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She nodded. "I know Heather did it to spare Peyton, but I wish she hadn't." She spoke softly, but I could hear the catch in her voice.
Chatter appeared at the top, Leo in his arms, as Kaylin dragged himself over the edge. We were all exhausted, and Chatter looked like he was going to pass out.
"How far are we from the house?" I tried to gauge where we were.
"Ten minutes as the crow flies. Fifteen on foot." He pointed toward a copse of cedar and fir. "There's the path that leads into the ravine, through that stand of trees over there.
I could vaguely see it in the approaching dusk. Nodding, I said, "Let's do what we can to make it hard on them and then run like hell. If we can get over the border to our land, then we should be safe for the night. That is, until Myst finds a way to break the barrier."
I opened the fan and focused on it. Ulean, what's the worst damage I can do with this?
You do not want to know. Each time you use the more powerful energies, the fan will own you a little more.
Tough. We need it. I'd rather be possessed by a fan than by Myst. Now, tell me. I focused on her energy, trying to drive home the urgency.
You have a point. Very well. Vortex force. But be prepared to run. It will not be safe and you cannot control the power once you've set it loose.
Taking a deep breath, I said, "I'm going to unleash a tornado. Whatever you have, start it now and move back. This thing is dangerous."
Without a word, Rhiannon lit the bottles with a lighter and tossed them into the ravine. She held out her hands and a stream of flame came searing out to explode the gas-laden bombs, sending a flash flood of fire down the slope. She jumped away, as did the others as I swept the fan twice and whispered, "Vortex force."
Ulean slipped up beside me and I felt her joining in, helping warm the air around us so that it collided with the cold. I kept my focus on the currents as they began to whip into a counterclockwise spiral, creaking and moaning as they picked up speed. Another few seconds and there was a roar as the monster came to life.
With the sound of a freight train rattling by, gusts of dark clouds began to spin. The funnel cloud engulfed Rhiannon's fire and swept down the slope, a blanket of swirling flame on a deafening ride. My ears popped from the changing air pressure.
"Run. Now!" I turned and headed through the trees at breakneck speed, following the others who'd already taken off. Ulean howled along beside me, buoying me up and along. I leapt over a fallen tree trunk and hit the path, veering toward the house. We ran like the hounds of hell were after us, not looking back, not knowing whether Myst and her followers were on our heels or if we'd staved them off.
And then, breaking through the tree line, we were across the border, onto our land, and a soft glow lit up the perimeter of the yard. Anadey stood on the porch, watching anxiously as we skidded to a halt. We were home and Peyton was with us.
I turned, gasping for breath, in time to see Myst and Heather come to the edge of our property, followed by a half dozen guards. My heart in my throat, I watched as they traced the border, but did not set foot across it. Whatever Anadey had done, it was holding.
Straightening my shoulders, I faced them--the Mistress of Mayhem and her Court. She gazed at me, steady, her luminous eyes sparkling like stars, her skin the color of sky on a clear, late evening before twilight fully hits. Her gown flowed into the shadows, diaphanous shades of blue and black and gray and silver. Beautiful, I thought. She was so incredibly beautiful and terrifying.
Myst cocked her head to the left, then the right, and let out a slow laugh.
"Cicely Waters. You think you have won?"
I shook my head. "If we'd won, you'd be dead."
"Good, then. Don't underestimate me. Child, do you even have a clue as to who you are? As to who you were?"
The great horned owl circled overhead, coming to rest in the oak behind me. I cleared my throat and returned Myst's gaze, willing myself not to flinch.
"I am Cicely Waters, born of the magic, born of the Uwilahsidhe. I know who I am. And I know what you are." It was foolish to challenge her, but I wanted her to understand that I understood she was a vicious monster. A crazed Queen out for blood. "I walk with the Crimson Court at my back."
She inclined her head gently and, turning to Heather, lightly traced her hand down my aunt's cheek, softly caressing her. Then, without a second thought, she back-handed Heather so hard that my aunt went sprawling to the ground. Heather lay there, staring up without a protest. I heard Rhiannon stifle a cry, but I didn't turn, didn't show any emotion.
"A thought," Myst said, turning back to me, her gaze narrowing in on me. "If I treat my friends thus, consider how I treat my enemies. Then decide which side you wish to be on. Your precious Grieve is mine."
"No!" I jerked, unable to stop myself. "What do you mean?"
"I claim him for my own. He will be my consort. And you, my dear . . . Don't you remember who you used to be? Think, think very hard." Her eyes begin to swirl and I felt myself falling deep into her spell.
A glimpse . . . standing deep in the forest, and Grieve was beside me only he was not Grieve but Shy. And I was there . . . I was Cherish . . . and this time I looked down at my hands. They bore a faint cerulean cast. With wonder I reached up and touched my teeth. Razor-sharp and two small fangs. And I turned to Shy, who smiled at me, loving me, and I knew that I was a traitor to myself, to my race, to my mother.
"No," I whispered. "I wasn't one of you! I was Cambyra Fae!"
Myst laughed. Deep and rich, her voice echoed through the night. "You are Cambyra Fae now . . . but oh yes, I can see you remember. Good-bye for now, child. We will meet again. Soon. And you will remember how you turned on your family. Grieve isn't the only one who's been searching for you through the years. Remember this: I never forget a grudge." And then, she turned and like a shadow in the night, she and her companions were gone.
