AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“There is no room for grief nor for doubt.”
“Blessed is the Mother of the Moon and all who walk her paths,” the Lord of the Dahns whispered. “Blessed is she who gives me release in the Rite of Renewal.”
How could I do this? And yet, my hand was steady and I felt the power of the four Elementals within the horn harken to my silent call. Wind, Water, Flame, the Land—they rose up and combined their powers. Eriskel, the jindasel of the horn, who had once been a part of the Black Beast himself, added his own strength, focusing all of the energy through me.
“Release is sweet, the heart must fly free.”
I bit my lip, but didn’t waver. There was no going back. This was a one-way ticket and I was driving the train. I inhaled a sharp breath and gazed at my quarry.
“This life is over, the light fades out.”
“Join the Hunt! Ride with the Moon! Give yourself over to shadow and joy and passion and the magic that is the glowing Mother who watches over every one of us. I release you from your physical bonds. I release you from your shackles. Run with the Hunt this night by my side, run free, and run wild!” I lifted the horn and aimed.
“Renew and transform, the soul’s alchemy.”
As Morio chanted the last line, I drew his spell through me, combined it with the energy of the Elementals, and let it fly as I plunged the horn into the target on the Black Beast’s chest.
A shroud of icy fire rose forth, as cold as Hel’s domain.
The unicorn screamed, a terrifying shriek that echoed in the heart of every creature living in the Deep. Smoke began to rise from his body. As I stumbled back, the crystalline horn burning my hands, the Black Beast let out another piercing cry and turned. As he galloped away, the flesh began to melt away from his body and the Moon Mother cried out in joy.
“Run! Lead the Hunt, for you are my newest priestess, and it is only fitting you and your sacrifice are honored this night at the helm of the Pack!”
The Moon Mother slapped her hand against my right shoulder and a cutting pain sliced through me as her touch ate into my flesh. Something was happening to my back, but I didn’t have time to figure out what it was because she shoved Morio up beside me and we took off, chasing the now-skeletal unicorn who plunged through the early dawn. Followed by my Lady and the pack, we ran until the stars burnt themselves out of the sky. We ran until the sun threatened to creep over the horizon. We ran until the madness left us.
CHAPTER 16
Groggy, I opened my eyes and struggled to sit up. My shoulder burned. Actually, both shoulders burned like a fury, and I was warm with a light fever. I squinted in the morning light, trying to figure out where I was. I wasn’t still in the Deep, that much I knew. No, I was in a bed, under a thick quilt. I shifted, pushing myself to a sitting position, and heard someone stir beside me. Morio was just waking, under the covers by my side.
“Camille, how do you feel?” Trillian’s voice cut through the fog as he sat down by my side, pressing a cup of dark coffee into my hands. Iris stood near the door, carrying another cup that I assumed was for Morio.
“Like Hel warmed over. Where are we?” I glanced around the room. It was tidy and looked too cozy to be anywhere I was familiar with.
“At an inn. We’re in the Dryfor Village.” He held my hands to steady the hot drink and I slurped it down.
“Where the hell did you find coffee over here?” Otherworld had its pleasures but coffee wasn’t one of them. We’d grown up with it as a treat, because Father used to slip over Earthside and bring it back for our mother, but most Fae had never heard of it.
“I never go anywhere without a stash,” Trillian said, grinning. “So, what do you remember about this morning?”
“Not much,” I said, turning to Morio, who had greedily accepted the mug of steaming java from Iris. “You?”
He frowned. “Vague events, but nothing after . . .” His voice dropped and I knew what he was thinking.
I glanced around the room again. “How secure is this place?”
Trillian motioned to Iris, who checked the door to make sure no one was outside. “Secure enough. Feddrah-Dahns is downstairs, though. They won’t let him up the steps.”
“That’s fine, because I’m not sure how much to tell him or what he knows.” I hesitated for a moment, then just blurted it out. “Last night I sacrificed the Black Unicorn to the Moon Mother.”
Pursing his lips, Trillian let loose a low whistle. “So that’s what the commotion was about.”
“What commotion?”
“When you and Fox Boy came tumbling off the astral, so did another woman—a priestess of the Moon Mother. She hustled us up and told us to get you out of the Deep before dawn broke. In fact, she paved the way by bringing horses with her. If you could call them that.”
Iris cleared her throat. “They were skeletal beasts, terrifying, really, but they ran as fast as the wind and stopped on the outskirts of Dryfor Village. Then, before we could say a word, they vanished. The priestess said someone would be in touch with you once you return Earthside. She suggested strongly that the moment you two are fit to travel, we get the hell out of here.”
“Camille, look,” Trillian said.
