long?”

  “One night this time. It’s almost morning. How do you feel?”

  “I have to pee.”

  “I’m not surprised. Let’s get you up.”

  He helped me stand. We walked—okay, I shuffled—out of the camper and through the dark campground towards the bathrooms.

  “I’d really like a shower. I feel über grungy.”

  “Go ahead and jump in. I’ll run back to the camper and get your toiletries bag and some clothes. Now that you’re awake, we can make some plans.”

  “Are Raj and Florence here?”

  “Raj left before you woke up. He’ll find us tonight and we can fill him in. Florence was in the camper and is probably up making coffee now.”

  I got in the shower, and true to his word, Isaac showed up a few minutes later with everything I needed to get clean, dry, and dressed. After I accomplished all of those things, we headed back to the camp site where there was fresh coffee waiting for me.

  “Isaac, you are a god among men,” I said, reaching up to kiss him.

  “I made the coffee,” Florence said.

  “And you are a goddess among women,” I assured her.

  I drank my first cup in silence and then poured a second cup from the French press. “Okay, how bad is it?”

  Florence and Isaac exchanged a glance. “You know I hate that bullshit.”

  “It’s too early to know the full effects. Arduinna stopped by a couple hours ago and reported there’s no power in most of the central United States, and all air traffic—really, all traffic—in the middle of the country has stopped. Most commercial flights have been cancelled regardless of origin or destination.”

  Florence said, “President Murphy and General Aldea have declared the first order of business is to send the National Guard to the dark zones to speed up rescue and evacuation before winter renders the upper midwest impenetrable. Somehow, they’ve managed to deflect any bad press regarding their failure to identify and destroy the terrorists responsible for this destruction. There has been an uptick in attacks against suspected terrorists, which in this country means brown people.”

  “This wasn’t supposed to happen,” I said.

  “Humans are assholes,” Isaac said.

  “In all fairness, all sentient beings have an assortment of assholes,” Florence said.

  I waved at them, hoping they’d shut up for a moment. They did.

  “How will the National Guard rescue and evacuate if technology doesn’t work i
n the dark zones?”

  “A combination of old enough cars, and horses. They’ve reinstated the Pony Express for news, and are bringing in food, medicine, and supplies via wagon. Evacuations are being limited to those who are at greatest risk. The leadership knows there’s nowhere they can go that won’t be feeling the effects of this within the year.”

  “How’s Portland?”

  Florence said, “It’s a dark zone now. The gate energy has steadied and isn’t pulsing anymore, but the city is dark and it’s spreading. Arduinna requests we contact her as soon as you know where we’re headed next. If the next gate is in or adjacent to a dark zone, they’ll delay the announcement. But if you’re going to destroy another section of the grid, the supernaturals will need to come out into the light.”

  “And the nuclear power plants?”

  “No incidents at any in the dark zone and the rest in the US have been secured. This has affected the power in a lot of other places, but no one is complaining.”

  I looked at Isaac. He hadn’t said anything in a while, and I remembered what Finn had said to me before I’d knocked him out.

  “Isaac? What was going on at the gate Finn didn’t want me to see? Raj said they showed you something?”

  His face lost all expression and he looked away.

  “You’re not going to tell me?”

  “I will. I can’t right now.”

  “Can’t or won’t?”

  “Won’t. But soon. I promised. I’m still processing. I need to make a decision.”

  “If that decision will affect me in any way, I’d like to have a discussion before you do anything irrevocable.”

  He smiled, but stayed silent. Dammit.

  “Fine. Let’s head east. We’re going to Savannah.”

  By mid-morning, we were back on the road. “I wish there was a pattern to these gates,” I said. “It’d be cool if I was drawing a big picture over the country.”

  Florence laughed. “Like connect-the-dots?”

  “Exactly.” I marked gates one through four on my atlas and connected the dots. “This is a crappy picture.”

  Isaac leaned over from the back seat to study the map. “Maybe it’s the beginning of a dragon?”