Autumn's Bane Read online

  When I woke the next morning, the day was partially overcast, with a loose layer of clouds patchworking the skies. I rolled out of bed and, grabbing my robe, headed for the shower. I could smell cooking coming from downstairs. Angel usually woke earlier than I did and she almost always made breakfast because she loved to cook.

  I lathered up, then stood beneath the shower of water, closing my eyes. The energy coiled around me like an old friend. My mother’s blood made me half Leannan Sidhe—the Light Fae side—and so I was intimately connected with the water and Mother Ocean.

  The waves called to me, the sirens on their mist-shrouded rocks, the naiads in their grottoes by the lakes, and the undines, guarding the rivers—all of these were deeply rooted in my nature. The Leannan Sidhe were among the most predatory of the Water Fae. I could charm men and women, bringing them into my control. If I wanted to, I could suck the life out of a man, draining his chi—his breath—even as he swore to love me forever.

  For a long time I had never known the specifics on my heritage, but when I joined the Wild Hunt, Morgana—Herne’s mother—had claimed me as one of her own, as my mother had been. She was goddess of the Fae, and goddess of the Sea, and she helped me understand why I had to embrace my blood, even though both sides were predatory and dangerous. So I was learning to accept who I was, and to use the powers I had been born with.

  Now, I soaked up the energy of the shower, of the water streaming over my body as it ran down my skin, pooling in droplets on my breasts, trickling over the gentle curve of my stomach. I had a lot of scars that interrupted the smooth stretches, but they were visible reminders of the battles that had helped make me who I was.

  Finally, I stepped out of the shower and toweled off. I sat at my vanity, staring in the mirror as I pulled out my blow dryer. My hair was getting long—it was nearly to the middle of my back now—and it was as dark as a moonless night. My eyes were brilliant green, and as I flexed, my muscles were definitely apparent. I had big boobs and curving hips, all with a soft layer of padding. I would never be called “slender,” but I didn’t care. I was fit, happy, and healthy, and that’s what mattered.

  Finally, shaking myself out of my thoughts, I dried my hair, pulled it back in a ponytail, and put on my makeup. Finally, I dressed in a nice pair of black jeans, a pale green tank top over a sturdy but sexy bra, and a pair of ankle boots. Low heeled—about two inches—they were easy to run in, if need be.

  Fastening my crow necklace around my throat that marked me as belonging to Morgana, I glanced down at my newest tattoo. A few weeks back, I’d had the same crow inked on my right upper arm to honor Morgana.

  Before I headed downstairs, I paused at my nightstand. I opened the drawer and pulled out a small ring box. As I cracked it open, I caught my breath again. Herne had given me the most stunning sapphire set in platinum. Diamond and amethyst baguettes adorned the sides of the square-cut solitaire. As I stared at it, I heard a voice inside asking, What are you waiting for?

  “What am I waiting for?” I whispered. And just like that, I made up my mind. I slid the ring onto my left ring finger and held it out. My decision was made. I held out my hand and admired the ring.

  “Get your ass down to breakfast,” Angel called up the stairs.

  And so I turned and walked into my future.

  “When’s Morgana due?” Angel asked as I entered the kitchen.

  “Around six. Hopefully, we’ll be back from Ginty’s by then.” I glanced at the clock, wondering how long it would take us to get through the business with the Fae Queens.

  Angel paused. “Girl, what’s that on your finger?” She gasped, then squeed as she ran around the kitchen island to grab my hand. “You never showed me the ring before!” Whistling as she looked at it, she took my hand. “Wow, that’s gorgeous.”

  “I didn’t want you to fall in love with the jewelry and pressure me to just accept so you could look at it. I think it’s a family heirloom. Maybe from his grandmother? I don’t know. I suppose I should ask him when I get the chance.” I felt odd wearing the ring. But it also felt right, and it fit snuggly on my finger. Something about it felt magical.

  “Here’s your food,” Angel said, still mesmerized by my ring. “I’ve never seen a ring so beautiful. It feels like it was made for you. And it packs a punch of energy.”

  “Doesn’t it? I can’t seem to get Herne on phone. He’s not texting me back. I was going to tell him that I accept his proposal, but I don’t want to do it via text message. I’ll try calling.”

  Angel stared at me. “Are you joking? You don’t just accept a proposal over the phone.”

  I blinked. “Betty White did! She accepted Allen Ludden’s proposal over the phone. I saw it on a documentary.”

  “She’s Betty fucking White. The woman could go on a rampage and people would cheer her on. She’s as close to a goddess as we humans have. You aren’t a goddess. Not yet.” But her eyes were twinkling and I realized she wasn’t actually scolding me.

  “You’re probably right. Herne deserves more than a phone call. I just know how anxious he’s been about my not answering him yet. He even talked to Raven about it, I found out.” I paused, then shrugged. “Hey, I know.” I held out my phone and took a picture of my left hand. The ring sat prominently on my finger. “I think I will text him. Just not in words.” I glanced at Angel, waiting for her to frown but she just shook her head, laughing.

  “Oh, go on. Of course, if you just walk into the office with it on, the impact might be—”

  “Yeah, but I want him to know before the rest of the office.” I hit send and watched as the picture made its way through cyberspace to Herne’s phone. Holding my breath, I waited. After sixty seconds, I let it out in a long stream, staring at my phone. “Why isn’t he answering?”

  “Maybe he hasn’t seen it yet? He could be on the phone, or he could be in a meeting, or he could be driving. Remember, you guys have to parley at Ginty’s today, so he could be setting things up.” Angel slid a plate of bacon and eggs in front of me, along with four pieces of cinnamon toast.

  I fretted as I ate. Had he changed his mind? Was he regretting having asked me? I was driving myself crazy with possibilities. After a moment, Angel brought me a large travel mug filled to the brim with ice, milk, and espresso.

  “I don’t think you need the caffeine, but you might as well. Come on, finish your breakfast and we’ll head to the office. I really wish we didn’t have to work today. It’s Lughnasadh.”

  I grinned at her. “Until last year, you didn’t celebrate Lughnasadh.”

  “Old dog, new tricks. It just doesn’t seem right to work on holidays.”

  “A lot of people have to, regardless of what holidays they recognize. I’d rather stay home and focus on the celebration, too, but the reality is we don’t have that luxury. We’ll meet at Marilee’s tonight, and that will be fun. Meanwhile, let’s head out for the office.”

  I finished the last bite of my breakfast and, after slipping my dish into the dishwasher and grabbing my latte, I slung my purse over my shoulder and followed Angel out to the driveway. We decided to go in separate cars in case Herne and I ran long at the parley. As I pulled out of the driveway, I glanced back at my house. I still didn’t know what we’d do about our living situation, but I’d deal with that later. For now, I felt far more settled, having made a decision. I was going to marry Herne. And that put a smile on my lips and a song in my heart.

  When Angel and I stepped out of the elevator, the office seemed terribly quiet. Talia wasn’t at the front desk, like she usually was until Angel got there. I walked over to Herne’s office, knocked, and peeked in, but he was nowhere to be seen.

  I looked back at Angel, shaking my head. “I don’t know where they are. Herne’s not in his office.”

  “That’s odd,” Angel said. “Let’s check the break room. Maybe they started the meeting without us?”

  We started every workday with a staff meeting. But usually, the elevator was locked from sto
pping at our floor during meetings, so to find no one in the reception area and the elevator unlocked seemed strange.

  Angel hung back, looking in her purse for something, so I headed down the hall. I had a feeling something was amiss and I wished that I had armed myself. I usually wore my dagger in a thigh sheath, but it was in my tote with the rest of my gear.

  I paused at the door to the break room, hesitating. Glancing over my shoulder, I met Angel’s gaze and she gave me a nod.

  “You might as well open it.”

  I glanced down the side hall, but there was no sound from Yutani and Talia’s office, either. The supply room door was closed, as was the door to my office. Taking a deep breath, I put my hand on the knob and slowly cracked open the door to the break room, prepared for anything.

  There was a blur of movement and before I could move or speak, shouts of “Surprise!” echoed around me. I was so surprised that I nearly fell back into Angel’s arms.

  She laughed and pushed me forward, as I realized that everybody had been hiding in the break room. And there in front of me stood Herne, a bouquet of red roses in his arms. He held out his hand to me, smiling.

  “You’ve made me the happiest man in the world. The happiest god in the world. Ember, my love, I will cherish you for all the days to come.”

  And with those words, Angel gave me a little shove, pushing me into his arms, as everyone clapped and cheered.

  Chapter Four

  In the short time that it took Angel and me to drive to work, somehow Herne had pulled off the impromptu party complete with a cake and a bottle of champagne. Talia had the company camera and was snapping pictures right and left. I was surprised and gratified to see that Sheila was there, too. Both she and Viktor were dressed up. The cake not only read “Congratulations, Herne and Ember,” but had Viktor’s and Sheila’s names on it as well.

  “How did you get this done so fast?” I asked.

  Talia laughed. “You’ll find out anyway, so I’m going to tell you whether Herne wants me to or not. We already had the cake here, but it just had Viktor’s and Sheila’s names on it. This was going to be a surprise party for them. But when you texted Herne the picture of the ring, I hustled to add your names to the cake. If you’ll notice, the icing’s a different color and the letters aren’t nearly as steady.”

  Grinning like an idiot, I gave Herne a long kiss and then, carrying the roses, slid into a chair. Sheila also had a bouquet of roses, and I had the feeling that mine had been an afterthought, probably from one of the boutique shops across the street. But I didn’t care.

  “The only thing I feel bad about is I feel like we’re upstaging Viktor and Sheila,” I said.

  Sheila shook her head, and when she spoke her voice was throaty. It had changed since her neck had been slashed, but she considered herself lucky to even be able to speak. She was actually lucky to be alive. “I don’t mind. I’m just grateful I’m here. And I appreciate all of your congratulations. I know I’m not a member of the Wild Hunt.”

  “That will change the day you get married,” Herne said. “When anyone gets married into the Wild Hunt, their partner is automatically brought into the agency for protection.” He paused, his smile slipping away. “I just wish we could’ve protected you against what happened with Falcon Smith. I know he hasn’t been found yet. Trust me, we’re keeping an eye out for him. But meanwhile, I hope you don’t have any objection to a tattoo. Everybody belonging to the Hunt gets the same mark.”

  Sheila shook her head. “I’m fine with it. I plan on being married to Viktor for a long time. I’ll accept life as the wife of a member of the Wild Hunt without complaint.” She paused, then asked, “Have you set your date yet?”

  Herne started to shake his head, but I broke in.

  “I want to get married in the autumn, so I’d say probably a year from either this Mabon or Samhain.” I paused, realizing I hadn’t even consulted Herne. I looked at him. “Is that all right with you?”

  He nodded, a big goofy grin on his face. “That’s fine with me. It will take some time for all the details to be worked out. So even though we’re photobombing Viktor and Sheila’s engagement party, we won’t be upstaging their wedding.”

  Angel poured champagne around while Talia cut the cake.

  I stepped forward, holding my glass up. “I’d like to propose a toast. To Viktor, one of the most gentle giants I know—or ogres, rather. And to Sheila, the love of his life. May the two of you have many years together spent in love and laughter, and may you be blessed with peace and health and joy.”

  Everybody clapped, and cheered as they clinked their glasses together.

  Then Angel stood up. “And I would like to make a toast as well. To the best friend I could ever have, to my sister in arms. We may not share blood, but we share the bonds of sisterhood. From the very first day when I pushed you into the mud, and you dragged me down with you, I realized that you would always fight for what was right. I’ve never been disappointed in you. To you, and to Herne, may you live in joy and magic together. I’m not going to wish you peace because I don’t think that comes with the territory, but certainly joy does.”

  My eyes fogged over as tears flecked my lashes. I tried not to cry, but Angel’s words hit deep, and I jumped up and hugged her tightly.

  “You know that everything that you said, I want for you, too. You are always and forever my sister.”

  She ducked her head, smiling. “I know, but today’s not about me. It’s about Viktor and Sheila, and you and Herne, and that’s as it should be.”

  “All right, waterworks off! Let’s eat cake and drink champagne and then, I’m afraid we have to get to work.” Herne cleared his throat, looking suspiciously like he had tears in his eyes as well. But he downed the champagne, and then gave Angel a long hug.

  After the cake was two-thirds gone, we moved it off the counter so we could have our morning meeting. Sheila excused herself, heading out to do some shopping.

  “Rafé, since you’re here as well, you might as well stay for the briefing. Charlie, can you hear me?” Herne glanced over the laptop where Charlie was watching through the screen. He had Zoned in for the party.

  “Loud and clear. Again, congratulations to both you and Ember, and Viktor and Sheila. I only ask that you hold your weddings in the evening so that I can attend?” He gave us a pleading look.

  I laughed. “Of course. It wouldn’t be right without you there.”

  As we settled down to work, I paused to get myself another piece of cake and to whip up a second iced latte. I edged into the seat next to Herne, and he covered my hand with his, fingering the ring and smiling softly. As everybody shuffled papers and got ready, I lowered my voice and whispered to him.

  “Thank you for being patient. It wasn’t that I didn’t want to marry you—”

  He slowly pressed one finger against mine. “Hush. I know exactly what it was. And that’s all right. I’d rather have you accept with your whole heart than go into it with doubt.”

  I ducked my head, smiling softly. “I had no doubts about loving you, but I have to admit I’m a little afraid. Turning into a goddess, and what that might entail…it’s daunting, to say the least. But if your mother was able to do it, I can too.”

  “Of course you will. There’s no doubt in my mind, and no doubts cloud my heart.”

  As we ran through the minutes, I tried to focus on the task at hand. But my heart was pounding. Now that I had actually accepted, an excitement swept over me that I hadn’t expected.

  “Talia, have you been able to get a hold of the Shifter Alliance?”

  She nodded. “I talked to Jana Wildmere this morning. She’s agreed to meet with you on Sunday at four. And I contacted the mayor after that. She’ll set up a meeting with the United Coalition as soon as we have verification from both the shifters and the Fae that their militias will be on hand.”

  Herne turned to me. “Have you heard from Eldris yet?”

  I shook my head. “No, but that
doesn’t surprise me. He won’t call until he has an answer, and you know the vampires have to be looking at what they can get out of this.” Suddenly, I realized that Charlie was listening. I blushed and glanced over at the laptop. “I’m sorry, Charlie. I didn’t think before I spoke.”

  “Not all vampires are out to get everything they can from the living. But enough are that I understand your hesitation. The truth is, I wouldn’t have chosen this life if it were offered to me as an option. But it’s what I am now, and I aim to prove that I don’t have to live down to the stereotype. I don’t own a black cape, and I’m not running around seducing women and sinking my fangs into unsuspecting tourists.”

  “Point taken,” I said. “All right then, this afternoon.” I turned to Herne. “What do you think Névé and Saílle will say? Do you think they’ll agree to help us?”

  He thought for a moment, then shrugged. “Honestly? I have no idea. I don’t know whether they’ll help us out or walk away from the parley. Especially since we forced them to hand over Callan. I doubt they’ve forgiven us for that yet. There’s not much I can do to change their minds if they decide to ignore our request. I can’t force the issue.”

  “I guess we just wait and see.” I frowned. Saílle and Névé were unpredictable, but they seldom forgave slights and injuries to their images and rules.

  “Right.” He stared at his notes, then cleared his throat. “All right. Let’s get moving. Ember, Viktor, and I will head out to Ginty’s at noon. Talia and Yutani, will you gather all the information you can on any vrykos attacks that you come across? Search all the news outlets, even the tabloids. Sometimes there are shreds of truth behind some of the wild stories. Charlie, I suggest you get back to your studies for the moment. Rafé—why don’t you help Talia and Yutani? Angel, you can have the rest of the day off. Did you and Ember come in separate cars?”