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I glanced at them. Protesters, carrying signs that read Good Riddance and Burn, Supes, Burn and other hate slogans. I jammed my hands into the pockets of my jacket and was about to head over to warn them off when another throng—about twice as big as the first—arrived on hand. They were carrying picket signs, too, only they were in support of Marion and the Supe Community. The minute the hate crowd began chanting, the others slid between them and the yellow caution tape cordoning off the café and overpowered their outbursts with a louder one.
“Looks like Neely and Tim have managed to coordinate things. They’re right on top of it.” Camille gave me a brief smile. “That’s one of the first pieces of good news we’ve had.”
“Think we’re needed here?”
“I think they can handle it. Hopefully nothing will get out of hand.” She signed and called to the guys, who began walking back to us.
“We can’t hit the Energy Exchange yet—I want to go in at night, when we have a better chance of catching the Koyanni and Van. And when we have Menolly—and maybe Roman—on our side.” I mulled over what we could do in the meantime. I wanted a nap—curling up in one of my cat beds seemed like the ideal thing to do for a few hours—but we didn’t have that luxury.
Then it hit me. “We were going to go talk to Queen Asteria. We’ve got a good five or six hours until we can even think about going to the club. What say we take a quick trip to Otherworld and visit the Queen? Or at least talk to Trenyth?”
That brought the first real smile from Camille I’d seen since Iris’s wedding. “What say? I say hell, yes. You know, Chase has always wanted to see Otherworld. Why don’t we take him? He can leave Yugi in charge for an afternoon. He can use a break.”
And so, within half an hour, we were standing at the edge of Grandmother Coyote’s wood, ready to portal-jump to the Elfin City.
Since we weren’t planning on staying long, we decided to skip dressing for travel. The portal in Grandmother Coyote’s wood would take us directly to Elqaneve and the city wasn’t rough, or hard going, so we didn’t need to worry about hiking gear. Chase looked nervous. Even though he’d been dragged into a different realm not long ago by one of the Elder Fae, he’d never been to Otherworld. And he’d never been through one of the regular portals.
We stopped at home first, to gather weapons and make sure everything was okay, and decided to leave Trillian and Shade behind. We didn’t need them to update the Queen on the situation, and they could spend the afternoon finding out everything they could about the Energy Exchange and preparing for the evening.
Chase stared at the portal that shimmered between two large trees in the middle of the forest. Grandmother Coyote wasn’t anywhere in sight, but we had license to use the portal anytime we needed to. The shimmering blue energy crackled and snapped.
“Is it like the one that I got dragged through by that freak show spider-Fae woman?” He eyed it suspiciously.
“Don’t sweat it. The principle is similar, but it won’t feel as weird. Well, I don’t think it feels as weird.” I patted him on the back, and he forced a smile. “I thought you wanted to see Elqaneve?”
“I do…I’m just…” He paused, then shrugged. “What the hell, I’m going to have a long life unless I get murdered or do something stupid. I might as well learn how to be adventurous.” Sucking in a deep breath, he followed the three of us to the portal. Camille went first, then Smoky, then Chase, and then I stepped through.
Traveling through a portal is like stepping between giant magnets—with your body rippling apart into atoms, breaking down to the primal energy that makes up both spirit and form. Then every atom, every cell, goes singing through time and space. Within seconds, the body slams together again, in a dizzying whirl, and you find yourself standing a world away from where you began.
We were near the Barrow Mounds. Centuries ago, they’d been the home to the Elfin Oracle, Sarasena. She’d been killed by bandits, and after that, no plants ever grew again on the barrows. The ghosts of elves, long dead, walked between the mounds, whispering to themselves, thinking whatever distant thoughts they thought. They lingered, the victims of old battles, memories that would not rest.
There was a haunted feel to the Mounds, and every time we came through them, it gave me chills. Camille could see the spirits, and so could Shade and Morio. I was beginning to feel them more, the longer I trained with Greta. Eventually, she told me I’d be able to see ghosts and spirits with ease.
I looked around. By now, Morio should have used the Whispering Mirror to contact Trenyth, the advisor to the Queen. And…there he was, right on clockwork.
Trenyth, like all elves, looked younger than his years by far. He was loyal to the heart, and though he didn’t seem to realize it, he was in love with Queen Asteria. I secretly hoped that one day she’d realize his feelings, but the age difference was probably too great for her to allow a tryst to take place. Not to mention the difference in caste.
Trenyth broke out in a wide smile. “Camille—Delilah! Welcome. Morio contacted me and said you’d be coming over. Are you staying for a while?” He noticed Chase and inclined his head. They’d met before. “Chase—what an unexpected surprise.”
Chase held out his hand and Trenyth, used to the greeting by now, took it. “I hope you don’t mind that I tagged along with the girls.”
“Not at all.” Trenyth motioned toward an enclosed carriage pulled by two horses. Noblas stedas—a variant of Earthside Clydesdales, they were gorgeous, broad shouldered, and regal.
“We can’t stay long—a few hours at most—but we must talk to you and the Queen. It’s imperative. We have some unwelcome news.” I followed Trenyth, trailed by Camille, Smoky, and Chase. Chase, his eyes wide, darted glances every way as we headed to the carriage.
“This is incredible.” Chase caught up to me. “The air is so clear here. I can’t believe how easy it is on my lungs. I feel like I did when I quit smoking. Almost dizzy.” Chase had stopped smoking when we were going out, and he had managed to stay off the cigarettes after we broke up. He cocked his head. “There’s something else…I feel…tingly…”
“Magic.” Camille accepted the driver’s hand as he helped boost her into the carriage. “You’re feeling the magic that permeates the air and the land. Otherworld is magical down to the core of each atom. With the changing nature of your abilities, you’re becoming more sensitive to these things.”
With a nod, he climbed into the carriage after her. The rest of us joined him, along with Trenyth. Smoky’s head brushed the roof. As we headed through the cobbled streets, the horses’ hooves clipped smartly against the cobblestones. Chase was looking out the window, an expression on his face that I’d never before seen.
“You know, even though I’ve seen things that, five years ago, I didn’t even believe existed…I feel like I’ve stepped into Wonderland. I feel like Alice, down the rabbit hole.” He looked so excited and his face was so lit up, that I couldn’t help myself. I reached out and kissed him on the cheek. He pressed his hand to his face, grinning at me, then stared back out the window.
“The houses! They’re so different.”
Trenyth smiled softly, then turned to Camille. “Not to bring up a sore subject, but has your father been in contact with you at all?”
She hung her head, shaking it mutely.
