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We came through the ravine back into the main glen. Still no sign of Tra or Herne, but I sent out a brief hello to both of them, wishing them well. Tra wasn’t on my favorites list, but hell, he was the son of a god. That alone was a good reason to be a strange duck. And Herne . . . he was just incredibly powerful. He’d stopped his kid from picking on us, so much the better.
As we headed toward the portal, Chase looking infinitely relieved, I whispered the words Aeval had taught me and the aperture opened. Through the vortex we went . . . back home. Back to Earthside. Back to figure out what the fuck to do about Hyto.
The minute we came through the portal, Yugi was there, waiting. I blinked, surprised to see him, but he tipped his hat and, shivering, said, “Sharah called. She wanted me to come out here and wait for you, to give you your cell phones and a message.”
“What now?” I felt the color drain from my face. If she had a message that couldn’t wait, what the hell had happened now?
The police officer, Chase’s second-in-command, clasped Chase’s hand and pulled him in for a pat on the back. “I wasn’t sure we’d see you again. Good to have you back.” As if he realized he’d just hugged his superior officer, Yugi held up his arms in a no-harm, no-foul gesture, blushing, and fumbled to salute.
Chase let out a short bark of laughter. “Don’t sweat it, Yugi. I’m glad my men miss me when I’m gone. Better than you guys talking about me behind my back.” He rubbed his hand across his eyes. A glimmer of sparkles filled the dark brown irises, and he crossed to me, lifting my chin up, his face solemn. “Camille, bless you for coming to rescue me. I was so worried that when I finally did get out—if I did, you’d be . . .” Here he paused, as if the words had gone cold on his tongue.
“Dead?” I whispered back. “I thought I would be.”
“Life’s taken some interesting turns, hasn’t it?” He cleared his throat and then, aware everybody was looking at us, backed away.
I turned to Yugi. “What’s Sharah’s message?”
“Everybody’s moved over to the barrow except for Menolly. She’ll go at sunset, of course. But there’s someone at the house waiting to talk to you. You need to stop there before going back to Smoky’s barrow.” He turned to Chase. “And Sharah said that if they found you . . . please call her the minute you get the chance.” He handed the detective a cell phone.
I accepted mine, flipping it open. A call to the house got hold of Iris. “What are you doing there? Is anybody with you? I know you want to wait until Menolly wakes up, but—”
“Sharah’s out at the barrow with Morio. I’m in Menolly’s lair. No worries that way—I’m safe enough. But up top, there’s somebody waiting to talk to you. He tried to swear me to secrecy, but Camille, you are my family. He . . . well . . . I don’t know if he is or isn’t.”
“Who is it?” I was beginning to hate waiting games and secrets, wanting all the information up top, front and center.
“Your father. Sephreh ob Tanu. He’s sitting up in the parlor, waiting for you right now, and I have no clue what he wants, before you ask. He just showed up today and demanded to see you. I told him to go out to the barrow and wait but he refuses.” Iris tsked a couple of times and then snorted. “He’s a stubborn man. You two are so much alike.”
“Alike, my ass. He disowned me. I have nothing to say to him.” But then I stopped. What could he want? Had he finally seen his way past Tanaquar’s grasping need for control? Or was it something more mundane? “Fine, I’ll stop there on the way home. But I’m not holding hope. And don’t you dare fix him any tea—not until I know what he wants.”
As I flipped my phone shut, I looked up at Delilah. “Father is at the house. He wants to talk to me.” At the sudden look of joy in her eyes, I held up my hand. “I don’t trust this conciliatory gesture. And maybe he just came to deliver the rest of my stuff. Who knows what he wants? I’m not getting my hopes up because the last thing I need is another fucking jerk dragging me through the mud. Emotionally or physically.”
She nodded, wisely biting her tongue, and we piled back into the cars, heading for our home. As the streets sped by, Hyto’s collar chaffed against my neck. I had the feeling he could sense me—wherever he was—and he was just biding his time until he was ready to come destroy my world.
Chapter 18
The house came into view and my heart thudded like a locomotive picking up steam. My father had disowned me around the equinox. He’d cut off ties with me. My sisters had quit the OIA—the Otherworld Intelligence Agency—in protest of my being fired.
As I got out of the car, one look down toward the trail leading to Birchwater Pond told me that Smoky had, indeed, been more than a little upset. Near the mouth of the path, trees had been uprooted and tossed around like a dog might toss a branch. Scorch marks blackened the ground. I swallowed hard, trying to not remember when I’d realized it was Hyto and not Smoky waiting for me.
Smoky stood at my shoulder and gently put his arm around me, glancing into the sky. “Come, let us go in. And whatever you want, just tell us and we’ll make it happen, my love.”
I nodded, slowly, following them up the stairs to the porch. As we entered the house, Trillian and Delilah immediately spread out, searching for any unwanted guests. Iris peeked in from the kitchen and motioned toward the living room. I blew her a kiss, touched by the tears in her eyes when she saw me standing there.>“I can’t believe I’ve never done this before! This is fun! I’m surprised you aren’t scared, though,” Delilah said. “I know you’re afraid of heights.”
I grinned, even though she couldn’t see my face. “I’m not afraid of much when I’m on Smoky’s back.”
Trillian let out a hrmph, but then I felt his arm snake around my waist and he kissed me on the shoulder. Whispering in my ear, he said, “We were so afraid we’d lost you forever, my love. All three of us—we couldn’t bear the thought. Without you . . . Fox-Boy, Dragon-Dude, and I . . . we are less than we should be. Than we have to be when you’re around.” Tears sprang to my eyes and I ducked my head. What Hyto had done to me had scarred me forever, and yet—and yet—I knew that scar tissue could be stronger than the original flesh. I just had to learn how to use what had happened to empower me, rather than to tear me down.
“I love you—all of you. I love that you are all willing to be part of my life. I love that you work together to make our lives happier. And I love . . . that you all want to be with me. I’m going to need your help to overcome this, but I refuse to let Hyto win. I refuse to let his abuse of me rule my life. I refuse to let him ruin our lives.”
Trillian pressed his lips against the back of my neck, gently, without insistence, just a gentle reminder that he had my back, and I began to cry, softly, grateful that I was back among those who loved me. Even though we had a fight ahead of us—for Hyto would not let it rest, and neither could we—for now, we were as we should be.
“We don’t blame Vanzir anymore.... After you vanished, he came back and read us the riot act. Made us realize that we were blaming the two of you for what couldn’t be helped. He chanced the lizard killing him to defend your honor. He’s not part of our triad, but . . .”
I shook my head. “What happened, happened. It was nothing like what Hyto did to me. Vanzir . . . is not one of my heart-mates. I have no desire to take him for a partner, although now I understand him a lot better than I did, and I no longer distrust him. But I don’t blame him. All I want is to let it go and know that you guys aren’t going to break his neck.”
Trillian let out a long breath. “As you wish, my love.”
Smoky must have caught our conversation because he did a sudden spiral in the air, coiling up and then down in a playful twist. I laughed, holding tight to him, as Trillian held on to my waist, and Delilah to Trillian.
