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“I want them dead,” she said, a fierce light in her eyes. “I want to find the bastards who did this and take them down.”
“We will,” I whispered, more to myself than to her. “Trust me. We will.”
CHAPTER 22
Morio, Delilah, and I headed out to find Grandmother Coyote. Vanzir decided to hightail it over to Carter’s to find out anything that might have come through the rumor mill over the past twenty-four hours. Iris caught a ride home with Shamas, who took her in my car.
I stared at the road as Morio drove, thinking about Henry. He’d wanted to go to Otherworld and now he’d never make it. But I’d already made up my mind to take some of his ashes there, to scatter them over the Silofel Plains, which I knew he would have loved. My heart ached for him, but yet, I knew we were lucky. We’d been very lucky so far, but that had changed. Delilah hummed an aimless tune in the back, and Morio kept his eyes on his driving until we turned off near Grandmother Coyote’s woodland.
As we forged through the sodden debris that littered the ground and the thick undergrowth, I tried to imagine just what she might ask of us for this favor. Whatever it was, I’d pay it. We needed help and we needed it from someone who could see the long picture. Riddles or not, Grandmother Coyote was spot-on with her ability to see the future, even if it took us a while to figure out what her words foretold.
The birds were silent, hiding from the chill drizzle, and a thin mist shrouded the trees ahead as we silently worked our way toward the grove. Grandmother Coyote’s glade wasn’t that far of a walk, but in the gloom of the day and the bitter taste of Henry’s death, it seemed to take forever to break into the ancient ring of cedars.
But there she was, sitting on a tree trunk, watching as we slipped out of the silent copse. The skies opened up and rain began to pound down. Without a word, Grandmother Coyote motioned for us to follow her and headed toward her tree. We traipsed along behind her.
As we entered the door against the giant tree trunk, I let out a sigh of relief. We’d found her at home. Now maybe we could make sense of everything that was happening.
As we entered the door, we also entered a magical space. There was no way to account for it by looking at the tree from outside, but then again—Grandmother Coyote lived in all dimensions, through all realms. She guarded a portal, but had her own way of creating the space she needed.
And yet, as we silently followed her down the hall, I could feel the heart of the tree around me, breathing silently. Then it struck me—this was like being inside the horn, though I was fully here rather than just in spirit. We were inside the spirit of the tree while in body.
We came to a round table. Four chairs were placed around it and Grandmother Coyote motioned for us to take our places. She sat next to me, on my left and on Morio’s right.
“You wish to ask something of me.” A statement, not a question.
I shivered. Whoever did the asking, paid the price. “Yes, and I’m willing to pay your fee.”
“Then ask, young Camille. And listen to my answer.” Her words were short gusts on the breeze that flowed through the chamber.
“What should we do? We’ve got this situation with the Black Unicorn horn and Queen Asteria and the Keraastar Knights and the Triple Threat and the Bonecrusher—” I ran out of breath, panting as I realized just how frantic I felt.
“Hush, my girl. So many factors. The unicorn horn and your growth into priestess is your own path to follow and wants no interference from me,” she said, producing a large pouch. “We’ll roll the bones again. Pick, Camille. Pick one for Asteria and the Keraastar Knights. Pick one for the Earthside Fae Queens. And pick one for the Bonecrusher.” She pushed the bag across the table to me.
I slowly opened it. Delilah let out a delicate mew but one look from Grandmother Coyote silenced her. Morio sat still, his eyes closed. I reached in and the finger bones inside reverberated against my skin. I’d drawn from the bones before and knew what to expect. Pulling out the first bone, I set it on the table in front of her. It was the bone off of a human. I could tell that much.
Grandmother Coyote reached out and picked it up. Her fingers deftly raced over the surface, and she jerked her head up to stare at me, her eyes luminous in the dim glow of the tunnel.
“They are not lying. The Keraastar Knights will rise, and they will stand at the portals. Not in the way the queens might hope, but their destiny is in play and cannot be suspended. They must have the seals in order to flourish, and for good or ill—you must give them what they ask.”
“But why humans and Weres? Why these three to start?” Morio kept his hands on the tabletop but I could see his gaze was fastened on the finger bone she held.
“What you were told was correct, but far, far from the full scope. Even Elfin Queens have no concept of the iceberg they’ve tripped over. But once set in motion, this cannot be undone. The three men already bear three of the seals—”
“We didn’t see them wielding them,” I said. “Or sense it.”
“They possess them now and are being trained. But not by the mages, regardless of what the Queen thinks. The seals are transforming them into something new, something different. That is all I can tell you. Do not thwart this plan or you will throw the balance asunder and forfeit your own place on the threads we weave.”
Great. So we were supposed to give Asteria the seals, even though it was sparking off a major shift for the future. I let out a long sigh. “Thank you.”
“Next. The Earthside Fae Queens. Draw a bone.”
I drew, and it was longer and thinner, the bone of . . . as I held it in my hands a picture formed in my mind and I gasped. A sylph. This finger bone had belonged to a wind spirit. I slowly placed it in front of Grandmother Coyote.
She caught it up and let out a low chuckle. “Ah, so I see. Not much to answer you, Camille, for most of this you must learn yourself. But prepare yourself to call Aeval your Queen for a time to come.”
“What? Just me or my sisters, too?” She had to be kidding. We were supposed to hand over the spirit seals to Queen Asteria but also switch sides to Aeval? That sounded insane. At the very least, a recipe for getting our butts kicked.
“You, young Priestess. You won’t have a choice before long. Trust me, things are happening that will require work from both worlds to fix. You will know when it’s time.” She put the bone down and motioned toward the bag.
