AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Great. Storms were crazy enough on their own. I tried to stay out of their way because if they could sense you had tuned in on them, they'd take aim at you like a lightning rod. And those of us who worked with the wind or weather tuned in to them like a compass needle seeking north.
I sent a mental hug to Ulean, surprised to feel one in return. It occurred to me that, now that I was settling down--and especially if I were to start up some sort of magical business--I'd need to begin regular meditation again. I'd taught myself how to meditate over the years and it kept me sane during my exile with Krystal. Now I could start to truly dive into my work with Ulean and see just how far we could take our partnership.
I'd like that. A smile broke through her words.
I'd like that, too.
I turned to the others. "Let's get a move on, rough weather coming in."
As I scrambled to the edge of the ravine, I noted the overgrown state of the path leading down and through it. When I was little, it had been carefully tended, but now it was a tangle of briars and other dangers, all hiding under a blanket of white.
"Watch it, there's stinging nettle along this path and it will be hard to see now. Everything's so overgrown and wild, and the snow over the slick ground won't make this any easier."
" 'Lay on, Macduff! Just don't lead us to ruin.' " Leo was joking but I could sense the tension in his voice.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," I said.
The path was slippery, the overgrown foliage slick from the winter's touch. The patches that were clear of plants had frozen, and were slick with black ice. Down below, mist rose from the bottom of the ravine. And the temperature was hovering around thirty-three degrees. Good thing we'd all worn heavy clothing.
I edged my way down, slipping and sliding, occasionally having to lean back toward the slope to balance myself with my hand. At a shout from Rhiannon, I glanced back. She'd landed on her butt in a patch of brambles.
"You okay?"
She nodded as Leo helped her up. "Yeah, a few thorns but nothing major." Shaking off the clinging stickers, she cautiously passed over the slippery spot and I went back to deciphering the best way down.
Ravines in western Washington are usually steep, covered in thorny brambles and stinging nettle and ferns, and they're moist. Fungi grow thick in them, and there's the ever-present sense that the very ground is alive. Add a layer of snow, and freezing temperatures, and you have the perfect recipe for an accident.
The scents of ozone mingling with the cedar and fir created a sharp blend that went straight to my head. Scents affected me more than they did others, probably because of my affinity for the air.
The mist wafted up the side of the slope and I stopped, staring at the coiling, vaporous serpents. If there was anything hidden within the fog, we couldn't see it. Chances are whatever might be cloaked couldn't see us either, but Rhiannon and Leo weren't skilled at quiet navigation. Kaylin appeared to be, and I knew how to soften my footsteps, but with the other two in tow it would be obvious we were coming.
I held up my hand and motioned for them to shut up. They quieted down, pausing as I listened. At first, the sound of snow falling from the branches to the ground below and the calling of crows overshadowed everything else, but as I tuned in and asked Ulean to separate the sounds for me, the layers began to pull apart. To the left--a small animal running through the overgrowth. Overhead, the trees creaked in the wind, branches rubbing against each other.
As I lowered myself even deeper into the slipstream of sound, I could hear the slow hiss of the mist as it rolled along the ground, alive and looking to cover and obscure. And behind the mist, spirits whispered on their passage through the ravine. Ghostly lips played out laughter and tears, sudden cries, then--just as suddenly silent.
Still lower, I had to go lower.
And finally, below the mist, below the ghosts and the susurration of breeze, more whispering. But this time the noise was on a different frequency--not Elemental, but belonging to . . . the Fae. And that meant, the Shadow Hunters. But I heard no footfalls to warn me they were near, no vocalized thoughts to indicate they might be waiting below. No, this was different--as though I were listening through earphones to something distant and far away.
I let out a slow breath and turned back to the others. "We're being watched, but I don't sense any immediate danger. I think we're safe enough." I kept my voice as low as I could but no matter what I did, I knew the slipstream would catch it up for the waiting ears and eyes that hid behind the mist.
Turning back to the path, I began to make my way down into the first layer of mist that rose about a third of the way up the sides of the ravine. The fog swirled around me, cloaking everything outside of a couple yards in my path. While I could see my feet through the white swirls, we'd be walking blind here. I waited for the others to catch up.
"Don't fall behind. I'll go slow. We need to keep within sight of one another."
"Will this help?" Kaylin passed me a thin rope. "We can each keep hold of it."
"Sounds good to me. Don't let it catch on anything." I wrapped the end of the rope around my arm and once again headed into the mist. The chill echoed in my lungs, and reflexively I coughed, then whirled at a sudden stir in the wild rosebush next to me.
"Crap!" I stumbled back as a creature leapt out and landed near my feet. Squat, with bloated eyes, it was about three feet high, and had nasty-looking teeth in an oversized mouth. And it latched on to my leg.
I tried to shake it off, but it had a good hold and--oh shit, it was about to bite down. I had no doubt that those teeth would be able to rip right through my jeans and take a good chunk out of me.
"Get it off me!"
Kaylin rushed forward and landed a kick to its midsection. The creature let go but hissed at him and gathered itself for a leap. Before I could think, instinct took over and I flicked my switchblade open, stabbing the tip square on the creature's back. As I pulled away for another blow, it jumped out of reach, reminding me of a toad, then ran off.
Panting, I faced Kaylin. "What the fuck was that?"
