"The original spirit seal was specifically created in order to rip apart the worlds, then it was broken and the pieces hidden. If you bring them together-even with one or two pieces missing-won't that just reconnect the worlds? That's why Shadow Wing is looking for them in the first place." Either I was extremely dense or I didn't have all the pieces to the puzzle.

The King shook his head, his mane fluttering in the rain.

"That's not exactly what we're planning," he said softly. "I'll let Queen Asteria tell you herself."

"Camille, it's good to see you again."

I jumped as the Elfin Queen slipped from behind a well-trimmed tree. Her elderly stature seemed to have disappeared and now she stood straight and ancient, her power radiating through every pore. The woman practically glowed. Behind her walked t.i.tania's old lover-Tom Lane, or rather, Tam Lin. Beside him was Benjamin Welter, a young man with the faintest hints of Fae blood who we'd rescued from a mental inst.i.tution over Earthside. And behind them . . . Venus the Moon Child? What the h.e.l.l was the shaman of the Rainier Puma Pride doing here?

"Your Majesty! Tom . . . Ben? Venus?" I started to say, but then fell silent as another figure moved from behind yet another tree. Queen Tanaquar, and at her side, my father. As it sank in that I was standing in the midst of three of the major ruling powers of the Otherworld Fae, I didn't know whether to fall groveling to the ground, or to break out in nervous giggles.

Morio poked me in the side. As he and Trillian began to bow and I started to curtsy, Queen Asteria waved her hand.

"We aren't standing on formality here." She motioned for us all to take a seat on the gra.s.sy circle comprising the center of the labyrinth. The gra.s.s was wet, but I ignored the chill. Feddrah-Dahns and his father remained standing.

After a moment, Queen Asteria said, "While the seals cannot repair the rifts, we've discovered that they can be used and if used correctly, we might be able to stabilize the portals."

Open-mouthed, I stared at her. "And just who who will be using them?" I finally managed to squeak out. will be using them?" I finally managed to squeak out.

"The Keraastar Knights. The Knights of the Portals. I knew there was something special about Tam Lin, and then Benjamin, when I met them, and so I brought them here. My seers are searching for others with the same qualities. We looked into Venus the Moon Child and he, too, possesses the energy signature we're looking for. These three have touched the hearts of three of the seals. They are now integrally connected to the gems."

I began to breathe a little faster. "But they're all human-well, Venus is a werepuma but . . ."

"And so shall be every one of the nine knights-or ladies. Or rather, they will all be from Earthside. Apparently, the imprinting forges a connection that cannot be broken. Very few possess the ability to imprint with the seals, but there are a few out there . . . And we need them here, to be trained as guardians."

A thousand questions flashed through my mind. "Do they all have to have touched the seals at some point in their lives? Why can they wield them without worrying about corruption? What about the seal that Karvanak stole from us?"

"Patience, patience," Tanaquar said. "What we've learned is this: Not all of the Keraastar will have had contact with the seals, but they all share the same energy signature in their auras."

"They can touch them without corruption because they've faced quests for power before, and they chose not to act on that power. Even if they don't realize it." Queen Asteria let out a sigh. "But we must have at least seven of the seals for this to work correctly. Any fewer and the balance will be upset. We have only four. Shadow Wing has one. That leaves four in play. We must find at least three of them before the demons get there first."

I stared at her. In the core of my gut, I knew they were treading on dangerous ground, but what could I say? I opened my mouth to ask another question but a sharp jab from Morio stopped me.

Feddrah-Dahns's gaze flickered over to me, and as I stared back, I saw concern and doubt in his eyes, too. And in Mistletoe's, also, although pixies could be very misleading. But both of them warned me with their gaze to keep my mouth shut. I glanced over at Trillian, who was staring coolly at Queen Asteria.

At that moment, Queen Tanaquar gave me a narrow smile and said, "The OIA is placing the authority in your hands to do whatever is necessary to find the rest of the spirit seals. You have full license and we'll supply all the manpower you need. Fail, and we all fail."

As I nodded, not trusting myself to speak, the royalty fell to talking. I took the opportunity to glance around. Feddrah-Dahns, Trillian, and Morio were all worried as h.e.l.l but concealing it rather well. I could see the concern rolling off their auras in waves. My father, on the other hand, was gazing at Queen Tanaquar. Suddenly I saw it-a cord that held them together.

Hot d.a.m.n! Daddy was doing doing the Queen of Y'Elestrial, and he hadn't said a word about it. the Queen of Y'Elestrial, and he hadn't said a word about it.

Totally thrown for a loop, I busied myself with smelling the flowers on a nearby tribarb bush. Like a cross between a rose and a dahlia, they were autumn flowers and had an earthy, spicy scent. After a few minutes, King Upala-Dahns adjourned the meeting and he and the two queens headed back to the palace.

Eager to get out of earshot and discuss just what the h.e.l.l Asteria and Tanaquar were up to with the spirit seals, and to ask why Morio had stopped me from questioning the plan, I urged my companions to hurry away from the gardens. I had a bad feeling about what was coming, and I really didn't want to be standing in the middle of the road whenever it barreled my way.

CHAPTER 14.

The minute we were out of earshot, I turned to the others.

"Okay, what the f.u.c.k is going on? We agreed the spirit seals should be kept in a secret place, safe from the world. So what happened? What the h.e.l.l are they thinking? The power in those seals can warp those who wield them."

Furious-and not quite sure who at-I sputtered as Trillian and Morio hurried me along behind Feddrah-Dahns. I glanced over at the unicorn. "How long have you known about this?"

"Only today, Lady Camille. My father didn't tell me anything about this-I swear on my honor to you." He looked as upset as I felt.

Morio glanced over his shoulder to make sure n.o.body was following us. "I stopped you from questioning their wisdom because if they know you disapprove, they may decide to just keep you out of the loop. And that would be bad. Very bad." He let out a long sigh. "I think we need to find out what Grandmother Coyote has to say about this."

"The price for that one's going to be steep," I muttered. "You're right, though. We'll head for Thistlewyd Deep immediately. They didn't say whether the Black Unicorn knows about their plans but we can find out when we're there. And as soon as we're done, we'll head home and talk to Grandmother Coyote. Getting home has just become a priority."

I glanced at Feddrah-Dahns. "I wish you were going with us." Everything had shifted with the revelation that Queen Asteria was mucking around with the spirit seals. It felt like we were on quicksand. I didn't know who to trust, except I knew that I trusted the Crown Prince.

Feddrah-Dahns let out a snort. "Me, too. Let me see what I can do. The three of you stay together while I'm gone. Don't split up. Go sit in the courtyard out front, in plain sight, and talk about anything except what we learned." He glanced at Mistletoe, who was hovering near his ear. "Find Iris and bring her here. Then go to my quarters, my friend, and get my traveling gear ready."

"My honor, my liege." The pixie darted out of sight.

We split off and headed for the courtyard. I fiddled with the hem of my cloak, wishing to h.e.l.l I could relax. But the news had me so worried that all I could think about was getting home. It hadn't escaped my notice that none of the Earthside Fae Queens had been present. I wondered if they'd been invited, or conveniently overlooked. Immersed in thought, I sat on the gra.s.s a few yards away from the bench where Morio and Trillian sat, and played with the flowers, trying to quiet my mind.

Morio and Trillian made polite conversation, catching up on everything and anything except the demons. Morio had just launched into an exhaustively boring discussion about the problems he was having with his Subaru when a shadow crossed my path.

I glanced up to see a tall man in tunic and trousers staring down at me with a guarded look. There was something off-putting about him, and I was about to ask what he wanted when two other men stepped out from behind a nearby bush, daggers in their hands. They were aiming for me, that much was obvious.

Trillian and Morio were on their feet instantly, but before they could reach me, the two men intercepted them. I leapt to my feet and stumbled back from my attacker. The look in his eyes changed from guarded to dangerous and he brought his hands up. The crackle of magic raced between his fingers. Oh s.h.i.t, he was some sort of mage.

Instinctively, I grabbed the horn inside my cloak. The Elementals within were awake. I could feel them waiting for my command as I circled with the sorcerer in a slow, wary dance.

I tried to key in on where he sourced its power from. If I tried to deflect the wrong energy, chances were I'd be a goner.

And then, my opponent shot a spell dead center for me. The energy roared like a cannon, an arrow of fire, aiming true and clear. I brought up the horn and summoned the Mistress of Flames. A force field came up, a wall of flame to meet the fiery arrow, and there was an explosion as the flames collided and cancelled one another.

No time to think. I summoned the Lady of the Land and focused on the ground beneath his feet. The soil shrieked as it ripped apart, splitting as the garden quaked, the ground rolling in waves. A creva.s.se opened below him, big enough to unbalance his footing. He fell into the hole. The ground rippled again and slammed shut.

Pancake, I thought. As in flatter than a . . . flatter than a . . .

My stomach lurched and I stumbled back as Feddrah-Dahns cantered up the walkway on one side, his father from the other direction. They stared at the ground and then over at me. In turn, I whirled around to check on Morio and Trillian. One of the men lay on the ground, dead, and Morio's dagger was b.l.o.o.d.y. The other was nowhere to be seen.

"I munched your garden," I said, shaking.

"No matter," Feddrah-Dahns said. "What happened? What did they want?"

"What do you think he wanted? He was after the horn." I turned back to stare at the spot where the magician had fallen. Whether he'd been crushed or suffocated, I didn't know. I wasn't sure I wanted to.

"You'd best make your way to the Black Beast without delay," the King said. He turned to the Crown Prince. "Do as you wish and take Rejah-Dahns's place. They need more protection than she can offer, and you have magic at your disposal." Upala-Dahns paused, then spoke to one of his bodyguards. "Get someone in here to tend to that mess." He nodded to the ground. "Make certain the sorcerer is dead. Find the other a.s.sailant and execute him. Burn the bodies." With that grim order, the King turned and trotted away.

Feddrah-Dahns tossed his head, motioning for us to follow him. We hurried to a spot near the palace entrance. There stood Iris, next to a willow tree. She gave me a worried look, but said nothing as the unicorn let out a loud nicker.

"Have you everything you need for the journey?" he asked.

I nodded. "I have my bag with me, and I believe Morio does, too."

"Right here," he said, patting the bag he was never without.

"Good. Iris? Trillian?"

Iris held up her traveling gear.

Trillian shrugged. "There's nothing I can't do without. I always carry money and weapons with me."

"Then we should make tracks and get the h.e.l.l out of Dodge," I said.

"Oddly put, but yes, we must leave now," Feddrah-Dahns said. "I'm not taking bodyguards. We don't know who we can trust, and there are things we must discuss in private. Hurry, follow me." He led us out the western gate and back up the hill, occasionally looking over his shoulder. "We aren't being followed. I don't think my father realizes how concerned I am about the situation, which is a good thing."

We kept quiet until we reached the portal and Feddrah-Dahns ordered our trip to the outskirts of Thistlewyd Deep. The jump was like most of the others, and when we emerged from between two gigantic cedars, I stopped to take a good look at the forest we were about to go charging into. I didn't know much about this woodland. Most of what I knew about the great forests of Otherworld focused on Darkynwyrd.

"What kind of place is this?" I asked as we headed down the gra.s.sy slope toward the path leading into the forest.

"What do you mean? Cedar, fir-mostly coniferous woodlands here." The unicorn glanced at me, puzzled.

"No, no. I can see see that. I mean . . . Darkynwyrd is wild and primal, and filled with shadow-folk. What's the nature of Thistlewyd Deep? I don't remember hearing much about it when I was in school." that. I mean . . . Darkynwyrd is wild and primal, and filled with shadow-folk. What's the nature of Thistlewyd Deep? I don't remember hearing much about it when I was in school."

Mistletoe, who was riding on Feddrah-Dahns's shoulder, let out a snort. "You're in for a surprise, my lady. This is far more dangerous than Darkynwyrd. This forest is ruled by Raven Mother-one of the Elemental Lords. Ladies? Ladies? She's cunning and devious, and delights in deceiving others to do her bidding." She's cunning and devious, and delights in deceiving others to do her bidding."

"Sounds like Morgaine," Morio said, pressing his hand to my back.

"Delightful. I wonder if they know each other. Morgaine travels with a murder of crows . . . She probably gets into ravens, too." I let out a loud sigh. "Can't we ever go anyplace where the welcome mat isn't set with spikes or traps or deadfalls?"

Iris clucked sympathetically. "I know. I know."

We plowed through the knee-high gra.s.s as the afternoon slipped away. The Windwillow Valley was predominantly comprised of gra.s.sy plains, and the long blades waved in the wind like a verdant current, rippling with each gust. The susurration of their movement whispered on the wind.

Away from the forest's edge, there were few trees through the wide valley, only small scrub and occasional lakes or ponds that offered animals and travelers a place to rest and refresh. The valley plains went on for days if you were afoot, bordered on the west by the Nebulvuori Mountains of the dwarves. They opened into the Sandwhistle Desert due south.

A gust blasted past, and I could smell rain on the horizon. The clouds hadn't journeyed inland from Dahnsburg yet. The air smelled sweet and mossy from the forest, and I had a sudden longing to just park it right here and forget about everything. Maybe just build a little house on the edge of the wood, set up shop, let Smoky give me babies, and pretend that Shadow Wing was all a bad dream. But after a few minutes spent in daydreaming, I shook my head.

"How did your visit go?" I asked Iris. "With the Great Winter Wolf Spirit? Did you find him?" The others were a little ways ahead of us. I lowered my voice so they couldn't hear me.

She gave me a pained look. "Yes, I did. I'm not sure if it was the right thing to do. I'll tell you later, but things don't look hopeful. I have options, but none of them are promising, nor easy."

Just about then, Morio stopped. "There-ahead. We're almost to the path."

"And how long after we enter the wood until we meet the Black Unicorn?"

Feddrah-Dahns blinked those long lashes at me. "We will be at his doorstep before the evening's over and the Moon is up. We should rest for a moment now, because once we enter the Deep, we shouldn't stop. It can be dangerous for travelers, especially after the sun goes down."

I glanced at the sky. The sun was low on the horizon. We had perhaps another half-hour before dusk would hit and we'd be at the mercy of Morio's light spell.

"Anybody bring food?" I asked, slipping my bag off my shoulder and dropping to the ground to stretch my legs. Trillian and Morio followed suit. Iris opened one of her satchels and pulled out a packet of sandwiches. I laughed. "I should have known. You always come through in the comfort department."

As she pa.s.sed the food around-thick slabs of turkey on sourdough, with freshly churned b.u.t.ter and slivered almonds and cinnamon cranberry sauce-she smiled ever so faintly.

"Don't get used to it," she said. "Who knows what the future holds? For any of us."

"f.u.c.k the future," Trillian said, lifting his sandwich high. "The only thing we can be sure of is this moment, right here, right now. So eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we-"

"Don't," I said as a goose walked over my grave. "Don't say it."

He acquiesced, leaving the sentiment unspoken. As we settled into our meal, with Feddrah-Dahns munching on gra.s.s nearby, I gazed at the tree line leading into Thistlewyd Deep.

The Black Beast was waiting for us-ancient and ominous-and I wasn't sure what the h.e.l.l would happen when we met him. But our date with destiny wouldn't take no for an answer.

I bit into my sandwich and chewed slowly as a flutter of wings rose from the nearest cedar and three ravens went winging past. It felt like a sign, but just what they were trying to tell me, I had no idea. And for once, I really, really wished I could see into the future.

Thistlewyd Deep was more than a magical forest. It was magic incarnate incarnate. As we stepped onto the path, a deep resonance hummed through the ground, singing a song as old as the world. I closed my eyes and answered, embracing the welcome that bid us enter the woodland. Wild-yes, and feral-definitely, but Thistlewyd Deep embodied the nature of the Hunt.

The path was narrow, flanked on both sides by thick undergrowth shrouding the trunks of the trees. As we journeyed under the canopy of branches and limbs, I understood what Feddrah-Dahns had meant. Darkynwyrd would meet its match in Thistlewyd Deep. This forest rocked with energy, the ground shifting beneath my feet with every step. Oh, it wasn't a tangible shift like a quake, but every time I put my foot down, the ground seemed to roll in waves.

I bit my lip, wondering how the h.e.l.l we were supposed to keep moving, with every movement shaking reality. Glancing around, I asked, "Does anybody else feel that?"

"Feel what?" Iris asked.

"The ground. Moving. Everything swirls every time I take a step."

I glanced at the trees. The bark covering their trunks squirmed, shifting patterns. The bushes and ferns nestled at their bases shook as if a powerful wind was gusting through, but I couldn't feel any currents against my skin that were strong enough to move the leaves and branches.

"Camille, are you okay?" Iris looked worried. She motioned to Morio. "Feel her forehead."

As he moved to obey, I brushed his hand aside. "I'm not sick, and I haven't lost my mind. At least, I don't think I have. But don't you see? All the plants are swaying to the pulse that's racing under my feet. Like a hard-core drumbeat. h.e.l.l, I feel like I'm in the middle of one of Big Mama's natural raves."

They looked around, confused, then Morio closed his eyes and fell silent. Iris did the same. Feddrah-Dahns whinnied nervously. After a moment, both the sprite and the youkai nodded.

"I'm beginning to sense what you're talking about," Iris said. "It's fainter for me-these are not the far northern climes that call to my blood. But I can feel the vibration of this forest."

Morio let out a long, slow breath. "Got it. Caught hold of it and rode it for just a moment. The soul of this woodland is fluid, existing within every plant and tree, every inch of dirt, every breath of air that sweeps through. You're not going crazy, Camille. You're feeling the heartbeat of the Deep. You've connected with the wood on a soul level."

Oh joy. Why me? Better yet, I should ask: Could I use it to my advantage? I looked around at the vibrant colors that whirled like paint splatters. I felt about three sheets to the wind on Captain Morgan, all right.

"It's hard for me to see anything clearly through the brilliance-all the colors are running together in one giant o.r.g.a.s.m of patterns. I'll need help getting to . . . well, wherever the h.e.l.l we're going."

Feddrah-Dahns stepped forward. His horn glowed with golden light and he looked like an airbrushed fantasy off of some fashion magazine ad. "Lift her onto my back and she can ride the rest of the way."

I stared at the unicorn. Ride on his back? Ride on his back?

"Don't you know who you are?" I asked. The thought of climbing aboard the back of a Crown Prince seemed too ridiculous to even contemplate. Even if he was shaped like a horse.