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"Here," she said, stopping beneath a maple that towered over the clearing. I gazed up at the branches that were rife with leaf buds. Nothing unusual there. But below the boughs, near the trunk, the moss that covered the ground had been indented as if a heavy creature had been lying here. A horse… or a unicorn. I cautiously crept toward the patch, Morio right behind me.
As we stared at the ground, I began to see the dark patches that indicated blood. I inhaled a long breath, holding the scents deep in my lungs. The scent of wild meadows, fresh and laden with shaga flowers, overwhelmed me. Feddrah-Dahns, the Crown Prince… his musky smell was infused with reminders of our home world. And pixie dust. The tingle of pixie magic mingled with the scent of the unicorn. And then, a top note: the metallic smell of blood soaked into the mix. As I dug deeper into the energy of the fragrances, there it was—faint but present. Orange and jasmine and sugar vanilla, cloying and overripe.
"Karvanak was here," I said, straightening up. "The Raksasa was here. I don't know about the djinn, or whatever the other demon is that assists him."
"Oh, no. No, no." Iris paled, sinking to the ground to examine the blood. "Do you think…"
"That he killed Feddrah-Dahns? I don't know, but I don't see signs of a struggle. And Feddrah-Dahns can fight, believe me. That I've witnessed." I stared out over the pond, trying to will what happened to unfold in a vision for us. But I didn't have the gift of hindsight—the ability to see what had already taken place.
"Perhaps Feddrah-Dahns and Mistletoe escaped," Morio said. "As you pointed out, there aren't any signs of a struggle, and we know the unicorn wouldn't willingly walk away with the demons."
Iris stood up, grasping something in her palm. "I found something," she said, holding out her hand. Resting on her creamy skin was a small piece of cloth. White in nature, it had been ripped from a gown or tunic.
I slowly picked it up and closed my eyes. This cloth was familiar, both in texture and energy. It was heavy with magic, steeped in power. I began to smile. "I know where they went. Or at least, I'm pretty sure."
"Where?" Morio leaned over, staring at the cloth.
"Smoky's land. This is from Smoky's robe that he wears. I'll bet you anything that somehow, Feddrah-Dahns contacted Smoky for help. Whether he fought the demons or just swept Feddrah-Dahns and Mistletoe away before they could be hurt any further, I don't know. But this is from Smoky's robe. I know the energy of my lovers."
Iris let out a long breath. "Why hasn't he called, then?"
"Because Smoky doesn't have a phone. Because Smoky takes his own time in doing what he will. Let's go back to the house. If I don't eat, I'm going to be sick. After that, I'll go out to Smoky's and find out what happened."
Morio wrapped his arm around my waist as we turned and headed back to the house. "We'll have to reestablish the wards and strengthen them. We need stronger charms and spells. The demons broke through without a problem."
"Yeah, they did. We need so many things. And time to gather them is a luxury we no longer possess." I stared at the approaching dusk as it spread long fingers across the sky. The stars would be out soon, and the air was growing damp and chill. The clouds would be coming in soon. Rain was on the way.
Back at the house, Delilah and Chase were waiting anxiously. They'd checked through all the rooms, and everything was clear, but I don't think any of us felt very safe.
Delilah had unpacked the food. I slid into a chair, leaning back to close my eyes. Morio stood behind me, rubbing my temples.
"Thank you," I whispered. Every jolt, bump, scrape, and jangled nerve of this hellish past few days had worked its way into my muscles, and I could barely keep my eyes open. Even the fun parts—especially with Smoky—had produced an overload of stress.
"You look beat," Delilah said.
I nodded and opened my eyes just a slit to look at her. "You aren't vying for spring chicken of the year, yourself. You still look a little green."
"It's the tetsa poison. It tints the skin for a day or two, even after the antidote takes effect." She leaned forward and propped her head in her hands. "I cannot believe that things have gotten this crazy. By the way, Zach and four of his buddies are down in the underground tunnels now. Smoky found the portal, and when he dropped by here, he told us that it leads directly into Guilyoton."
"Cripes." I took the ice-cold bottle of water that Morio handed to me and chugged half of it down. Guilyoton was the goblin forest—and city—that lurked in the shadowed lower lands near Darkynwyrd. The goblins of Guilyoton were far more independent than their weaker cousins who were helping Lethesanar.
"Wait. Smoky was here?" That would make sense. "Did he say he was going to stop by and say hi to Feddrah-Dahns on the way out?"
Iris nodded. "Yes, he did. And… I see. He probably took Feddrah-Dahns home with him after he left the house."
"What? He's the one who took Feddrah-Dahns? He didn't hurt him, did he?" Delilah looked confused.
"No. In fact, he probably saved Feddrah-Dahns's life. What else did Smoky say when he was here?"
"He might drop by tonight. Apparently, he cast some sort of barrier across the entrance to the portal in Underground Seattle, but he doesn't think it will last once the goblins get their shamans to work on breaking it down."
She jumped up to help Morio dish out dinner. They piled everything in the center of the table while Iris fed Maggie her cream and sage drink.
I dug into the food as soon as plates were on the table. My stomach was kicking up a tantrum, and I chowed down, wishing I'd remembered to buy drinks and fruit salad. Delilah ate like she was starved, too. In fact, it was obvious there wouldn't be any leftovers tomorrow.
As the last rays of the sun disappeared, I pushed back my plate and jumped up. "Chase, you and Morio go in the living room—now."
Chase glanced at the clock. "Time for her to wake up, huh? You know, eventually we're going to see the entrance to her lair. It's got to be in the kitchen somewhere. Don't you trust us by now?"
