Wesley groaned and ran a hand through his hair. “Guys, I’m not saying I don’t want to take everyone. You’re not freaking listening to me!”
“They are,” I disagreed, absentmindedly running my finger over our newest amulet piece, thanks to Big Silver. “They’re just being deliberately obtuse. Ignore them. If you really feel like it’s safer for everyone to only bring me, then that’s what we will do.”
“What is the big rush on all of this anyway?” Austin argued. Again. Of course it was Austin leading the argument on this. “Why doesn’t Wes just go and file whatever paperwork needs filing and wait for approval? It’s not like we have a scheduled date for a battle to win the world, is it?”
Caleb grimaced and shook his head. “Actually, that’s what I was telling Kitty Kat before you got back from class. One of the recruits has started displaying an inclination toward prophecy. She keeps writing the same date over and over in her sleep, and I think it’s probably something big.”
“Like what,” Austin countered, “Armageddon?”
Caleb shrugged. “Something like that. Maybe a battle to win the world? Seems stupid to ignore it, even if she’s not skilled enough to get more than a date. I’ve placed a request with the Mage Council to get some more specialized trainers to come and help us, but until they get here…” He trailed off, and Austin sighed.
“What was the date, Caleb?” River asked in the resulting silence.
“Two weeks from Saturday,” Caleb replied, sounding ill. I didn’t blame him; I was feeling a bit sick myself. Two weeks to prepare for a battle that would determine the entire world’s future? Seemed a bit sudden. But then, better to have some warning than none at all.
“We’re not positive that this is related to fighting Bridget, though,” Vali clarified with Caleb, and he shook his head.
“No, we’re not. That was just a guess on my part. For all we know, it could be her granny’s birthday or the day she meets her future husband or something equally irrelevant to us. But what if it’s not? What if it is the date that Bridget will attack?” Caleb was making seriously good points, and we couldn’t afford to ignore the possibilities.
“So, Wes and I are going to Caora. There will be no further discussions on the matter,” I announced, putting my metaphorical foot down. “While we are gone, I want you guys to get in touch with Granny Winter.”
“That old bitch that tried to kill you in Alaska?” Cole demanded, “Why?”
“Because if the badbh are holding an amulet piece, and I strongly suspect they are, then wolves are the next logical keepers based on River’s powers,” I explained. “Wes was right, I think, when he said it was no coincidence you’re all such rare and unusual species. I think there was something more at play here, and I’d put money on it that the wolves have the fourth piece.”
“How much money, love?” River asked quietly, and I whacked him with the back of my hand. He really did love a bet.
“I agree on that,” Cole clarified. “But I don’t understand why those wolves. Wouldn’t it make more sense if it was with the hellhounds?”
I ran my fingers through the tail of my French braid and nodded. “Maybe? I’m sort of gambling on the fact that I think River’s hound is more a part of his wolf than we are giving it credit for. Like, just a different ability? I don’t really know, but I think considering how long their town has been there—and been for wolves only—then it’s a good place to start. Besides, if Vic is there and they do have the fourth piece, we can try it out.”
“It’s as good an idea as any,” River agreed. “I wouldn’t have the first clue where we would even start investigating my darker side. Even Finn thought hellhounds were extinct, so he’s useless.”
“So, we are agreed then?” Wesley asked, looking around at everyone. “Kit and I can leave now and be back before dinner, hopefully.” Given that it was already dusk, that sounded optimistic. But then, time moved differently in Caora.
The guys all grudgingly mumbled their agreement, and I beamed at them all with only a touch of sarcasm. “See how nice it is when we all get along? Come on, Wes, let’s go realm-jumping.”
He grinned at me and shook his head but took the hand I was holding out and tugged me closer to the center of the room. “Ready? This will feel a bit odd.”
Odd was an understatement.
The feeling of being physically pulled out of one realm and into another could only be likened to being slathered in craft glue and stuck to a piece of paper, then right before it dried, peeled off again. Slowly.
So, like I said. Odd was an understatement.
“That,” I said, grimacing as my limbs rematerialized in front of my eyes. “Is not something I look forward to repeating in a hurry. Does it get better?”
Wesley laughed. “Not really. Come on, let’s get up to the council chambers. I swear those old crows practically live in that chamber, so I’d be surprised if we didn’t find at least one of them there.”
Taking his hand, I let him lead me through the thick mist until some huge city gates loomed in front of us.
“Wow, this is Caora, huh?” I observed aloud, taking in the heavy gates and solid walls. “It looks like a medieval fortress or something.”
“More than you’d think,” he agreed, pushing open the small, person-sized door inside the bigger gates. “They left the human world four hundred years ago, remember? Well, while some things have progressed way beyond what we have achieved on earth, lots of things have not. Just, bear with me. We will make this as quick and painless as possible.”
“What if they need us to complete a quest, like the dragons did?” I asked, trying to look everywhere at once while also not tripping on the uneven cobblestone streets as Wes hurried us through the town.
He glanced at me over his shoulder and shook his head. “They won’t. They’ll ask for something, that’s for sure. Nothing comes free around here, but it won’t be a quest. Dragons are just really dramatic, it would seem.”
I snorted a laugh, quietly agreeing. I mean really. Rescue a virgin bride who had been exchanged for oodles of money? Such a fairytale.
“So, what do you think they will ask for?” I pondered aloud.
“Something worse.” Wesley’s answer was quiet, but I still heard it as we stepped inside an official-looking building and the sounds of the town died away.
My brows shot up, and I tugged him to a pause. “That doesn’t sound encouraging. Are we doing the right thing here?”
He gave me a tight smile and squeezed my fingers. “It’ll be fine, sweetheart. Promise. I’ve dealt with these people before, remember? I know how they operate.”
Nodding, I squeezed his fingers back and let him continue rushing us through the corridors until we reached a set of double doors with a guard outside.
“Reed?” The man exclaimed, recognizing Wesley. “What are you doing back here? I thought you were back in the human world? Hey, who’s the hot chick? Wait, she’s not one of ours!” The man’s jaw dropped and he looked like he was about to start yelling, so I clapped a real quick magical gag on him.
Was it necessary? Probably not. But I panicked.
“This is Kit,” Wesley explained. “She’s my Ban Dia, and as you well know, Ban Dia have safe passage through Caora whenever they choose. Is it safe for her to let you speak, or are you going to holler this chamber down?”
The man nodded, and I had to take a guess that he meant yes, it was safe to let him speak and not yes, he was going to holler the chamber down.
“Holy Crow, Reed,” the man breathed when I removed his gag. “You’re… shit. You, um, I guess you want to speak with the council?” His eyes were the size of saucers, and he couldn’t stop staring at me, which made me think Ban Dia had a bit of a reputation in Caora.
“That is why we are here,” Wesley agreed, “in the Council Chamber.” He raised his blond brows and nodded to the closed doors. “Did you want to let them know, or shall we just go on in?”
“Oh, shit. Yeah, give me a sec. Just… don’t touch anything, okay?” This warning seemed to be directed mostly at me, and I narrowed my eyes in a glare as he disappeared through the double doors.
Scowling, I turned to Wesley and propped my hands on my hips. “Just what exactly is he afraid of me touching? There is literally nothing in this corridor, except a bench seat. Is that a special bench seat that I’m not permitted to sit on?”
Wes quirked a half smile at me and slipped his arms around my waist. “He probably thinks you might knock the building down with a sneeze or something.”
I narrowed my eyes at his adorable smile. “Are you mocking me, Wesley Reed?”
“Wouldn’t dream of it, Kit Davenport.” He grinned back at me. “Ban Dia haven’t visited Caora in a stupid long time, but I think the last one was a bit of a nightmare. It left some pretty awesome bedtime stories for little babdh to grow up with.”
“Ah, I see,” I replied. “Hopefully it wasn’t Bridget.”
He shook his head and placed a light kiss on the end of my nose. “Nope, way before her time, I think.”
Just then, the door reopened and the guard returned, slightly out of breath. “You can go in,” he told us. “Good luck and stuff.”
Wes smiled his thanks, and I refrained from a glare as we entered the room where these babdh elders apparently lurked around the clock.
It was dark inside, but my eyes quickly adjusted to the candlelight and I spotted the matronly looking woman sitting on a throne-like chair at the head of the room. Other than her seat, and several vacant ones on either side of her, there was little else to fill the space. Why have such a huge room, then?
“Wesley Reed,” the woman greeted my dianoch. “We didn’t expect to see you again. Certainly not with a Ban Dia in tow. Care to explain?”
Wes cleared his throat but didn’t release his tight grip on my hand. “As you know, Councilwoman Blackwing, the Ban Dia people have free passage across all realms, not just ours. Kit needs no explanation to visit Caora.”
“Need? No, you’re right, she does not. But I bet there is one, nonetheless. So, come on, spit it out before Councilman Westwind arrives to make all of our lives more difficult.” The dry tone to her voice as she said this made me take a liking to this woman, and Wesley nodded like he agreed. Councilman Westwind must be a dick.
“Cut to the chase then. Got it.” Wesley gave a tight smile. “We have reason to believe the babdh elders might be in possession of an amulet shard. It was one which once belonged to the Ban Dia people and the pieces were split among the strongest supernatural races of the time.”
“Mm-hmm.” Councilwoman Blackwing pursed her lips. “You think our people would have been classified as such?”
“You know we are,” Wesley replied. “What do we need to do to obtain it from you?”
The Councilwoman leaned forward in her seat, bracing her elbows on her knees. “If we held such an important piece, what makes you think we would give it to a fledgling like you? I would daresay these pieces were entrusted to such strong races to keep them safe, not hand them over to anyone who asked.”
“Councilwoman,” Wesley implored, “you and I both know that when the ancient Ban Dia entrusted these pieces to each race, they would have warned that someone would need them one day.”
The older woman gave him a shrewd look, then flicked her gaze over me before turning back to Wes. “You think so, huh? And you think you’re that someone?”
“I know we are. And you know it too.” Wesley leveled her with a confident stare, and a slow smile curved across her lips.
“I always liked you, Reed,” she admitted. “But you’ve lived among us long enough to understand what price I will have to ask. If it were up to me, this wouldn’t be the way of things, but you know what the most powerful currency among babdh is.”
Wes nodded. “That which is also the greatest sacrifice. I do know, and I am prepared to pay.”
With his words, the Councilwoman’s brows shot up in surprise—which worried the shit out of me.
“Woah, hold up,” I interrupted. “If anyone is paying this price, then it’s me. I’m the one who needs the amulet, so all responsibility falls on my shoulders.”
The babdh elder smiled and wrinkled her nose in a pitying sort of way. “That’s very brave, especially not knowing what it is that I ask for. But no. I’m afraid this is a sacrifice that must be made by Wesley alone. He’s right that my predecessors were warned someone would come for the shard one day, but when that happened, we were to ensure only the best representation of our race could be allowed to take it. Here, there is only one way to show true sacrifice and loyalty to the Mist.”
“And I accept,” Wesley rushed to repeat. “Please, our time is limited—”
“Wait, what does the mist have to do with this? And what is the sacrifice?” I was starting to panic with how ominous this was sounding. I could only imagine she was referring to the thick mist surrounding the magical city, but what did that have to do with us taking the amulet shard?
“I’ll explain later, sweetheart,” Wesley assured me. “But we need to hurry, remember?”
Folding my arms across my chest, I narrowed my eyes at him. “Except that time works differently here?”
“It’s not what’s going on in the human realm that worries me, sweetheart. I want to get this over with before Westwind hears I’m here. Councilwoman Blackwing will take the required sacrifice, but at least she won’t be a nightmare about it.” Wesley shuddered, and I raised my eyebrows. But I wasn’t about to stand there and argue with him over it. I trusted him, so if he said we needed to haul ass, well, then we needed to haul ass.
“Go ahead,” Wesley encouraged the Councilwoman, who seemed almost reluctant when she stepped down from her raised seat and approached us.
“You know I will face a reprimand of my own for doing this without the rest of the council present,” she remarked in a dry tone. “They would want a whole spectacle made.”
“Yet another reason I am so glad it was you here and none of them,” Wesley replied with a nervous sort of smile. “This will hurt, won’t it?”
“Wes,” I growled, tightening my grip on his hand, but both he and the Councilwoman ignored me as she raised her hand to touch the center of his forehead and smiled sympathetically.
“It won’t tickle,” she admitted. “I’ll get in and out as fast as I possibly can. You know what to do?” Wesley nodded, his jaw clenched tight and his fingers gripping mine as he closed his eyes.
Frustratingly, the small crash course in badbh magic he had given me allowed me enough insight to know the Councilwoman was doing something intrusive, but I had no idea what it was. I was itching to demand answers but badly needed to just shut up and trust that my dianoch wasn’t doing anything too stupid.
The whole process probably only took a few minutes but standing there and watching pain flash across my lover’s face made it feel like years. By the time Councilwoman Blackwing was finished with whatever she was doing, I was wound so tight my shoulders were trembling and my hand had lost all feeling from how hard I was gripping Wesley’s.
As Blackwing withdrew her fingers from Wesley’s forehead, a long, mist-like tendril followed her movement as though attached. Gaping, I was stunned to silence as she pulled a good three feet of misty shit from Wesley’s head, then shook her hand to dislodge it into the air, where it evaporated.
“The Holy Crow thanks you for your sacrifice, Wesley Reed,” she told him in a voice drenched with regret and pain. “You are truly the best among our kind.”
Wes gave her a tight smile, blinking his eyes open and rubbing the bridge of his nose, like he had a headache. “I am glad that it was a sufficient exchange. If you could please retrieve the amulet shard? We would greatly like to depart this realm.”
“I understand,” she sighed. “Please wait here; I will need to access the elder’s vault.”
As her heels clicked out of the chamber, I turned to Wesley with a scowl and propped my hands on my hips. “All right, start explaining. What did she just take from you?”
There was something odd about the way he looked back at me. Almost distant. Disconnected. “A memory,” he answered succinctly. “It’s what the Mist is made up of—memories of all the badbh who have passed or been punished. They fuel this realm, keeping the magic tangible and denying access to anyone unauthorized. A memory freely given is the most powerful of them all.”
My brows shot up so fast I could swear they touched my hairline. “You sacrificed a memory? Which one?”
He shrugged in a nonchalant way. “I don’t know, now. I gave it up.”
“So, it could have been something minor? Something unimportant?” Obviously, I didn’t actually believe this. But a girl could hope, right?
Wes replied with a sad smile. “Doubtful. Something unimportant wouldn’t leave me feeling this… despondent. She took something major; I just don’t know what it was. But hey, at least I remember you, right?”
I frowned at him in concern. “Well, yeah, that’s a silver lining, I guess. But Wes, I’m super worried about what you’ve given up.”
“It’s too late now, sweetheart. Let’s just get this shard and get the hell out of here.” His smile was brittle, and it only added to the sick feeling in my gut. He would regret doing this for me one day, I just knew it.
The sound of footsteps alerted us to Councilwoman Blackwing’s return, even before she reappeared in the chamber clutching a velvet pouch.
“Go now, if you want to avoid delays,” she urged us. “And for the love of all things feathered, be careful what you do with this.” She held out the pouch, and Wesley accepted it from her. “I shudder to think what must be happening on the human realm to require something of this strength.” I opened my mouth to give her a rundown, but she held up a palm to stop me. “Before you ask, the babdh people will never again involve themselves in the politics and power struggles of Earth. There will always be a place for you here, Reed, but your troubles in the human realm are none of our business. Now go.”
Not wasting time with more chitchat, we thanked her and made a hurried exit from the Council Chambers. The guard we had spoken with on our way in was nowhere to be seen, but Wesley just increased his pace, causing me to do a half-skipping, walk-jog combination to keep up.
“Fledgling Reed,” someone snapped as we came within throwing distance of the front gates. Wesley stopped abruptly, and I bumped into his back before catching my footing.
“Not anymore,” Wesley replied from behind clenched teeth. It took me a moment to spot who was speaking, but it became clearer when a man separated from a group of people outside a pub-type building.
“You brought a friend with you. Didn’t anyone tell you this is against the rules?” The man’s eyes sparkled with malice. “It would only be my civic duty to report this infraction. You might even get your access out of the realm revoked.”
“Fuck off, Gaelin,” Wesley snapped back. “For one, she’s a Ban Dia. She can go wherever she wants. For another, we have just come from the Council Chambers. Better luck next time, huh?”
Gaelin. Why did that name sound familiar? His face sparked no memories in me, but there was something about that name…
The man let out a low whistle and leered at me in a seriously creepy way. “Ban Dia, eh? So, it’s true. Shit is hitting the fan on the precious little human realm. Tell me, fledgling, were you and your girlfriend here to beg help from the big boys? Because I can spare you the suspense of waiting for an answer. We won’t help you fight Bridget.”
“You seem to know a lot about what is going on for someone bound inside Caora,” I observed, watching as his nostrils flared and his brow creased. “Not to worry, we don’t need your help. We have Lachlan.”
From the corner of my eye I saw Wesley’s brow crease with confusion—because we didn’t have Lachlan—and I laid a hand on his arm to silence him. It was a bit of a test, one which this Gaelin—who I had just placed as the dickhead who’d fucked with Wesley’s training—failed miserably. Instead of looking confused, his jaw twitched and his gaze narrowed to a glare.
“Bullshit,” he sneered, but I’d seen enough. This guy was a grade-A asshole, and he had been sneaking out of Caora. Even if he had only been doing it via dreams.
“Come on, Wes.” I tugged at Wesley’s hand to break the glare he was levelling at this douche-canoe. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Stay out of shit that doesn’t concern you, Gaelin,” Wes warned the other man, then turned his back on him and let me hurry us both out of the city and back into the Mist.
Now that I knew what it was made of, it held such a heavier feeling. It was no longer just mist. It was the memories of countless babdh people. Who knew what secrets were contained within that fogginess? How much joy and pain?
“Don’t dwell on it, sweetheart,” Wes murmured as he wrapped his arms around my waist. “It is what it is.”
With that advice, he started the process of shifting us back into our home realm, and I was forced to abandon my thoughts on the Mist in favor of clenching my teeth against the sticky, uncomfortable feeling.
