Oak & Thorns Read online

  As the ferry chugged out into open water, Herne slipped up beside me.

  “Come on, let’s go up top.” He took me by the hand, and pulled me over to the stairs. We jogged up to the third deck, wending our way through the milling passengers. Some were eating, some scrambling for a seat where they could stare out the window, while others were at the numerous tables, hooking up to the Internet. We passed by them, crossing to the doors that led out onto the observation deck. As we walked out onto the deck at the back of the ferry, we found ourselves staring at the shoreline as it receded into the distance behind us. The water was choppy thanks to the wind, but the ferry rode the waves easily, and the motion calmed me down. I loved the water, and now that I was pledged to Morgana, Fae goddess of the sea, it felt good to be on the open water. I needed to do this more often.

  I had been working with my water magic more, trying to recall what my mother had taught me. It was slow going, but starting to come a little quicker. Now and then, Morgana came to me in dreams and whispered in my ears, guiding me as I felt my way through the watery labyrinth of her magic. I was self-conscious. After all, she was Herne’s mother, but at the end of the day, my relationship with her had nothing to do with him.

  I stretched my arms wide as we leaned against the forest-green steel railing. The breeze railed against me, the wind growing brisker as it picked up the scent of the saltwater. I sucked the briny air deep into my lungs, holding it tight before letting it out again.

  “This is so beautiful. I don’t know why I haven’t come out here before.” I turned to Herne, feeling giddy, as though a whole new world had opened up around me.

  “A lot of people don’t think about it. I like to come out on the ferries and go over to the islands, to get away from things. Sometimes Viktor comes with me, sometimes Yutani. But mostly I go by myself.” He paused, then added, “Running the agency is a lot of responsibility. My father has high expectations, and so much rides on doing our work correctly.”

  “Just how long have you been in charge of the Wild Hunt?” I leaned against him and he wrapped his arm around my shoulders as we stared out over the water.

  Herne had been running the agency for several hundred years as far as I knew, first over in the UK, and then in the United States for a little over a century. Cernunnos and Morgana had relocated him to the United States when they saw technology starting to advance. Talia had come with him. At the same time, a number of the Fae began retreating across the Great Sea, which linked the Lands of Fire and Ice with this world. Across the Great Sea, massive Fae cities stretched in magnificent glory. TirNaNog and Navane were the Dark and the Light capitals. The two Fae cities on the east side of Lake Washington were named for them, but they paled in comparison to their namesakes in the Fae world.

  “Not as long as some of the others. Mielikki’s Arrow and Odin’s Chase have been running for far longer. But yes, I’ve been doing this long enough to need a vacation on a regular basis.” He leaned down and kissed the top of my head. I noticed he conveniently skirted my question, but decided to skip it for now.

  “I had no idea I’d ever end up doing something like this. My mother and father never really seemed to have a vision for me. They left the choice up to me. I had already decided to go into law enforcement—in one way or another—before they were killed. I thought about becoming a lawyer, but I can’t stand to be inside that much. So I was thinking investigator, or something along that line. I guess I ended up there anyway, didn’t I? First on my own, and now with the Wild Hunt.”

  “I was born to it,” Herne said. “From the very beginning my father and mother brought me up, grooming me for this responsibility.”

  He didn’t talk much about his childhood, and I hadn’t asked, feeling like it was too soon to pry. But now, it seemed like the timing had clicked into place.

  “Where were you born? I don’t think those of us not from your world understand the nature of the gods. I know I never did. I still don’t. I knew my mother was pledged to Morgana, though I had no idea my father had been pledged to Cernunnos. I never really thought much about the gods while I was growing up. I was too focused on keeping my ass out of trouble at school, and on having fun with Angel. She really is an angel in disguise.”

  Herne leaned on the railing, staring out over the water. “The gods exist in a world a step or two away from this one. Some of them live farther out, in different realms. Every pantheon seems to have its own niche. There are gateways leading into the worlds of the gods all over the world. They’re usually found in natural places along the ley lines. Sometimes there’s nothing overt to mark their existence. Other times, you’ll find the opening through a hole in the stone, and in the center of the great stone circles around the world, or over the rainbow bridge, or at the bottom of a deep cavern. Some can be found on top of the mountains, or in the center of an ancient tree trunk.”

  “Where did you grow up? Do you live over the rainbow?” I flashed him a wide smile, trying to imagine Herne crossing an arc of light.

  “No, the realm I grew up in is heavily forested. There are a multitude of rivers and lakes there, and an ocean. I know there’s a large city somewhere, but my father is Lord of the Forest, so I didn’t grow up around a lot of people. Neither my father nor mother had much to do with the other Fae gods, although my mother interacted with them more. I did grow up knowing Bran and Bloudewedd. I met the Morrígan several times, and Epona. In fact, over the years, I’ve met a number of the Celtic gods and goddesses. I’m one of the younger ones, you understand. So is Morgana—since she was deified rather than born a goddess.”

  “I thought that the gods lived here, on earth. They phone you occasionally.”

  He shrugged. “They have a headquarters here. You might say they have office hours. Most of the time they spend over in their own realm. But every so often they visit. It’s just a hop skip and a jump to our compound. I’ll take you there sometime. You should really meet my father. You’ve already met Morgana.” He said it so nonchalantly that I almost didn’t catch what he said, and then his words sunk in.

  “You want me to meet your father?” The words stuck in my throat. I had heard enough about Cernunnos to know that meeting him was a big deal, and not likely to be pleasant. The Lord of the Forest didn’t run around in bellbottoms getting stoned and hugging trees, that much I knew.

  “Yeah. You and Angel need to anyway. Everybody who works for the Wild Hunt meets him eventually. Trust me, be glad you’re meeting my father and not someone like Odin or Mielikki. Or even Artemis. Artemis is one of the most solemn women I’ve ever met, and she doesn’t have a sense of humor. At least Mielikki has a sense of humor, but it’s dark and a little twisted. Odin, well, he’s as imposing as all get out, but he can tell a good story.”

  My head was reeling. The thought of meeting any of the gods left me numb, and once again, the realization that I was dating a god, albeit a young one, hit home. Herne seemed so unassuming, but the truth was, I had never seen him at his full power and I didn’t know what he could do. Now curious, I debated the best way of asking the questions running through my mind.

  “Okay, here’s the deal. You’re a god. You’re the son of a god, but you’re still a god.”

  “Technically, I’m a demigod. My mother isn’t fully divine.” A smirk began to creep across his face.

  “Quit laughing at me. You know what I mean. Anyway, what can you do? I never asked you before because it never fully sank in. But…just what kind of powers do you have? Can you throw a thunderbolt? Cause an earthquake? Grant wishes? Give me a big raise?” I threw the last in to break the tension.

  “Oh, Ember.” Herne laughed. “I cannot throw lightning bolts. Neither can my father. That’s not his domain, nor is it mine. Hell, Morgana can call up a storm faster than either one of us, but only when she’s near the water. As far as an earthquake? Not so much.”

  “Then what is your magic?”

  “Think. My father is Lord of the For
est. So my magic is the magic of the trees and animals, especially within a forested realm. I can summon plants and trees to do my bidding. I can speak with the animals—just call me Dr. Doolittle. I can speak with plants and trees. I can turn into the silver stag, that you have seen. I have other abilities that I’m not even sure how to explain. I can shoot dead on with a bow and arrow almost every time. I can start fires, and because of my mother’s blood I have some connection with the water as well. And I run with the Wild Hunt—the actual wild hunt. Not just the agency.”

  I thought about what he said. He had answered my question, yet he hadn’t. In some ways, he was more of an enigma than ever. But I felt like I was slowly beginning to unravel the tangle of knots that made up who Herne actually was. It frightened me to be in a relationship with someone about whom I knew so little, but you don’t just pry open the secrets of the gods in a couple months. Hell, there was a lot about myself that I still hadn’t told him. I had the feeling he knew some of it, given his powers of investigation, but I had hidden dreams and secrets that I didn’t feel comfortable revealing yet.

  “Do you feel safe around me?” he asked.

  I thought about the question. “That’s not easy to answer. I haven’t felt safe around anybody except Angel since my parents were killed. And before that, I felt safe only around them and Angel. I learned early not to trust people, and not to trust my heart—or my feelings—with anybody until I knew that they weren’t going to hurt me.”

  I had been taught young that I was different. Most of the humans at school treated me civilly, with the same respect they would treat anybody else. But not the Fae. I could never trust that I wouldn’t end up the butt of their jokes, and more than once I found myself tripped by an outstretched foot as I dashed through the hallway, slammed against the lockers as one of them shouldered past me, used as a living dodgeball if I happened to find myself in a ring of them…that sort of thing. I had toughened up and started keeping my feelings to myself. At the most, I only told Angel about what happened. I didn’t like the hurt that I saw in my parents’ faces when they found out about some of the incidents, so mostly, I never mentioned them.

  “Do I feel safe around you? Mostly. I suppose that I always keep a part of myself safe and secure, locked away, protected from anybody and anything. I have to. I never open up that secret vault that contains my core essence. I never give it away, and I seldom expose it. I don’t know if anybody or anything can change that. So far, Angel’s been my closest friend, but I don’t tell her everything either. And I don’t expect her to tell me all of her secrets. I don’t think it’s a good thing to reveal every single thing about yourself to anybody else.”

  “You’re a wise woman,” Herne said. “I don’t expect you to tell me everything. I don’t even want to know everything—not just yet. I like that you’re a puzzle. I want to get to know you, I want to explore what it’s like to be with you. I’m not into info dumps, and I think you’re quite right to keep a part of yourself protected. Even among the gods, there’s treachery and backstabbing and deceit. Neither my mother nor father are exceptionally extroverted. They tend to keep to themselves a lot. I suppose it rubbed off on me.”

  A voice suddenly came over the loudspeaker, announcing that we were nearing our destination and would we return to our cars, but not start them yet. Twenty minutes had flown by. I took one last, long, slow breath, and let it out, ending on a gentle sigh.

  “Well, I didn’t expect an in-depth heart-to-heart, but you know? I’m glad we talked.” I looped my arm around his. “We haven’t had much time the past couple of weeks to really sit down and do anything but…” I stopped, rolling my eyes at him.

  “Knock boots?” He asked.

  “Well, if you want to put it that way, yeah. Come on, let’s get back to the cars.”

  Laughing, we clattered down the stairs. Angel and Talia appeared out of the elevator, and Viktor and Yutani were both leaning against the railing, staring over the edge of the water. We split up and went to our respective cars.

  AS WE PULLED off of the ferry, we found ourselves on a gently ascending road. We were on Highway 525, which we would need to stay on for some time. The town of Clinton had about a thousand people, although the village served several thousand more in outlying areas.

  It didn’t take long before we were into what seemed like an unending stretch of road that ran between wide swaths of forest. Here and there, a side road led off into a smaller part of the community. We passed the Magical Winds Sanctuary, a forty-acre private habitat offering nature trails and community ritual, and Blue Azure, a glass and pottery company.

  As the miles sped past, we found ourselves zipping through Freeland, and shortly after that, we turned onto Bush Point Road. Angel and I fell into a comfortable silence, me focusing on the road while she looked out the window. That was one of the best things about a good friend—you didn’t have to talk all the time if you didn’t feel like it. Being able to sit in silence with someone and feel comfortable was my mark of a good friendship.

  Bush Point turned into Smugglers Cove Road, and we found ourselves driving up the west side of Whidbey Island. We passed through the South Whidbey State Park, and then a quick jog onto Oceanside Drive brought us to the Edgewood Star.

  Herne pulled over into the parking lot, and we followed suit. He texted: what about eating at the restaurant in the hotel?

  I glanced at Angel. “What you think? Eat at the restaurant here?”

  She nodded. “I don’t care where we eat, as long as we get some food soon.”

  I texted back that it was okay with us, and apparently Yutani and Talia concurred. We all got out of our cars, stretching after the drive. I looked over at the hotel, surprised that it looked so modern and up-to-date.

  The Edgewood Star was a three-story hotel. Most of the rooms on the upper two floors had balconies. It wasn’t close enough for a clear view of the water, but the air was crisp and smelled like sun-dried salt, and the sound of gulls echoed overhead. I drank it in, feeling the surge of energy as I connected with the water elementals that were nearby. There must be a lot of them for their energy to reach out this far inland.

  The hotel was painted in shades of umber and mustard, with hints of forest green and black in the trim. It had a curved front so that it was convex, and an access road ran directly in front of the doors, giving guests a chance to unload their luggage before driving back to the parking lot. A couple of valets sat by the sides of the doors, waiting for clientele to arrive. The walk from our cars to the front door wasn’t far, so I suggested that we shoulder our duffel bags and carry them with us since we’d be checking in shortly after our meal. Making sure everything was locked, we headed for the Edgewood Star.

  “You said this hotel caters to members of the SubCult?” Viktor asked.

  Angel nodded. “It’s run by wolf shifters. I specifically requested an oversized bed for you. So Yutani, you get one, too, since you’re rooming with Viktor. Talia, your room is a single.”

  Talia laughed. “Good enough. I have my suitors, but I left them back home.”

  Yutani snorted. “If you’re calling that numbnut Jack a suitor, then you need an intervention.”

  “Who’s Jack?” I asked.

  Talia rolled her eyes at Yutani. “Jack happens to be my handyman. I hire him for a number of odd jobs, but keeping me warm at night isn’t one of them. He’s a necromancer, or at least he wants to be. I wouldn’t trust him to cast a simple directional spell.”

  “He’s human, isn’t he?” Angel asked. “Most of the necromancers that I meet tend to be.”

  I gave her puzzled look. “Since when did you start hanging out with necromancers?”

  “I have a wide variety of friends,” Angel said. “But those I met at my old job. They’re working the day job in hopes of becoming some famous wizard or something after hours. And I stress the ‘or something.’ ”

  “Well, Jack isn’t human.” Talia said, nodding at
the doorman who opened the door for us. “To tell the truth, I’ve never been quite sure what he is. And I haven’t had the desire or courage to get close enough to ask. But he can swing a hammer like nobody’s business, and that’s all I care about.”

  The conversation abruptly ended as we entered the hotel lobby. Angel walked over to the reception desk, whispering to them for a moment. When she returned, she had a wide smile on her face.

  “Our rooms are almost ready. They said we can check in if we want after we eat, even if it isn’t noon yet. The restaurant is right over there.” She nodded across the lobby.

  As we crossed the lobby to the restaurant, which was called Smugglers Bay, I could smell eggs and bacon and toast. It felt like it had been hours since breakfast, and actually, I thought as I glanced at the clock on the wall, it had been. It was ten fifteen now.

  The waitress took us to our table, handing us menus. She took our drink orders, which was pretty much coffee all the way around, except for the tea Talia and Angel ordered. Then she headed back to the kitchen, leaving us to decide what we wanted.

  Herne pulled out his cell phone. “I’m going to give Rhiannon a call and let her know we’re in town. I’ll be right back. If the waitress comes back before I get back, order me a cheeseburger with everything on it, a side of onion rings, a large chocolate shake, and a bowl of clam chowder.”

  I glanced at the menu, trying to decide between clam chowder and cheese bread, or a personal pizza, which boasted of white sauce, clams, fried shrimp, and smoked salmon. I finally gave up and ordered both.