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Menolly snickered. "Polka dots? What, are mine, blood colored?"
I stuck my tongue out at her and turned back to Chase. "Of course, that's just an example, but do you get the drift? I can tell Benjamin's not FBH. He has some Fae in him because his aura has some Fae energy mixed into it."
Chase nodded slowly. "I get it. If you were looking at his DNA under a microscope, it would be a different pattern than mine. And his energy signature is a different pattern than mine. Okay, so you say he doesn't know he's part Fae?"
"I doubt it. The blood is probably recessive. Somewhere along the line, there was an intermarriage or liaison with one of the Fae. Long enough ago to fade the powers down so much they almost died out. But something sparked them off, and it's my bet that entering the cave triggered everything. The energy there probably awakened the Fae blood in his veins, and he had no idea what happened."
I suddenly felt very bad for Benjamin. He was locked up for something he couldn't help, he wasn't a danger to others, and yet he'd been tossed to the side in order to keep his precious family from being embarrassed.
Delilah stared at her plate. "How can we help him? You said he wants to escape?"
"Yeah, but I have no idea what to do once we manage to get him out of there. Where can we take him? We certainly can't take care of him, and we don't dare bring his family down on us." I frowned at the table.>Iris glanced up at me. She said nothing but reached out and took my hand in hers, squeezing gently. I gave her a soft smile, wondering how we'd ever gotten along without her. She was as much family as any of our aunts, and more so than most.
"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."
