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And then we were there, and the car screeched to a halt. We slammed out of the doors, Wrath and I transforming into our owl selves and winging into the sky. Last I saw, Grieve was racing for the house as Lannan began yanking iron stakes off the neighbor’s gate. And then, as I neared my bedroom window, I could see them out back—the Shadow Hunters, gauging the house.
It was official. We were at war.
Chapter 22
I swooped high enough to stay out of range should they have archers, but low enough to fly directly in the window, which was open, with Kaylin waiting to slam it shut the minute I was through.
I landed on my dresser, then hopped to the floor and quickly transformed, my moonstone pendant lightly hitting against my breasts. As I spilled forward, Kaylin quickly handed me a pair of jeans, a bra, and a turtleneck. I wriggled into my clothes.
“We have big trouble—but we don’t have time to tell you. Just know that Lainule, Anadey, and Geoffrey are no longer on our side. Lannan and Wrath, however, are. Grieve’s back, too.”
At his startled look, I shook my head. “Don’t ask—it’s just too complicated right now. Have the Shadow Hunters made any attack?”
“Not yet, but I think they were waiting for you. They made themselves obvious, and then held off, keeping us in the house.”
“They must have seen me leave earlier. And Myst knows we have Grieve—how can she not?” I slid on a pair of lace-up steel-toed boots and then strapped my blade to my wrist and grabbed my fan. “I need a better blade.”
“What about the obsidian one? The one we caught when we fought Myst and her cronies last week? Remember?”
I thought back. When we’d rescued Peyton, we had picked up an obsidian blade off one of the Shadow Hunters. “Oh hell, yeah. And it wants blood. Bring it to me.”
Kaylin hurried out of the room, returning with the sealed box. I cautiously opened it and pulled out the blade. Obsidian, it was fashioned with a bone handle. I cautiously reached out to touch it. The one time before when I’d picked it up, it had immediately tried to possess me, but I had the feeling that now that I knew about my heritage as Myst’s daughter, I might be able to wrest control of it.
As my hand slid around the handle, I felt a shudder of joy run through me, a delight in the sharpness of the edge, the piercing point that could drive through bone and steel. This blade was magic, and it had an essence—a strength all its own. I clasped my fingers around the handle and a ripple of delight echoed through my breasts, my body . . . it was better than sex.
“I can mow them down with this,” I said, looking up at Kaylin slyly.
And indeed, a swath of blood and destruction spread in front of me, and I knew that whatever might come, this blade would sever limb from bone, it would slice throats and pierce hearts and do anything I asked it to, sucking the pain right into itself as food, and with each kill, it would grow stronger, and so would I.
“I’m afraid.” A thin river of regret ran through me and I glanced up at Kaylin. “I’m afraid this blade can change who I am.”
“Only if you allow it to. Take charge. You have to be the one to rule. You cannot allow it to have its head—just like breaking a horse. You have to maintain control.” He leaned over me. “We need every advantage we can get to stop them. You have to be strong, Cicely. You have to give a little of yourself—not all, not what Geoffrey and Lainule were asking—but a little . . . in order to help win this war. You can’t remain the same and come through it unscathed. None of us can.”
I slowly inhaled, hefting the lightweight blade in my hand, feeling the rushing waves of destructive joy run through me. “I know. I know that we’re not coming out of this without some damage.” Staring at the blade, I understood—it would bring me in touch with who I used to be, who I was a lifetime ago, as Myst’s daughter. It would take me to the same place Geoffrey wanted me to go, but without losing all of who I’d become in the process.
“I’ll do it. I will carry the blade.”
A light knock on the door and my wolf whimpered, excited. “Please, go. Give us just a moment and we’ll be down.”
Grieve came in, his eyes glimmering with stars against their blackened background. “We have little time. They’re approaching the house. Cicely, I’m not sure how you did it, but I know you’re responsible for Wrath freeing me. I hate Lannan with a passion, but I will fight alongside him now, and do my best to control my nature.”
He swept me up in his arms and I melted against him, pressing my head to his heart, shuddering in the warmth of his embrace. I wanted him, then—there, without pretense. Wanted to be with him forever, wanted to be his and only his, to run away from the war and live in a quiet place where we could settle in and just be happy.
“The enemy is storming our gates, my love,” I whispered. “Myst has come to play and she’s looking for you.”
“I won’t let her take me back.” He pressed his lips to mine and kissed me. I could have lived within his kiss forever, but there was no time.
“Let’s go—we can’t let the others down.”
I took his hand, then stopped and turned. “I’m sorry—I’m sorry I wasn’t ready when you asked me so many years ago. I’m sorry that . . . I needed time to know how I felt.”
He shook his head. “I asked too soon. You were very young. I should have known better. I just hoped you would have remembered, but no matter now. We’ll make it through, Cicely. We’re survivors. We’ll have our time.”
And then we were headed down the stairs, racing to meet the oncoming storm.
“Where are they?” I swung into the kitchen, where the rest of them were, but realized I’d just interrupted an argument. “What’s going on?”
“Geoffrey just called me,” Leo said. “He told me what happened. It appears I’m being forced to choose. He’s given me an ultimatum.”
