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I paused, suddenly overcome with doubt. Delivering Vinca’s body to her family would tear me apart, but I knew I had to do it myself. However, something else nagged at me. Adam seemed a little too quick with the offer to leave.
“You’ll be okay by yourself?” I asked. Before the words left my mouth, I felt a tingle in the air. About ten feet away, a figure materialized. The male was soon joined by a handful of others, who also appeared out of thin air.
Adam sent me a smile. “When I said they were sending a team, I didn’t mean by car.”
“Oh,” I said, watching even more mages appear. Soon, about twenty surrounded us. A male, obviously the leader of the group, came forward and shook Adam’s hand.
“Lazarus,” he said. “About time you called.”
“Councilman Orpheus, sorry … things were … complicated.”
“They always are with you,” Orpheus responded. He looked at me with a curious yet distant glance, but then did a double take. “Impossible,” he breathed, staring at me as if he’d seen a ghost. The other mages had all stopped too, staring at me with mixtures of curiosity and shock.
“Sir, let me introduce Sabina Kane, daughter of Tristan Graecus.”
I shifted on my feet. “Hello.”
“You found her?” Orpheus said to Adam, as if I wasn’t standing there, even though he continued to stare. “We knew they were twins, but we didn’t know if they were identical. Maisie will be ecstatic.”
I cleared my throat and looked at Adam. “There’s about fifty mages inside who need to be put to rest. Maybe we should hold off on the long-lost-sister issue.”
The man shook his head as if to clear it. “Of course, I’m sorry, it’s just I hadn’t expected to meet the chos—”
Adam cleared his throat and interrupted. “Sabina, you’d better head out if you’re going to make it by sunlight.”
I looked at Orpheus curiously for a moment, wondering what he was about to say. Realizing I probably didn’t want to know, I turned to Adam. “She told me they live in the redwood forest near Crescent City. I’ll call you when I get there and let you know about the arrangements.”
He nodded gravely. Orpheus, after one last thorough look at me, had walked away to shout orders at the other mages. “Please do,” Adam said. “I’d like to be at the funeral.”
I nodded and scuffed at the dirt with the toe of my boot. I suddenly felt self-conscious. After everything we’d been through that night, it seemed odd to part so casually. But with so many mages milling around, I didn’t feel right getting all emotional. Besides, I couldn’t be sure what Adam was thinking. He probably wanted to get back to New York and I had to figure out what the hell I was going to do.
“Sabina,” he said, breaking into my thoughts. I looked at him and our eyes met. Unspoken emotions passed between us—sadness, regret, relief, anxiety, longing. I don’t know who moved first, but I soon found myself wrapped in a fierce hug. This wasn’t like the hug that started the ill-advised make-out session in the van. No, this was an embrace shared by two warriors after a battle, as well as one of two friends mourning the loss of a comrade. “Be careful,” he whispered, his lips just above my ear.
I screwed my eyes shut against the sting of hot tears. I knew if I let one go, the dam would burst and I’d soon be a puddle. Instead, I sniffed and pulled back. “You too.”
“Lazarus!” Orpheus’ voice was a blessed interruption. Adam looked over his shoulder.
“Coming,” he called. He turned back to me, his hands still on my shoulders. “Call me.”
I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. With one last squeeze, Adam walked away. I watched him go for a moment. His shoulders squared, as if he’d switched into business mode. As he and the other mages disappeared over the fence to do their grisly duty, I turned to the van, ready to do mine.
The keys were in the ignition. I started the motor and adjusted the mirror and seat to my satisfaction. When I could put it off no longer, I turned to look at Vinca. Adam had covered her with a blanket he’d found in the storage compartment.
“Let’s get you home,” I said.
Only when I’d driven out of sight of the vineyard did I allow the tears to fall.
31
When I reached the forest, Vinca’s family was waiting for me. I’d stepped out of the van ready to deliver the speech I’d practiced during the six-hour drive from Napa to Crescent City, which lay about twenty miles from the Oregon border. I was so wrapped up in getting the words right, it hadn’t occurred to me to find it odd that a couple of dozen nymphs were standing in the clearing just off the parking lot of the park.
“Hello,” I began. “You don’t know me, but—”
A woman who appeared to be in her late twenties came forward, interrupting me. Her carriage was regal, yet her eyes were rimmed red. “Where is she?”
Shocked by the woman’s greeting, I answered automatically. “In the back of the van.”
The woman nodded and motioned to the males in the group. They moved forward as one, all six of them. As I watched, they opened the van and quietly removed Vinca from the van. They carried her past the now openly weeping females, and disappeared into the forest. I turned to the head female, my mouth gaping.
“Thank you for bringing her home,” she said. “I am Astrid, Vinca’s mother.”
She offered me her hand, and, mystified, I took it gently. “I’m Sabina. Vinca was my friend.”
The woman tilted her head and looked at me. Her moss-green eyes searched mine for a moment. She opened her mouth, no doubt to ask any of a myriad questions. But she thought better of it and closed her Cupid’s-bow lips.
“Where are they taking her?” I asked.
“To prepare her for the rites. Come, one of my daughters will show you to your room.”
I wanted to ask more questions. How had she known to expect me? Did she know how Vinca died? Those and a million others fluttered through my head like butterflies. Yet I was bone tired. The sun had risen a couple of hours earlier and I was almost dead on my feet from exhaustion. I could handle sunlight only in small doses, and the sun’s rays were weighing me down. There would be time to discuss the hows and whys later.
I nodded and followed the fresh-faced nymph who came forward to show me to the house. She sniffled as she led me along a path of packed earth. The smells of the forest surrounded us—mulch and dew combined with the sharp scent of leafy things. The others followed at a slower pace, their whispers so low I couldn’t make out their words.
