Blood Bonds Read online

  Earth and Air and Fire and Water, Bind us to thee.

  Lady cast this Circle black, weave the wisdom that we lack,

  Earth and Air and Fire and Water, Bind us to thee.

  When I finished the invocation and returned to the north for the third time, I drew a sweeping pentagram in the air, and the only sound was the whistling of the wind. I paused, letting the energy settle, then turned to the north. All of the Knights, as well as Morio, turned with me, facing the northern gate.

  Spirits of the North, I call you forth!

  Spirits of the elk and the wolf and the bear, be with us.

  Satyrs and Nymphs of our sacred Grove, be with us.

  Spirits of the Earth,

  You who are bone and stone, crystal and soil,

  You who are the highest mountain tops,

  You who are the deepest caverns,

  I call to you.

  Spirits of Earth, join our rites,

  Welcome and Blessed Be.

  The grass rustled in the wind, and in the distance, a wolf bayed long and low, and the sound settled around us, sending a ripple of energy up my spine. I turned to the east and they followed in unison.

  Spirits of the East, I call you forth!

  Spirit of the raven and hawk, the owl and eagle, be with us.

  Sylphs who dance on the wind, be with us.

  Spirits of the Air,

  You who are breath and gale,

  You who are hurricane and gentle breeze,

  I call to you.

  Spirits of the Air, join our rites,

  Welcome and Blessed Be.

  A sudden gust swept up, and a chill raced through me as the winds hit full force. Shivering, I turned to the south.

  Spirits of the South, I call you forth!

  Spirits of the salamander and snake, be with us.

  Eye catchers and the Rising Phoenix, be with us.

  Spirits of Flame and Faerie Fire,

  You who are bonfire and hearth,

  You who are Faerie fire and boiling lava,

  I call to you.

  Spirits of Flame and Faerie Fire, join our rites,

  Welcome and Blessed Be.

  As I spoke, a dozen globes of light began to dance around the grove. They were eye catchers—it was dangerous to invoke will o’ the wisps—and the shimmering balls of light spread out, their illumination gentle against the night. I turned to the west.

  Spirits of the West, I call you forth!

  Spirits of the salmon and shark and whale, be with us.

  Sirens, Naiads, and Undines, be with us.

  Spirits of the Water,

  You who are the Ocean Mother and the raging rivers,

  You who are the gentle pools, and the tears of our body,

  I call to you.

  Spirits of Water, join our rites,

  Welcome and Blessed Be.

  As my voice fell away, a mist began to rise in the grove, thick with the moisture of the air. I let the invocations settled and then started to replace the dagger into the sheath hanging from my silver belt, but my fingers slipped and it dropped to the ground.

  I bent over to pick it up but beside the dagger was another object—hard and cool—hidden in the grass beside it. Frowning, I picked up my dagger, and then the other object.

  Another blade, unlike any I had ever seen.

  The dagger was double-edged, a long, thin, obsidian blade that looked to be razor sharp. It was made out of some metal, but was lighter than aluminum. The hilt was sparkling silver, with etched filigree encircling it. The moment my hand touched it, I knew it was mine.

  Another sign of the approaching battle, the Moon Mother whispered to me.

  I sheathed my regular dagger and, not questioning—going on faith—I held the new blade up in the air.

  The rain stopped as a break in the clouds let the slim crescent moon overhead shine down. Her light fell on the dagger with a charge that ricocheted through my body.

  I dropped my head back as the energy circulated, spiraling up my arm, to circle out and around through my muscles, my bones, into my bloodstream. It was the energy of the Moon Mother at her sternest and most deadly, and it whispered to me, a force that I couldn’t resist if I had wanted to.

  Feel me. Know me. I am the core of courage, the strength of the doomed who still press forward, knowing they are marching to their deaths in battle. I am the spirit of the brave, the strength of the legions who have entered Valhalla, the heart of those who have been washed in the Cauldron of Rebirth. I am the spirit of Mother Bear, who risks all to protect her cubs. I am the battle cry, rallying the troops. I am the cornerstone of war and the banner of those who resist all tyranny. I am the armor that protects your body. Wear me into the depths of hell, and I will carry you forward even unto certain doom.

  The whispers surrounded me, swirling inside my thoughts as I let them in. They ate against my fear, they ate against my doubt and worry, and the strain of knowing that my Knights and I alone were destined to bring an end to Shadow Wing. As they fused into my being, my shoulders straightened and my wings unfurled.

  I opened my eyes, startled to find that I could now see a web of light surrounding me. It emanated from the diamond, violet flames flaring out in all directions to touch each Keraastar Knight. The energy raced from Knight to Knight, and we formed a wheel of power, a wheel of death, a wheel of force that burnt all it touched to a crisp.

  Each of the Knights began strengthening the force, returning it back to me as I gathered it and wove it into a bright mass, filtering it into the Keraastar diamond.

  I could feel all of them—all of my Knights. I could feel their fears and their hopes, the unsettled turmoil as they allowed their seals to take control of their lives. It was as though I could see into the dark corners of their hearts and their memories—all they had hoped for, all they had surrendered, and the fierce loyalty they held to the cause. Each one had melded tightly with their seals, and they were all strong links in the chain. And now, they were using the energy I fed them to rebound back on me, to strengthen my own will and nerves. To help me become the true Queen of the Keraastar Diamond. We were becoming a hive mind, and I, their queen, would lead them into the thick of the battle.

  I thought, “Move two steps to the right,” and as a single entity, they did, each taking two steps and no more, to the right.

  We played all night, with me giving them directions by thought and the Knights responding. And all through the night, the energy kept flowing through the dagger, into me, into the Knights to cycle around and return. The diamond around my neck was now glowing with a light brighter than I had ever seen it, and I felt like I could fly. I directed the energy to lift me up, and it spiraled beneath me, buoying me up into the air. I hovered there, arms spread wide, realizing that I had just taken all the energy we had built and directed it into a single command. Cautiously, before I grew too tired, I lowered myself to the ground.

  As my feet touched the grass, a great weariness swept over me. I gently broke the chain, not severing it but allowing each member of the Knights to return to their own thoughts as I withdrew from their energy fields. Another few minutes, and we were standing there, absolutely exhausted.

  I dropped to the dewy grass and closed my eyes as I rested. I hadn’t known what to expect, but this was the strongest we had ever bonded, and now I knew how to bring their power together, within myself. And how to direct it out. Which meant I could take our combined powers and attack Shadow Wing, aiming for his soul receptacles. The Keraastar Knights had their weapon, and we were it.

  I SLID INTO the bath Trillian had prepared for me, closing my eyes as the bubbles sucked the tension out of me. I was shivering, feeling for all the world like a light that had flared too brightly. I felt singed and crisped around the edges. The scent of cinnamon and spice and apples rose from the water and I surrendered to it as it drained the tension out of my muscles. He had engaged a few eye catchers, which gave off a dim, pleasant light that rested easy on my
head.

  Trillian was sitting on the floor by the tub and he reached for my hand. “Are you all right, babe?”

  I winced as I shifted. My stomach was queasy and I felt one step away from puking. Running strong magic could do that, especially when I was the focus of it.

  “Yeah, I will be. I was overwhelmed by the amplitude of the energy we raised tonight, but now I can prepare for it. At least I know what we’re capable of, and how we’re supposed to focus our attack on Shadow Wing. We aim the energy for the soul receptacles. And then we hope it’s enough. And we hope we can keep him in one place long enough. At least Joreal will have his soldiers there to help us.” The very act of speaking made my stomach churn and I groaned, wanting nothing more than to curl up in bed, not moving, and sleep for a week.

  “It really hit you, didn’t it?” He reached out, stroking my hair away from my face.

  “Um-hm. I felt exhilarated afterward, but then on the way back to the Barrow, it hit. A magic migraine, you might call it.” I paused, then slowly shifted to where I was sitting upright. My back hurt in ways that I hadn’t felt in a long while. Every muscle in my body felt pummeled. “I’m going to need a gentle massage tomorrow, and to rest up for Monday night. I have to be at my strongest then.” Pausing, I sought for the right words. “I want you to know how much I love you,” I finally said.

  He tried to press his finger to my lips but I gently pushed his hand away.

  “Let me speak, please.”

  “I’m sorry. I just know you feel like crap and I didn’t want you to stress yourself.” He sat back. “Besides, I don’t want to hear it.”

  “How do you know what I was going to say?”

  He snorted. “Any time you start saying how much you love me, it only means you’re afraid we’re not going to make it. Camille, I know very well just how much you love me. And you know how much I love you. Years ago, we bound ourselves together. The ritual of Eleshinar doesn’t fade. It doesn’t vanish as time goes on. It’s beneath our very skin, etched in silver, binding us together for as long as we wear these bodies. It means that neither you nor I can ever walk away for good.”

  I paused, then leaned back into the thick of the bubbles again. “I know. I tried once and it didn’t work.”

  “I chased you down because we’re meant to be together. I may share you with the lizard and the fox-boy, but you and I, we have something unique. I’m your Alpha, and you’re my queen, Camille.” He took my hand in his, the jet of his skin a startling contrast against my pale fingers. As he pressed his lips to my palm, he whispered, “Until we cross the veil to the Land of the Silver Falls, I will be with you. I will stand with you. I will be your champion, my love.”

  I cupped his chin in my hand and forced him to look at me. His eyes were clear, his love so strong I felt it wrap around my shoulders like a soothing cape.

  “Promise me something. You, most of all, know how important it is to see Maggie grow up strong. If somehow I don’t come through this—and don’t tell me there isn’t a chance because we’re facing goddamn Shadow Wing—promise me that you’ll take care of our baby gargoyle. She’s the closest we’ll ever have to children, and I want to know that you’ll watch over her.” The thought had weighed heavily on my mind the past few days.

  Trillian held my hand, pressing his lips to it again. “I give you my promise, as your husband, bound to you by both the ritual of Eleshinar and the ritual of Soul Binding, I will guard her and take care of her as long as I’m alive.”

  Relieved, I let out a breath I didn’t know I’d been holding.

  “Thank you. It’s not that I don’t trust Smoky or Morio or my sisters, but when you give your word to me, I trust it more than I trust anybody else’s. You have always been an honorable man, one I’m proud to call my husband.” I felt myself getting a little teary. “I’m sorry, I’m just so tired, and my head is pounding.”

  “Come then, let me get you to bed.” He helped me out of the tub and gently carried me into the bedroom after I dried off, tucking me beneath the covers in the giant bed I shared with all of my men. “Are you hungry?”

  I was about to say no, but then realized that my stomach was clenching partially because it was empty. “Yeah, but something simple, please. Some toast and broth or applesauce?”

  As he headed out to call one of the servants, I realized just how lucky I was. And I hoped to hell that after Monday night, I’d still have my family intact.

  SMOKY WOKE ME up early Sunday morning. “How are you feeling?”

  I blinked, realizing that all three of them had slept on the lounges. Serving as both sofas and spare beds in case one of us was sick and the others needed to give them space in the bed, they were comfortable and wide enough to really stretch out on.

  Morio and Trillian were still asleep, so I slipped into a warm robe and slippers and tiptoed past both them and Maggie’s crib where she was snoring like a stuffy-nosed cat. I followed Smoky out into the main sitting room of our chambers. We had more room in our suite than we had had back at the house, including a kitchenette that had been installed at my insistence. I didn’t want to have to ask the servants to get me something every time I felt hungry.

  “I’m all right. Still aching but my headache has lifted and I’m actually hungry.” I frowned. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. I was hoping you’d feel up to a flight.” He shrugged, his hair moving around him as though there were a draft. “I thought we could go out and fly for a while.”

  I realized that he was feeling as restless as I was. “Sure. Let me get dressed.”

  I slipped back into the bedroom, then into the walk-in dressing room. It was far more than a closet, with plenty of room for all our clothes, and a vanity and bench, a large ottoman, and enough mirrors to see from any angle. I changed into my black cat suit, then laced up my patent leather witchy boots, and shrugged into a heavy jacket, zipping it up. I still loved my corsets and skirts and stilettos, but I had learned the hard way over the years to dress for the occasion. And flying on the back of a dragon during autumn? Cold. Hence: dress warm.

  I sat down and slapped on a quick but effective face of makeup, then back through the bedroom and into our living room.

  “Ready,” I said, making certain my circlet was firmly seated on my head. I wasn’t allowed to take it off unless I was in bed or in the bathtub. One of the rules of being a queen, it turned out.

  Smoky hustled me out the door, grumbling as the guard followed us. But even he hadn’t been able to convince Aeval and Titania that I didn’t need a contingent of bodyguards with me at every moment. They hung back, though, as we had agreed, and followed at a distance.

  As one of the conditions of taking the throne, I had insisted that, near the private garden, they set up a landing field. It had to be big enough for Smoky to change shape on, take off from, and land on. It was on a knoll, with a large stone fence around it. And the knoll, too, was guarded, to prevent any would-be dragon slayers to sneak in.

  As we approached the center of the field, the guards hung back. Smoky glanced over his shoulder at them, then looked back at me.

  “I got a phone call this morning, around six-ish.” His voice was soft, so low that I could barely catch what he was saying. “It was from Estelle Dugan.”

  I froze. It had been a long time since I had heard that name. Estelle Dugan was a nurse and a health care worker, and she was in charge of taking care of St. George. Georgio Profeta had once seen Smoky turn into a dragon, and the poor man, who had never fully been right in the head to start with, had snapped. After that, he fancied himself St. George, and for a number of years he had sought out Smoky, determined to slay him. But a plastic sword and a garbage can shield bore no damage against a dragon, even in human form.

  Before long, he slid so far into his delusion that Smoky had arranged for someone to watch over him, given St. George had no family left. Estelle Dugan had been his caretaker for almost two years now.

  “What did she want?”
I asked, though I knew in my heart what the answer was. Georgio’s health had never been good.

  “He died peacefully shortly after midnight. Estelle was with him. She said he seemed to clear for a moment, and he looked at her and said, ‘Tell him I said thank you for everything. And that I could never kill such a magnificent beast.’ And with that, he turned his head to the side, took one last breath, and died.” Smoky squinted, staring at the sky.

  I slowly sank to the ground. “Oh, poor St. George. I don’t know why, but this hits hard. He never meant to hurt anybody, really.”

  Smoky squatted beside me, tipping my chin up. “Love, it was bound to happen sooner or later. At least he’s had a good life the past couple of years, safe and protected and free to roam the halls of his imagination.”

  I let Smoky pull me into his arms and hug me until the tears began to lessen.

  “I’m just on edge. Monday is looming in my thoughts and all around, it feels like change and separation and death are constantly dogging our heels.” I sniffed back my tears, accepting the handkerchief he offered me and blowing my nose. “Georgio was—he was and always will represent those who are lost and cannot fend for themselves. At least in my heart.”

  “But he’s free now, to recuperate and renew himself, and hopefully he’ll find the part of him that got lost along the way. He went easily and free from pain, with someone there who cared. That’s all any of us can hope for, really.”

  Now I understood why Smoky needed to go flying. He needed the freedom to mourn in his own way, and I felt honored that he wanted me with him. I stood back as he shifted form. He looped his long, sinuous neck down, staring at me with those brilliant blue eyes, and I swung myself aboard. I held onto his mane as a long strand of hair wrapped around my waist to hold me steady, and then we were up and into the air, flying toward the mountains.

  We flew long and hard, and when I glanced down I realized we were on the way to Mount Rainier, where Smoky had his own Barrow. He swept down, toward a house near there. It was where Georgio had lived, with Estelle. Smoky tipped his wing, saluting the ground, and then we caught an updraft and soared again, sweeping back toward Talamh Lonrach Oll, away from the past, and back toward our present.