Black Moon Rising (DarkLife Saga) (27 page)

“I don’t like this, Val,” Constantine said inside my mind. “I feel like we’re about to get caught in our own trap.”

“Been there done that,” I projected to my brother.  “That’s a road I’m not eager to go down again.”  I scanned the tree line, again finding nothing. Constantine’s apprehension wasn’t unwarranted, nor was he alone.  The lack of a heat signature was familiar.  I’d experienced it before outside of the Den.  The Banshee was out there.  How she masked her aura and heat signature was beyond me, but I knew of one way to confirm her presence.

I turned into the wind, drew a quick stream of air through my nose and it hit me. Fae glamour may change outward appearance, but it did nothing for scent, and the Banshee’s was all around us, masked by the wind carrying it away.  “She’s here,” I projected to everyone. “Tam, get the kids out of here. I don't care what it takes, I'll act as a distraction if I need to, but you get them out of here.  David, this isn’t up for discussion!”

To my complete and utter surprise, David and company fell in place and followed Tamerlane without argument.  Dante covering the group in a protection spell was supposed to ease my mind, but it didn't.  She was out there and the people that I love most were in harm’s way.  I watched them leave, waiting for an attack that never came.  She let them leave.

I scanned the woods, searching but still coming up short, even though I knew in my gut that she was close.  The Banshee was here, and we weren’t ready to face her.  Not after fighting the barghest and foawr.  We needed to regroup and try our best to keep her away from us.  “We can’t take her, not like this!” I called out to their minds.  “Everyone else gather around the statue.  Ire get rid of your baggage!  Fae form a shield. ”

The vampires came without question, flashing to my side and taking position around us.  The werewolves howled their displeasure at being called away from their fight with the remaining barghest, but one growl from Marcus was all it took to get them in line.  They loped out of the trees and filled in spots between the vampires.  Valerian flashed in behind them, his face covered with gore and a grim smile.  “Seven down,” he grunted.

With my twin accounted for I jerked my head at Ire, and saw her leg flying through the air in a spinning roundhouse that would have made Yosh proud.  The strike hit Carrie square in the chest, knocking her into the air.  Irulan threw out her hand and waved, using her shield send her even farther.

By the time Carrie hit the ground more than three hundred feet away, Fazion and his Manticores had joined us.  “Hurry up, we don’t have much time,” I said as I lifted my arm and tapped into the fae within. I felt the shield forming and pushing away from me.  I looked to my right.  Everyone that was capable formed a circle around the others and was pushing their energy into the growing barrier.

“Bravo,” an empty voice called out.  “Not many can claim to have lived as long as you, when going up against a Harbinger, one with a partner, no less.”  The Banshee clapped her hands as she strolled into the clearing.

“What can I say, I’m smarter than the average bear,” I spat.

“I’m not sure what that means, but I doubt it,” the Banshee frowned.  “I’ve been watching you and you have no reason or rhyme to your strategy.  Whereas before I thought you a worthy opponent, I see now that I was wrong. Your continued existence is strictly a case of sheer, dumb-luck…luck that is about to run out.”

“The Fomori princess has proven she’s not an easy kill,” Fazion called out.  “Have you stopped to think that maybe the Fates aren’t ready for her to die?  End this fruitless quest and go back to the FaeLands.”

The Banshee walked up to our barrier and ran a finger across it.  The invisible wall shuddered with her energy.  “Oh, I’ve thought about it and come to the conclusion that if the Fates want her to live, then they would come and save her.”

She stepped back, joining Carrie, and pointed a finger at the trees beside us.  “I may not be able to get through, but I know something that can.”  She puckered up her lips and began to wail.  It was a high-pitched sound that stunned the wolves.  Marcus whined and tried to cover his ears with his paws. One by one I watched his wolves fall, until they all were writhing in pain.

“What’s she doing?” I asked no one in particular.  It was Stryfe that answered.

“Calling the barghest, I’d say she plans to use them against us.”

“It’s a good thing they’re out there and we’re in here,” Constantine said.  “Between all the bodies and the statue, we don’t have room to fight.”

“Get ready to defend yourselves,” Stryfe replied.  “Here comes one and I’m almost certain that we can’t keep it out.”

“What are you talking about,” I croaked as I watched the demon dog emerge from the trees, running as fast as it could.

“It can get inside,” he yelled, as the barghest ran through the shield like it wasn’t even there.

“How in the hell is this possible?  I thought nothing could get through these barriers?” I asked as I watched the animal charge our circle. “Barghest are lower fae,” Fazion answered, “The same rules don’t apply when we’re dealing with underlings.”

A vicious crunch echoed through the air as a pair of wolves dispatched the.  “So what does that mean?” I yelled.  But as the words left my lips, I remembered how easy it was for Kether to fly through the barrier in Fazion's throne room.  Crap.

“It means I’ll turn your trap against you, again,” the Harbinger laughed.  The Banshee smiled at the wounded foawr and Constantine cursed.

“You have got to be shitting me,” he spat, as she turned her wail on the giant.  The lumbering fae bellowed, and swung its arms blindly through the air, trying to defend itself against the invisible attack.  We looked on as the Banshee hit it with blow after blow, driving the creature in our direction.

“She’s going to use the beast to break our concentration,” Irulan offered.

“If the creature breaches our circle the vampires and wolves will take care of it,” Fazion grunted.  “But we must not break the barrier. It’s the only thing keeping us alive.”

The Banshee changed pitch, and the foawr’s ears began to bleed.  The now helpless creature began to moan. It staggered toward us as it raked its fingers across the useless organs.  Nothing deserved to die like that.  “I can’t stand by and watch this.  I’ve got to do something,” I whispered.

“The foawr can’t be saved, but we can,” Fazion growled.  “We need your energy, Valeria.”

“For what it’s worth, it won’t suffer for long,” Irulan tried to comfort me but it wasn’t working.  Tears gathered in my eyes as I watched the Banshee hammer the giant.  Its massive legs began to tremble as it tried to stay upright against the assault. It was a losing battle.

The foawr stumbled through our barrier and stretched its face, giving me a final glimpse of its unusual eyes. Then it began to fall…right toward the globe.

“Shittin-ass, son-of-a-bitch,” I yelled, because that’s all I could do.  As much as I wanted to let go and try to stop the foawr, I didn’t budge. They needed my energy.  I was forced to watch him fall, crushing the globe, and our plan, underneath his massive body.

“They can’t keep this up for much longer, Val,” Constantine yelled. “And the Manticores aren’t going to be worth a shit in a fight.”

“Agreed, we need to get out of here and regroup,” I said shouting over a clap of thunder.

“Look around you, Val, the weather is getting worse and the temperature has dropped even more.  We don’t have time to leave and regroup,” Irulan yelled, “The Winter King is close.  We have to end this soon.”

“What do you want me to do?  Every plan that I’ve come up with has failed miserably.

“Duck,” Irulan yelled.  The body of a barghest flew over us, followed by a pouncing werewolf.  I shook my head and glanced at our group.  What were we supposed to do when we couldn’t even drop our shields for fear of getting blown to kingdom come?

“There’s too much going on, Ire.  How are we supposed to fight her in all this?”

“We don’t fight her here.  We go somewhere else and make your plan work,” she projected.

“You say that like we can just snap our fingers and teleport, Ire.”

“Maybe we can.”  Ire nodded her head at the last remaining doorway a few feet away.  “That doorway is fed by my magic.  I think I can change where it opens.”

Thinking and knowing are two different things.  I wasn’t sure if I wanted Ire casting untried spells.  Not after the debacle with the summoning spell.  “Think and can are two different things, Ire,” I said.  “If you’re not sure, then-“

Lightning flashed in Irulan’s eyes.  “Don’t do that.  Tonight could have happened to anybody.  The spell was a long-shot at best.”

I sighed and closed my eyes, taking a second before responding.  “You know what we need to trap her.  Find it.”

“Alright everyone,” I called out, “Ire’s got a plan.  When she gives the word, I want the vampires and wolves go through the doorway.  Fae, you follow.  I’ll hold the shield until everyone is through, and follow.”

“The odds of you maintaining the barrier alone are very slim,” Stryfe said.  “Not while the Harbinger is bombarding it with her energy.”

“Whatever you're planning won’t work,” she smirked.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” I answered, wondering if the woman was suddenly a mind reader.

“I see the look in everyone’s eyes as they look to you and your fae wife.  You are planning another ill attempt at my demise. You will fail.”

“Fuck you sideways,” I growled.

“Val, I’ve think I’ve got it,” Ire interrupted.  Perfect timing, I smiled at the Banshee and tipped my head at the portal.

“I hate to talk shit and run, but I’ve got travel plans.” I offered, “Everyone through the portal.”

My brothers led the wolves and our vampires toward the glowing door and the Banshee screamed.  “Coward,” she screeched.  “Face me now, or die a thousand times when I catch you!”

“And the Oscar for most dramatic performance goes to, the bitch with the powerful breath,” I laughed.  “Alright, Fazion, get Irulan and your Manticores out of here.”

Ire took a step in my direction, but I stopped her.  “Ire, I’ll be right behind you.”

The Manticores dropped their hands, and the force of maintaining the shield felt like it was going to tear me apart.  I clenched my teeth, ignoring the strain, and poured more energy into the barrier.

“You don’t look well, vampire,” the Banshee sighed.  “Give up now and I’ll make sure your death is quick.  You know you’ll never be able to keep the shield intact long enough to reach the portal.”

“You don’t know shit,” I gasped.  “And you’ve proven it time and time again.  Coming here fucking with my family was a mistake. ”

The harbinger tilted her head to one side and frowned.  “Are all leeches, overconfident and misguided?”

I hated to play the ‘my grandpa is gonna get you’ card, but it was all I had at the moment.  “Say what you want, but a move against us is a move against the Dark Court.  They’re not happy with you.”

“I have no need to fear the Dark Court.  It was them who helped birth me and gave me reason; to punish you for your crimes.”

“Newsflash, sister, those kings lied to you, and now they’re dead. They’re dead and buried, and replaced with my uncles.  FaeVar is coming here to kill you for their treachery…no, correction, the Winter King is coming to kill you.”

The Banshee’s eyes filled with fear and I had to fight t
o keep from smiliing.  So what if we were trying to stop him from coming, she didn’t need to know that.  I took a small step toward her and frowned.

“You should have left us alone, now you’re going to pay with your life.”

“Lies,” she spat. “There has been no Winter King since the Great Divide.  The old kings swore-”

“FaeVar isn’t one of the old kings.  You backed us into a wall and we’ll do whatever it takes to keep breathing.”

She sighed and looked back at Carrie.  “I can’t feel the FaeLands in this form.  Is what she says, true?” She asked.

“Look around you,” I yelled, “there’s your answer.  The world is trying to adjust to the power shift, and from the looks of it, not that well.”

“Val, baby it’s me,” Irulan projected, “We’ve got everyone searching for a location.  Marcus is clearing the humans as we speak.  Can you get them to follow you?”

“That’s debatable.  Either the Banshee is mad enough to chase me to the ends of the earth, or so terrified that she’s gonna take the first train smoking back to the FaeLands.”

“What did you do-no, don’t answer that.  Just make sure she’s on your tail.”

Right, I sighed and flashed a hundred watt smile at Carrie and the Harbinger.  This situation called for a little dissention among the ranks.  “That was my grandfather,” I lied, grateful that the ability to not do so wasn’t passed down to me.  “He’d like to thank you personally, Carrie, for your help in drawing him to this realm.  Without the spelled locket he gave you, he would never have found us in time.” I said.

“What!” The Banshee screamed as she whirled around to face Carrie.  “You would dare betray me?”

“She’s lying,” Carrie countered, “just like she’s lying about the Winter King.  She’ll do anything to save herself!”

I shrugged a shoulder and flapped my wings.  “I’m part fae, or have you forgotten?  I can’t lie.  But if you don’t believe me check her pocket.  I’m sure you’ll find the locket.”  The words left my lips and I prayed that my hunch was right.  If Ire still kept her painting of Carrie, odds were that she had something similar.  A locket made sense.  It was small and easily hidden.