After a moment, she gave me a “whatever” shrug. “Yeah, I’m in. But don’t think we’re friends. Allies, yes. But friends? If you can do that to me, then we never were.”
I wanted to yell at her, to tell her to stop being so stubborn, but the truth was, she had every right to feel the way she did, and I wouldn’t take that away from her. I did what I had to, but I couldn’t allow myself to invalidate her feelings about it.
“I just hope you can someday understand my position. I’ll settle for allies, right now. But I still consider you a friend, and I’ve hurt you.” That was as far as I could go, at least in public.
At that moment, a servant entered and handed a message to Regina. She read it, her lips pursed, then she motioned for the maid to leave. As the door closed behind the girl, she turned to me. “The Shadow Hunters have swarmed the police station. Two or three officers escaped, but except for those who were out patrolling the streets, Myst’s people have turned the law enforcement of New Forest into supper. We have to get in there, and rout them.”
I slammed my hand on the table. If we alerted the guards at home, then the spy would know we were onto them. But then the absurdity of that statement hit me. “It doesn’t matter now if the spy is among my guards. We’re going out after them. Check, how do we get word back to the Barrows without going there ourselves? We need everyone who’s been tested on board, and we don’t have the time it would take to get back there.”
He looked at me. “Your Wind Elemental can take word to the shamans who can contact Strict. They can also contact the shamans at the Marburry Barrow. But Your Majesty, we can’t make it common knowledge. Dispatching the unit? Will have to be done privately.”
Ulean could go. That meant I had to leave the confines of the estate to contact her. I whirled to face Regina. “You hate Elementals, but surely you can make an exception and lower your defenses this time?”
She shook her head. “No, I can’t. The barrier is built into the estate. She couldn’t make it through even if we gave her leave. I will drive you to the gates, and from there you can contact her.”
“Let’s go.” I motioned for the others to stay and begin discussing strategies, while following Regina on a dead run to the front door. Check came running behind me. “We’re going in the car—you can’t ride in it or you’ll feel sick. Wrath did once, and he swore he never again would voluntarily enter one.”
“I will deal with the consequences, Your Highness. I would not allow you to go alone—even with a vampire.” He cast a dark eye at Regina, who ignored the slight.
“I’ll go with her.” Kaylin motioned him aside. “I’ll protect her, and you know I’m safe.”
Check glanced at me, and I nodded, so he gave way. Kaylin followed Regina and me, and we climbed in her limousine. Moments later, we were at the front gate, and the car eased out, guarded by the patrols watching over the estate. I didn’t have to get out. Once we were beyond the barrier, I was able to focus on Ulean and call to her.
Ulean, I need you now. Are you here?
Yes, I’m here. What do you need, Cicely? The slipstream is rocky with energy and emotion. There is danger on the wind, and violence and bloodshed from so many quarters. She came rushing in, swirling the snowflakes in her wake.
I need you to go back to the Eldburry Barrow and talk to the shamans. They can hear you. Tell them we have to marshal our efforts and send troops into town—the Shadow Hunters are feeding. They’ve taken over the police station, and any officer not out on patrol has either been turned or killed by now. My guess is killed. Yummanii aren’t as much use to the Vampiric Fae as are magic-born.
I can do that, Cicely. Anything else? It will take me only minutes to reach the Barrow.
Yes, you must instruct the shamans to contact their counterparts in the Court of Rivers and Rushes and tell them the same. This must be done secretly—with only the guards who are tested through for loyalty being dispatched, and they must tell no one where they are going. We need all the help we can get. Tell them where we are at, but that we don’t have an estimate for when we’re coming back, nor are we sure of our plans at this point. And even if we were, we still can’t take chances that spies wouldn’t report back to Myst. It’s one thing for the Shadow Hunters to know that we are striking back. Quite another for them to know where the Fae Queens are. I paused, then hung my head.
Do you want them to report to you at Lannan’s estate?
I suppose they’d better, though check with me first. We may be back at the Veil House by then. Send one of the shamans with the guards so that you can talk to him—at least if they’re on their way before things are settled. And tell them to hurry. I paused for a moment, the sobering reality of the situation hitting home. Ulean, it’s begun, hasn’t it? Myst has come, and only one of us will walk out alive.
I think so, Cicely. And that someone must be you, or the world is doomed. And with that, Ulean sped off, only a faint hint of mist trailing around my feet to indicate she’d ever been here.
I turned back to Regina. “I’ve put out the call. Now what?”
“We go back to the mansion and plan our attack. It will be all hands on deck. I’m afraid that New Forest will be slick with blood before morning. And thick with the dust of vampires as well. My people will fight alongside yours, and we will shake the town to the core with our resistance.”
And with that the driver turned the limousine around, and we returned to the mansion.
By the time we got back, Lannan and Grieve had put aside their differences and were deep in discussing the layout of New Forest. Chatter was adding his opinion. Rhiannon was in the corner, looking pensive. Ysandra was on the phone, and Luna and Peyton were arguing over something.
As we entered, Ysandra finished with her conversation and slid her phone back into her purse. “I have convinced the Consortium to send a group of our elite fighters—they did not want to, not after losing so many last time, but I told them if they didn’t, they might lose the entire Seattle branch, should Myst win out. They’ll be here in a few hours, providing they can get through the town.”
“Most likely, they’ll face Myst’s Shadow Hunters coming into town.” I tapped my chin. “Once our guards get here, we’ll do our best to post lookouts in order to keep watch for them and help them get here. Or to wherever we happen to be at that point.”
Luna looked up. “I can help. I can summon the dead. They speak through me now, and I can be a conduit for some of the more powerful spirits.”
That sounded dangerous. I started to shake my head, then stopped. “What can these spirits do?” At Peyton’s protest, I held up my hand. “We need all the help we can get. New Forest appears to be under a full-scale attack, and with the police out of action, we have to do something before morning. The vampires can’t fight during the day, and bluntly put, we need whatever help we can get.”
“You’d pay the devil to kill the demon.” Peyton stared at me.
“I’d be the devil to kill the demon we’re facing. And I may well have to be at some point.” I stared back at her, and she grumbled but nodded.
Luna twisted the hem of her blouse, and it was obvious she was nervous, but there wasn’t much we could do to stem that. We were all afraid. “Some of the dead know powerful rituals. Some of them can summon spirits to do their bidding—on the physical plane as well as the astral. If I can contact a woman named Dorthea, who is one of my ancestors, she may be able to bring us a host of spirits to fight on our side.” She shivered. “I will do whatever you need me to, Cicely. I realize how bad things are.”