Conjure Web Page 17

  “Can they hear it on the other side of the—” I stopped, skidding to a halt. Right beside us, emerging from the bushes, was a massive wolf. He was beautiful, with brilliant green eyes. “Killian!”

  Killian leaped forward, landing between Caitlin and the guards, who were almost within arm’s reach. He let out a low growl, and the next moment, he was joined by another wolf—smaller but just as menacing. This wolf was also gray, looking a lot like him, and had topaz eyes. Together, they blocked the path, their snarls enough to make my skin crawl.

  “Run,” Caitlin said, pushing me forward. “The portal’s right there!”

  I turned back to see that we had, indeed, made it back to the portal. As I watched, Ari and Zoey vanished through it, followed by Elsbet and her baby, and then Peggin darted through. I pushed Teran toward it.

  “Go, I’ll be right there.”

  “I’m not leaving you here—” she started to say, but I didn’t give her the chance. I pushed her through, then followed.

  The next moment, we stumbled through the shimmering light. Up ahead on the path, headed toward the place where we had forked off the main trail, were the others. I grabbed Teran’s hand and shoved her forward as Caitlin came bounding through the portal. The next moment, both wolves came leaping through, and I grabbed the carousel off of the metal bracket.

  As the shimmer flared—meaning the guards were following us through—it suddenly died and the web of light vanished.

  We were alone in the forest.

  I stared at the trees, waiting, but nothing happened. Apparently they didn’t have a key to activate it from the other side. They had probably expected to nab us without much of a fight. Breathing hard, I leaned over, trying to catch my breath. The larger wolf rubbed up against me, whimpering softly. I patted his head and kissed it.

  “Thank you,” I whispered. “Thank you. Let’s get out of here before they find a way to open the gate.”

  With both wolves keeping guard behind us, we headed toward the entrance to my yard. Once there, I turned back to the trail, waiting for a moment. I spread out my arms, instinct taking over, and envisioned a large field of light shimmering along the tree line that bordered my property.

  Creatures of the woodland realm,

  If you unfriendly be,

  Stay on your side, behind this veil,

  And leave my yard to me.

  It wasn’t poetry, but it should do the trick, I thought, as I wove the veil of protection across the border to the Mystic Wood. An influx of energy rippled across the back of the lot, a shimmering veil of pale blue light. There was a sudden hush—all sound fell away, and the world was muffled like in a deep snow as the spell took hold. I could feel Druantia there, shoring up my magic, and then it settled into the ground, and things were back to normal.

  I turned around and saw Ari, who was still holding Zoey, standing next to Elsbet and her baby. The Woodling took on a different look—here, she looked more like when I had first seen her. An elliptical head, sideways, atop a short, sinewy body.

  “You look different,” I said.

  “Outside our natural realm, all Woodlings take on a different form.” She was shivering. “I feel vulnerable here.”

  “Let’s get you inside. We need to call Tabitha and have her come over.” I began to herd people back inside the house, wondering what to do next. We had found Zoey, but I had the feeling that things weren’t wrapped up just yet.

  Killian and the other wolf bounded up the stairs and there, on the floor of the porch, I saw two piles of clothing. I gathered them up and motioned for the wolves to follow me inside. Once there, I led them upstairs and put one pile of clothing in my bedroom—the ones I recognized as Killian’s. The other, I carried to the downstairs bathroom with the other wolf following. The clothes were made for a woman, that much I could tell.

  My mind whirling with the events of the evening, when I showed the smaller wolf into the powder room and set her clothes on the counter, she let out a whimper. I looked down at her, puzzling. She felt familiar, but I wasn’t sure whether I knew her or not.

  “You get dressed and join us in the living room.” I shut the door behind me.

  Back in the living room, Hank was talking to Tabitha on the phone, while Elsbet and her baby were sitting quietly to one side, looking around the room. Tad and Caitlin were trying to warm up by the fireplace, which Ari had set alight. Ari had given Zoey to Teran, who was rocking her gently. The smell of baby poop filled the air, and both babies were fussing.

  “I don’t have any diapers on hand,” I said, grimacing.

  “Tabitha’s bringing some. I told her we have Zoey. By the way, are we sure this is actually Zoey and not another changeling?” Hank asked.

  “It’s the human’s child,” Elsbet said from her corner.

  I turned to her. “We can’t let you be seen walking around town. If you can glamour up that way, can you somehow imitate a human?”

  Elsbet cocked her head again, looking weary and bewildered. I could read the expressions, even on a face as alien to what I was used to. “I can, I suppose, though it’s a difficult form to hold for long.”

  Peggin glanced at her watch. “I’m going to cut my trip short and head back to Whisper Hollow tonight.” She sounded a little nervous and it suddenly occurred to me that she was taking quite a risk, ferrying them over to the peninsula. Hank glanced at her, then at the Woodlings. He must have sensed her concern as well.

  “I can go with you,” he said. “In fact, I’ll drive them over, following you. That way I can get back home without a problem, and I’m pretty sure my car is bigger than yours, if you’re driving that tiny little hybrid car I saw in the driveway.”

  The look of relief on Peggin’s face was obvious. She let out a long breath. “Thank you. Yes, I do have a small car, and…” She closed her mouth.

  “And we are not a known quantity,” Elsbet said. “I can feel your reservations, and I understand them. I value you offering to help me in any way—especially when I aided in the theft of the child. Most of my kind would feel no remorse, but I have never been comfortable with exchanging children. But the tʊəhə deɪ ˈdanən beat and kill us if we do not obey. They’re a cruel people, even those of the light. The gods are not as cruel as the Overkings, nor as arrogant.”

  I stared at her for a moment, thinking if the Fae were this deadly and without conscience, that I really didn’t want to meet any of them. Ever.

  Peggin blushed. “I really don’t want to make you feel—”

  “Do not worry about my feelings. Woodlings view the world from a different perspective.” Elsbet turned to Hank. “Your presence would be welcome.”

  I started to say “Thank—” but Elsbet interrupted.

  “I give you a word of advice, all of you. Do not thank any of the Fair Folk—the Overkings—or their servants. And the Woodlings are among their servants. Should you thank any of us, it indicates you owe us a favor, and we will collect on it, or cause havoc should the favor go unfulfilled. It is our nature. Again, I tell you this as a courtesy. And a warning for the future.” She went back to her baby just as the doorbell rang.

  Hank was nearest, so he answered. As he talked in hushed tones to whoever was there, Killian entered the room, looking freshly showered, and dressed. Behind him, from the hall bath, Tally followed. I blinked. Of course—his sister. That’s why the wolf had reminded me of Killian.

  “Tally! I didn’t know that…” I let my words drift off, realizing that I had been jealous.

  As the two wolf shifters crowded into the now-full living room, Hank led Tabitha in. She took one look at Teran, who was holding Zoey, and let out a shout.

  “Zoey! My baby!” As Tabitha made a beeline for her child, Zoey let out a gurgling sound and the little girl opened her arms wide and began to jabber. The reunion made me tear up, even though I wasn’t all that child-oriented. I’d make a great auntie, but I couldn’t really see myself as a mother. And since I was already forty-one, I had my dou
bts if I’d ever decide to enter the gene pool.

  Tabitha turned and froze as she spotted Elsbet and her baby. She looked hesitant, but then walked over to the pair, handing Zoey back to Teran before she did so. Elsbet slowly stood, her back to the wall, shielding her child.

  “Hank explained to me that I can’t thank you for watching over my baby. He also explained to me that you had no choice in what happened. So…I won’t thank you for taking care of Zoey, but I want you to know…I realize you did what you could, and I understand you put your life on the line by bringing her back to me.” Tabitha paused. I could tell she was shivering.

  Elsbet gave her a long look, then nodded. “I understand what you are saying. I wish…that none of this had been necessary.”

  Tabitha sniffed. “I think both our children need changing. I brought extra diapers. Would you like to clean her up?”

  Elsbet broke into what looked like a smile. “That would be a good thing to do.”

  “I’ll come with you both,” Hank said. He seemed awfully protective around Tabitha, and I wondered if he had developed feelings for her. He seemed more involved in the case than usual. He and Teran went with Tabitha and Elsbet. Teran led them into the kitchen, where they would have room to clean both children.

  I turned back to the others. “I’m glad Hank is going to be the one driving them.” I looked at Peggin. “Are you sure they’ll be welcome over in Whisper Hollow?”

  “No,” Peggin said. “But they’ll be killed if they stay here. At least the mother will be. Since the Woodlings don’t have an enclave over on the peninsula, they’ll be able to create a home in the thicket near D-D’s house—my boyfriend’s house. We can watch over them as much as possible.” She paused. “I think that while Moonshadow Bay and Whisper Hollow seem very much alike in a number of ways, there are definite differences.” She paused. “Vampires, for one. Ari tells me you actually have them here?”

  I nodded. “Yes, they live mostly out in the open here. Don’t you have them over there?”

  “We have what are called the UnLiving. But they aren’t vampires. If we do have any, they stay hidden. But we have other creatures that I doubt I’d find over here. A lot of individualized…I suppose you could call them monsters? Entities?”

  I glanced at Tad. “I really want to take a trip over to Whisper Hollow some time.”

  “My best friend used to work for a paranormal e-zine in Seattle,” Peggin said. “She was a barista by day, and at night she used to go out investigating ghosts and haunted houses. It kept her powers from imploding. Spirit shamans have to use their abilities or they run into trouble.”

  “Same with witchblood,” I said. “I had constant headaches with my ex, since he really didn’t like me using my magic. It wasn’t as bad as what it sounds like spirit shamans go through, though. I’d really like to talk to your friend at some point.”

  “We’ll make a date,” Peggin said.

  Just then, Tabitha and Elsbet returned, both with happy, sleepy babies. Elsbet returned to her stance in the corner, while Tabitha settled on the sofa with Zoey.

  I turned to Elsbet. “You said that Tabitha won’t have to worry that they’ll return for Zoey?”

  Elsbet nodded. “That’s correct. Zoey is marked. She’s escaped the realm of Faerie, and so she’s given automatic immunity. The Fair Folk won’t ever bother her—or you, Tabitha—again. You can go about your life without that worry.”

  Tabitha’s face crinkled into a smile. “Thank…heavens. I’m thinking I may move, though. This has all been such a shock, and I’m thinking a nice condo in a tall building in the city might be more to my liking.”

  Teran let out a sigh. “Don’t let this drive you away. Moonshadow Bay isn’t for everyone, but you were happy here until this happened, right?”

  Tabitha nodded. “Yes, but this is going to be hard to leave behind. Thank you all—January, Hank, Tad, Caitlin…but I’m going to take my daughter and spend the night at a hotel. I don’t think I can face going home just now. Too many raw memories from the past few weeks.”

  Peggin stood. “We should go, too. They’ll be looking for Elsbet, and I have no idea if they’re capable of trying to run us off the road. Hank, are you prepared to drive tonight? We’ll have to take a ferry over to Kingston from Edmonds and then drive up the interior of the peninsula and along the highway until we come to Whisper Hollow. It’s going to take awhile so we need to leave now if we hope to catch the last ferry out. Luckily, I just have to pack up a few things at Ari’s and I’ll be ready.”

  “Are you sure you want to end your trip early? I can just drive them over,” Hank said.

  Peggin shook her head. “Not a good idea without me there. Whisper Hollow…the town has her own rules and ways. Ari, if you can run back to your place with me, we can head out from there.”

  Hank jumped up. “I’m good. I’ll probably stay in Port Townsend for the night.” He turned to Tad. “I won’t be in tomorrow.”

  “Sounds good,” Tad said. “Text us and let us know when you get there, and when you’re settled into a hotel.”

  I turned to Elsbet. “I hope you’re safe there, and…I hope you have a good life.” I wasn’t sure what else to say. We had come to the end of the road on this one.

  Tabitha and Zoey drove off. Then, Elsbet made her good-byes—short and sweet, and altogether odd—and she followed Hank out to his SUV. As he helped her and the baby in, I wondered if they would be safe, and what would become of them.

  Peggin said good-bye, too, and we traded phone numbers before she and Ari headed out. Caitlin left as well, and finally, just Teran and me, and Killian and Tally were there.

  I turned to them, feeling like the world had shifted around me. We had found our way into a different realm. I had learned more about the world of Faerie than I had expected to—or wanted to know.

  The longer I worked for Conjure Ink, the more I was finding that the world was far more than it appeared to be. Even though I had known all about shifters and vamps and—of course, witches—there were so many other mysteries hiding right in plain sight. As I locked the front door and returned to the living room, I couldn’t help but wonder what would be coming at us next. And would we be able to handle it?

  Chapter Sixteen

  “So…” I wasn’t sure what to say, so much had happened.

  “Sit down and rest,” Killian said, patting the sofa beside him.

  I wandered over, feeling oddly at a loss, and then settled down beside him, leaning into his embrace. “Thank you, and you too, Tally, for coming after us. I don’t know if we would have been able to escape.”

  Teran stood and stretched. “I’m going to forage through your cupboards to see what you have to eat. I think we’ve all used more energy than is good for us tonight.”

  I glanced over at Tally. “You’re a beautiful wolf.”

  She grinned. “It felt good. I do much better in my alt-form, and I needed a good run. Besides, our parents taught us to never let the bullies win.”

  Killian excused himself to go to the bathroom. As soon as he was out of the room, Tally turned to me. “I know you thought I was some other wolf shifter—I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to warn you about that.”

  I blushed. “Was I that obvious?”

  “It’s no shame to be territorial with your man. You’ll see a lot of that if you stick around. My family left our original Pack when we moved up here, but we joined the Rainier Wolf Pack—a local group of progressive wolf shifters. But regardless of how progressive we are, I can tell you right now, wolf shifters will forever be territorial. We respect the Alpha and Bitch of the group, and we band together. One nice thing about being a wolf shifter, unless you’re rogue, there’s always going to be someone to help you out when you need it, whether it’s babysitting, moving, or repairing things around the house. We look after our own. The elderly never are left to fend for themselves. Everybody eats—if you don’t have enough, the Pack will help you pull through.”

&n
bsp; I nodded, thinking that it sounded nice. Having a community was a wonderful thing. Witchblood families weren’t quite so caring of one another, and humans seemed to have forgotten what extended family meant—at least in a general sense.

  “What happens if someone’s out of work for a long time and can’t pay their mortgage?”

  “Most Packs require a tithe every month and it goes into a general fund. Every working member contributes. Then, if someone needs help, they can petition for support, if they can’t get regular unemployment. They are expected to put in community service hours in exchange. Most who need to go that route also repay as best as they can once they have secured a new job and gotten back on their feet, though it’s not required.”

  I glanced down the hall at the powder room door. “Will Killian join your pack?”

  “Probably, since the rest of his family is part of it. Generally, Pack members try to live within a certain territory, but exceptions are made. You can move a long distance and stay with your pack, but there’s a disconnect that happens from not seeing the other members on a regular basis.”

  Teran popped her head around the corner. “Come into the kitchen. I’ve made us a snack.”

  When Teran said she had made a snack, what she meant was that she threw together a tasty meal, rather than just opening a few bags of chips. And true to form, when Tally and I walked into the kitchen, there were bowls of hot chicken soup on the table, along with grilled cheese sandwiches.

  “It’s canned—the soup. I didn’t have time to make it from scratch. But I added a few herbs and spices and also some shaved carrots and diced celery to give it extra body. But the sandwiches have both aged cheddar and gouda in them, and everything is piping hot.”

  Killian joined us then, licking his lips as he stared at the food. “I’m hungry. Running around in my alt-form always gives me an appetite.” He paused. “I hear Xi mewing.”

  “Oh, for heaven’s sake.” I jumped up. “I forgot to let them out of the guest room. Now that everybody’s gone, it’s safe.” I headed for the stairs, realizing that my muscles ached from being out in the cold and rain all evening.