The Waning Moon Read online

  “Your pledge is accepted, and I give you one in return. I will provide for you as much as you need and will return your faithful service with the promise of my own.” Someday I was going to figure out how the right words came to me when I needed them.

  Raj kissed my hand and rose, taking back his sword. Something important had happened. A look at Florence confirmed this. She looked pleased.

  “Things progressing how you want them to?” I asked.

  “They usually do.”

  I took a long sip of my wine and waited. No one said anything further. “Okay! My turn!”

  Florence laughed and handed packages to Raj and me. Raj went first. He received another bottle of wine, this one a ‘Dracula’ Cabernet, as well as a pair of ruby cufflinks.

  “Thank you,” he said, kissing her hand. I tore into my gift. Custom leather sheaths for my throwing knives, each decorated with a beautiful quill and beadwork dragon in a different position. “This is amazing!” I immediately removed the old sheaths, but before I could move my knives to the new ones, Raj laid a gift on my lap.

  “Open this first,” he said. I did.

  Inside were a dozen perfectly balanced throwing knives. Six were silver with a laurel wood inlay, and six were steel. I’d never seen anything that gorgeous. I sheathed them and strapped them on to my arms and legs. I’d leveled up to a new weapons set. “You guys are the best.”

  “One more gift,” Raj said, handing Florence a small package. Inside was a sapphire and diamond cuff.

  She slipped it on. “Thank you.”

  Raj refilled our glasses, and we toasted. I tried to ignore the ache in my center that said someone was missing and enjoy the moment.

  I raised my glass again, “To us,” I said. Raj and Florence clinked with me, and we drank deeply. We finished the bottle and then separated for the evening. Raj promised to find us as soon as he was able to move comfortably around in the daylight.

  “Good luck, my sweet. My thoughts are with you, and if we’re lucky with the weather and it’s cloudy, my body will be with you, too.”

  “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  The next morning I woke when the door opened. I peeked through bleary eyes at the bedside alarm clock. Six-oh-seven. This had better be good. I rolled over and looked at the door. Isaac stood there with an absurdly large package in his hands.

  “Happy solstice.” He thrust the gift towards me.

  “I’m mad at you.”

  “I know.” I glared at him for at least a minute before sitting up with the covers still wrapped around me, grabbing the gift, and ripping off the paper. It was a back scabbard, done in the same ornamental bead and quill pattern as my throwing knife sheaths, and containing a new sword.

  “This is beautiful,” I said.

  “Florence made it,” he said.

  I gestured towards my throwing knives on the bedside table. “I figured.” I stood up, forgetting for a moment I was mad at him—and that I was nude. I heard the sharp intake of breath as I came out from under the covers. I pulled the sheet around me, pissed that whatever was going on made me want to be modest.

  “I got something for you, too.” I handed him a small pile of gifts. There was another framed photo, this one of us in the Black Hills, touched up in sepia tones since I’d never convinced him to get an olde-timey photo done in Deadwood, moonstone cufflinks, and a geode that looked like a dragon egg. I’d wanted something that would signify our connection or something that would delight him as much as Florence’s topaz or Raj’s khanda. Instead, everything was nice and superficial.

  “Happy solstice.”

  “Eleanor…”

  “Give me a minute.” I walked into the bathroom and closed the door. I finally felt ready to deal with my mate after I was cleaned and dressed. I returned to the main room.

  “What do you want, Isaac?”

  “I saw you at the full moon.”

  “I saw you, too.”

  “You didn’t trust me to find a safe space.”

  “You spent our first few full moons together telling me you couldn’t be trusted. You spent no time telling me you could. What was I supposed to think?”

  He didn’t answer.

  “What do you want? Why are you here?”

  “I wanted to say goodbye.”

  “You could’ve left a note. Again.” That was maybe a little bitchier than I needed to be.

  Isaac whumped down on the bed. “I thought it would be easier if I left instead of moping around.”

  “Easier for whom?”

  “You, of course.”

  “You thought it would be easier for me if my boyfriend—my mate—disappeared while I was out on a walk, leaving nothing but a note? Do you know what would’ve actually been easier? If you’d gotten over yourself and talked to me about what was going on.”

  “I tried…”

  “You tried to talk? To whom? When? As I recall, you barely said two words about anything important.”

  “I’m not used to having a partner.”

  “Neither am I, but disappearing for the last two weeks we might ever have together was not the way to get used to it. Isaac, this could be it. This could be the last time we’re ever together. Ever. And you disappeared for two weeks. We’ve had too little time together, and it’s not fair. It’s not fair you were forced into making this choice. But it’s especially not fair you took away the last days we should’ve spent together. Instead of making good memories of our time together, you gave me two weeks of anguish, of heartbreak, and anxiety.

  “I care about you, Isaac, but I’m pretty fucking mad right now.”

  He bowed his head and didn’t meet my eyes. I opened the bond between us as wide as I could. His heartache was palpable, and perversely that made me feel a wee tiny bit better.

  “I love you, Eleanor.”

  “I know.”

  “I’m sorry.”

  “Me, too.” He pulled me into his arms. “I will find you.”

  “I’ll be waiting.”

  “Arduinna is sending a dozen guards to the cemetery to protect me and Florence while we do our magic thing. Unless it’s cloudy, Raj won’t be able to make it. At least we won’t have to worry about being attacked by an organized contingent from the Savannah vamps.”

  “Why not?” I’d forgotten he hadn’t been here.

  “Raj took the city.”

  “Seriously?”

  “He’s going to give it to the queen when we get to New Orleans.”

  “Wow, you disappear for a couple of weeks and miss all sorts of news.”

  “Did Raj feed from you the third time?” I asked.

  “Yes.” He didn’t elaborate the whens and hows, and I ignored the sudden stab of jealousy. There was no way I was analyzing that right now.

  “Are you going to wait and go with us to the cemetery? You should at least say goodbye to Florence.”

  “I’ll wait.”

  “She’ll be here soon with breakfast. I don’t know if she’ll have anything for you.”

  “She knows I’m here. I stopped at her room first.”

  I cocked my head. “Why?”

  “To make sure you hadn’t set any Isaac-themed booby traps for me.”

  “I’m not petty.”

  “I would’ve deserved it.”

  “True.”

  I was having trouble thinking of things to say. All the big things, the things I’d planned on saying before he left were wiped away in the last two weeks of misery, and I didn’t have time to recreate them.

  There was a knock on the door.

  “Come in, Florence,” I said. I felt a rush of relief we wouldn’t have to figure out what to say to each other anymore, and Isaac looked at me, hurt because of my relief.

  Florence came in with a tray of coffee and a box of Pop Tarts.

  “This is how we’re fortifying ourselves for the big day?” I asked.

  “Could you really choke down anything more?”

  I thought about
it and gagged at the thought. Too many nerves.

  “That’s what I thought. Eat at least one.”

  I ate two Pop Tarts and drank my coffee. It was hours until go time, but I was already feeling nervy and antsy. How was it possible the last few weeks had gone so quickly I could barely catch my breath, but now that we were at the finish line, time had slowed to a crawl?

  By nine, I was pacing the motel room. We weren’t bothering to pack. Raj had driven the car out of the city the night before, and everything that was truly valuable was in a backpack we’d carry with us.

  We were going to walk to the cemetery, but it was only about forty-five minutes away, and solstice wasn’t until noon. Isaac and Florence were engaged in a quiet conversation, and I could tell it was meant to exclude me. I did my best to keep pacing and not to eavesdrop.

  “…take care of her,” Isaac said.

  He’d better not be asking anyone to take care of me. I decided he was talking about taking care of business, aka her, aka Michelle, in a fatal fashion. I worked even harder at not listening.

  At 9:30, I stopped. “Let’s go to the cemetery.”

  “It’s early yet,” Florence said.

  “I can pace there as well as here, and then we can scout the area to make sure there are no marauding bands of shifters or Renfields or rogue, evil witches.”

  “We haven’t seen anyone since you killed the first waves of shifters.”

  “That’s what worries me.”

  “Maybe everyone has accepted the inevitability of it all,” Isaac suggested. “At this point, everyone will be better off if the rest of the gates open, rather than stopping in this in-between stage.”

  “Logically and rationally that makes complete sense. But some of these groups—like the witches we ran into at the caves—are not operating in a world of logic and rational thinking.”

  “Okay, let’s go,” Florence said.

  Isaac grabbed his backpack, and I grabbed mine. Florence came and took it from me, though. “If anyone is waiting for us, it makes sense for you to be able to easily access your sword, something you cannot do with a backpack over it. My weapons”—she waggled her fingers in what I can only assume was meant to be a menacing fashion—“won’t be hampered by the pack.”

  I handed it over, took a deep breath, and walked out of the room.

  The cemetery was pulsing with power, and I couldn’t spot a single human wandering through. There were several non-humans in a rough perimeter around the graveyard, though. I looked at Florence and pointed, none-too-subtly, “Twelve?”

  She nodded, and I relaxed infinitesimally. It was most likely the Fae that Arduinna had promised. One of the twelve came forward and knelt before me. “Your Highness, I am here to pledge myself and my brothers and sisters in arms to your protection this day. Tell me what you require of us.”

  “Rise.” I took a long look at him. He was tree-like and bore a superficial resemblance to Arduinna. His skin resembled bark, and his hair gave the impression of branches and leaves. “Protect me and my companions,” I gestured at Florence and Isaac. “There is possibly one more. If you see a dark-skinned, dark-haired vampire, he is ours, too. It’s unlikely he’ll show up since it’s noon, but I don’t want any mistakes.”

  “Remind them about Finn,” Florence said.

  Right. “Do you know the elf who goes by Finn?”

  The tree-Fae nodded without comment or expression.

  “Don’t kill him. He’s still useful. And don’t kill any humans unless they attack first. Everyone else is fair game.”

  “As Your Highness wishes.”

  “Do you know what to expect?”

  “Only that you will open a gate.”

  “I’ll be funneling a great deal of magic and Florence will ensure it doesn’t enter the world in an uncontrolled blast. I’m going to glow and levitate; that might look alarming. Once the gate opens, Isaac will be going through. There may be an escort provided for him. Kill anyone who isn’t Finn if they even look like they’re even thinking about being trouble. If there’s a small, blond werewolf, let her go and offer your protection. She’s been used harshly by the Dark Queen and her vampire pet.”

  The man nodded and opened his mouth, then hesitated.

  “Say what you wish with no fear of reprisal from me.”

  “How long until these events of which you speak will begin?”

  I looked at Florence. “Time?”

  “10:30.”

  “About ninety minutes. The magic will start pulsing before that.”

  I stared at him, and he determinedly did not stare at me. Then I remembered. “If you have no more questions or information for me, you can return to your post.”

  He started to back away from me.

  “You may turn your back to walk away. I appreciate your service.”

  He looked surprised, but whether by my gratitude or my lax attitude, I didn’t know.

  “Now what?” Florence asked.

  “Now I pace.”

  I stalked the length of the cemetery nervously, and occasionally sat on a bench and tried deep-breathing exercises to promote calm. They weren’t helping. I wanted to cling to Isaac, but he seemed cling-resistant at the moment. Perhaps he’d rubbed himself all over with a dryer sheet. I snorted at my ridiculous silent joke. I finally decided I didn’t care if he was avoiding my cling. He was my mate, and this was goodbye.

  I went over and slipped my hand into his. He looked down at me. “This is about it.”

  “I know.”

  “I feel like we should have grand speeches, flowery exchanges of words and promises and feelings.”

  “I love you.”

  I closed my eyes and tried to will away the tears threatening to well up.

  “I’m sorry,” he said.

  “The only thing you need to be sorry for is the last two weeks.”

  Isaac smiled and caressed my face. “You’re amazing, Eleanor.”

  “Don’t forget I’m coming for you.”

  “I won’t.”

  “I want you to know my true name.”

  “Don’t tell me. It’s no coincidence Michelle is coming after me now. Don’t give me anything that could be used as leverage.”

  I opened wide the bond between us. “My name is Ciara nic Mata.”

  “Dammit. I didn’t want to know.”

  I smiled at him. “I trust you.” I stood on tiptoe and brushed my lips lightly across his.

  He grabbed me and kissed me back, deeply and passionately, until I was panting and weak-kneed. “Goodbye.” He let go of me and walked away.

  I looked up, steeled myself, and said softly, “Goodbye.”

  I stepped into the crossroads and looked towards Florence. “Ready?”

  “Ready,” she called back.

  It was time.

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  I FORCED MYSELF not to look back at Isaac. The gate already pulsed with magic, and I started spinning the magic thinner and thinner, like cotton candy, and sending the magical wisps to the weir Florence had constructed. Once I was in the crossroads, magic rushed into my body. I was filled to capacity in seconds and couldn’t spin it off fast enough. This was going much faster than it had the last three times. I looked up and saw Isaac. He was staring at me, and my heart broke a little bit more.

  Before I could say anything, the gate energy did its thing. My limbs snapped wide, and I was pulled off the ground. I channeled the energy out in as controlled a fashion as possible, but couldn’t keep up. The gate widened behind me and around me until I appeared to be floating in a portal-like void.

  Isaac appeared in front of me, and I heard voices behind me.

  “Are you coming?” A woman’s voice asked.

  “Yes. As agreed, you will release Emma if I walk through the gate.” I couldn’t see what was going on behind me, but whatever it was caused Isaac to pale to an ashy, gray color, not an easy feat for a man as dark-skinned as he was.

  Two shots rang out, and I
watched in horror as red bloomed on each of Isaac’s knees. Pain ripped through his body as he lost control over our bond. I cried out in anguish in concert with his voice. Only the gate energy kept me upright. I don’t know what was holding Isaac up. From the burning I was getting along with the pain, he must have been shot with silver bullets. They really weren’t intending him to walk through that gate.

  Isaac moved forward, and I felt a whoosh of air behind me and a hissed command, “Knock him down!”

  Two Fae rushed forwards, but before they could get to Isaac, they were knocked out of the way, one on either side. They weren’t knocked into my field of vision, though, and the magic was burning hotter and brighter and making it much harder to concentrate.

  “I’m here, Eleanor.” Raj’s voice rang through my mind. “Thanks for inviting me to lunch.”

  “Stop!” I heard the woman yell behind me. “I command you to stop!”

  “You can’t command me,” Raj said. “But if you’d like to come forward and force me to stop, you’re welcome to try. It’s overcast; I’m sure you’ll be okay.”

  She didn’t answer, and Raj laughed. “Not sure that your power is enough to match mine after all?”

  Isaac had, by this point, hobbled past me. He didn’t look at me and didn’t touch me—which was just as well since anyone touching me while I was suspended in mid-air was a terrible idea.

  “The girl,” he said.

  “You’ve not yet walked through the gate,” the woman said in calmer tones than she’d used with Raj.

  Isaac repeated, “The girl.”

  “You thought I would honor my bargain?” the woman who must be Michelle asked. “You are still so naive.”

  “You must honor your word,” another voice said. “You dwell here now, and if you wish to continue to do so, you will follow our laws.”

  Motherfucker. Finn.

  “Motherfucker,” Isaac said.

  “Your Queen will hear of your insubordination,” Michelle said.

  I heard a cry and heard someone fall.