Witchling

My study was where I worked on my magic, made my potions, and spent a good deal of time curled up in the overstuffed armchair, reading. My Whispering Mirror was in the corner of the room, covered by a black cloth. I pulled back the velvet. The size of a vanity mirror, the frame had been worked from silver delved from the Nebelvuori Mountains—the lands of the dwarves.

The silver had been wrought into an interweaving knot work pattern, with delicate roses and leaves ornamenting the frame. It was stronger than it looked, thanks to the Wizards Guild, and it would last until either the charms were broken or until the winds of time wore away the world. The glass inside was tempered, though it could be shattered by a blow from a magical creature.

The mirror was voice-activated and specifically tuned to the frequencies of our voices—the only three who could use it were my sisters and me. Chase had a similar mirror in his home. The OIA decided it was safer there than in a public office and had charged him with keeping it secret from all but OIA members. I knew he kept it inside a locked closet and that he'd installed a highly sensitive security monitoring system.

I slid onto the chair and said, "Camille."

The mirror began to mist over. We waited, Delilah, Menolly, and Chase crowding in behind me. After a few moments, a voice from the other side of the glass said, "How may I direct your call?"

"Earthside Division reporting in." As I said, humans had nothing on the Sidhe when it came to bureaucracy. The mists began to lift, and my reflection disappeared, replaced by an image I'd been longing to see for months.

"Father!" I almost jumped out of the chair, but that wouldn't be protocol. I forced myself to sit still. After all, he was a senior officer, and we owed him respect. Besides, he'd write me up if I didn't follow procedure, and the last thing I needed were any more demerits in my file.

Delilah, however, couldn't restrain herself. She jumped up and down and waved behind me. Menolly leaned in over my shoulder, her face eagerly soaking in the sights of Otherworld. Homesickness oozed off of her like honey, and in that moment, I realized that she, more than any of us, had lost the most by accepting this assignment.

"Camille!" Father broke out in a smile, his eyes crinkling around the edges as he leaned forward. He was a handsome man, looking young by human standards but he was far older than any human walking the planet. Except for Tom Lane. Of medium height, he was trim and fit, muscled in a lanky way, and he wore his hair in a long, raven-blue braid. My own hair was this color, and my violet eyes matched his. I was surprised that he hadn't started dating again. Our mother had been gone a long time, but he only mingled with other women at parties and social functions.

"I'm so glad to see you girls," he said. "I volunteered for communications duty today because I've got a cough, but I never dreamed I'd get a chance to talk to you." His gaze flickered over Delilah, Menolly, and Chase. "My girls, how are you doing?"

I let out a long sigh. "Have you seen Trillian? Is he alive? Did he tell you what's happening here?" Please, please, please, I thought, please tell me that Trillian's still alive.

Father nodded. "Yes. He was seriously injured, but he lives. The doctors managed to counter the poison." He glanced over his shoulder, then leaned toward the mirror, lowering his voice. "I'm making certain he returns to you by way of the Grandmother Coyote's portal tomorrow. You'll have to look out for him while he heals, and that's going to take at least a month."

Breathing easier, I relaxed. "Thank the gods, but why are they discharging him from the infirmary so quickly?"

"The gods had nothing to do with it," Father said, shaking his head. "You can thank the medics who went to great lengths—over their personal distaste—to keep him alive. We're in trouble here, Camille, and I don't think he'll be safe here for much longer. In a few days… it won't be safe for him or any of his kind."

I narrowed my eyes. "What's going on? Headquarters doesn't seem to care about the potential disaster we're facing here. Otherworld—Earth—both worlds are in danger. The demons are sneaking into Earth and looking for the spirit seals so they can rip open the portals. Shadow Wing's on the move, and he means to invade Earth and then Otherworld. And we're facing a showdown with Bad Ass Luke."

Father gave us a brief nod. "I know. Trillian told me. What's happened since the fight with the skinwalker? Hurry and don't leave anything out."

I filled him in on what had happened since then.

"And you have Tom with you?"

"Yes," I said. "He's downstairs. Morio's guarding him—a yokai-kitsune who's working with us, compliments of Grandmother Coyote. Thank the gods she got involved, because Morio saved our butt more than once. But Bad Ass Luke is out there, and we know he's going to interfere before we manage to send Tom through the portal at the Wayfarer."

Father frowned, thinking. I glanced back at Delilah, who was raptly staring at the mirror. Menolly, too, for all of her suppressed anger over the way Father reacted to her when she'd been turned into a vampire. We all needed reassurance, and Father's face was the most comfort we'd had in several days.

As I glanced at Chase, who was hanging toward the back, I realized that I hadn't introduced him yet. "I'm sorry, I forgot my manners," I said. "Father, this is Chase Johnson. Chase is the director of OIA affairs, Earthside. Chase, this is our father, Sephreh ob Tanu. He's a member of the Guard and reports to the ruling council as an auxiliary delegate."

Father gave Chase a brief nod. "Our surname system would be confusing for you to understand. You may call me Captain Sephreh."

Chase cleared his throat and straightened his shoulders. "Nice to meet you, sir. I just wish it wasn't under these circumstances." He fidgeted, running his hand through his hair, and I repressed a laugh. Meeting the parents was always awkward.

"What do you think we should do?" I asked. "Can you give us any clue that might help defeat Bad Ass Luke? If he's worse than the Psycho Babbler, then we're in big trouble."

Still looking uncomfortable, Father shifted in his chair. He finally leaned close to the mirror, his voice a whisper. "I've been debating whether to tell you, but I suppose I have to. The Court and Crown are in an uproar, and the OIA has been left to its own devices."

"What's going on?" I asked, a cold chill running down my back. "Are you safe?"

He nodded. "Don't worry about me. I'm fine at the moment, but something's happened that will affect every branch of government, including the military. Shadow Wing has picked the perfect time to make his attempt."

I wet my lips, afraid to ask but knowing I had no choice. "What is it?"

"The Court is in chaos. Queen Lethesanar's sister has come forward and claimed the crown for herself. Tanaquar's accusing the Queen of being so drugged that she can no longer rule. And Tanaquar has a vast array of support, including anybody who's ever been harmed or punished by Lethesanar. We're on the brink of civil war, and until things are sorted out, I doubt if anybody beyond the oldest of the Guard will pay any attention to talk about demons and invasion."

I stared at him, openmouthed. "Civil war? But… the Queen is the Court."

"Who's backing Tanaquar besides the Queen's victims?" Delilah asked.

Glancing up at her, I said, "That's a good question. Who?"

Father let out a low sigh. "That's why I'm sending Trillian back to you as soon as he's able to stand. The entire city of Svartalfheim is relocating to Otherworld from the Subterranean Realms to get away from Shadow Wing. They've been talking to Tanaquar about what's going on down under, and she's promised to do something about the demons if they help her win the Crown. They've forged an alliance. Trillian informed me a few days ago. He wanted to give me the chance to get away."

Unable to process everything he was saying, I sucked in a deep breath. "Did you tell the Court about this?" My father was the most loyal of the Guard. If he'd kept the information silent, then I knew all hell was about to break loose.

He shook his head. "Camille… girls… I am loyal to the Court and Crown, but Lethesanar has brought dishonor to the city. She's sullied Y'Elestrial's name with her disregard for its citizens. Since you left, things have gotten far worse. Anyone disagreeing with the Queen faces torture. The Court's opium parties bankrupt the city. This is not the Crown to whom I pledged an oath of fealty."

My father was an ethical man. He would remain loyal to Court and Crown, but not necessarily to she who wore the crown.

"Yesterday, Tanaquar went public with her accusations, and it was then that the emissaries from Svartalfheim arrived. The Queen's livid, and she's banned all Svartans from the city, but she can't stop them from coming to Otherworld. They've already contacted the dwarves about this and have formed an alliance. And you know how much the Elves hate their darker brothers, but the Elfin Queen must believe the stories about Shadow Wing, because she's forged a truce with the King of Svartalfheim."

I stared at the mirror, unable to comprehend just what I was hearing. Such an alliance was unheard of in history. "Holy crap. Father, we have to get Tom back to OW—neither he nor the spirit seal are safe here."

He shook his head. "I can tell you what I know about Bad Ass Luke's weaknesses, but you must not bring the spirit seal to Y'Elestrial. The Queen would attempt to use it against her sister, as futile as that might be."

I stared at the mirror, a wave of helplessness pouring over me. "Then what do we do? Where can we hide it?"

He stared at me, his face a blank slate. "Take it through Grandmother Coyote's portal. On this end, it's guarded by' Great Mother Bear and is out of the OIA's jurisdiction. From there, take the seal to Asteria, the Elfin Queen. She has the least to gain with it in her possession, and I think you can trust her. Tell no one in OIA what you know. Kill Luke, and report it as an isolated incident."

I knew it hurt him to go behind the OIA's back. I also knew that our father wouldn't order us to do something like this unless our lives depended on it.

Nodding, I sat back. "As you say, Father. Now tell us about Luke. Does he have any weaknesses?"

My father closed his eyes, and he looked tired and worn-out. "I'll tell you again what happened when I fought him, but I fear that eliminating this demon will be the hardest thing you've ever done," he said.

* * *

CHAPTER 18

By the time we signed off, we were all as weary as Father had looked. Chase was obviously shaken. He was a by-the-book cop until he'd joined the OIA, and now he was being told that his beloved new agency was corrupt and that civil war threatened to interfere with everything that he'd helped build Earthside during the past few years.

While Delilah and Chase made sandwiches for us, I filled Morio and Iris in on what was going down. We hauled Wisteria into the living room, where it was easier to keep an eye on her and yet she still wouldn't be within earshot.

Tom was another matter. He hadn't spoken much, merely humming to himself under his breath. But when he saw Maggie, his face lit up, and he asked if he could hold her. I watched as they snuggled together in the rocking chair that sat near the kitchen range. He played with her little hands, smiling as she wrapped tiny claws around one of his fingers. I wiped my eyes, feeling weary and sad. The evil we were facing threatened to overrun the Toms and Maggies of the world. It would chew them up and spit them out bleeding and raw without a second thought. And that was why we would stay and fight.

"We're going to need the cooperation of Grandmother Coyote. We need her portal to get Tom over to Otherworld." I drummed my fingers on the table, trying to think out the logistics. "Then we track down Luke and dispatch him as quickly as possible."

Morio shook his head, a worried light glimmering in his eye. "I have the feeling that Luke will be coming to us before we ever reach Grandmother Coyote's woods. For one thing, his buddy should probably have checked in with him by now, but instead he's lying dead in your living room. For another, you know that by now Luke has to have figured out that we have Tom."

"Can you sneak through to convince Grandmother Coyote to help us—to let us use her portal?" I stared at him, and images of our hot-to-trot liaison out on the mound flickered through my head. Once Trillian was back, I was going to be walking a tightrope between the two men because I really didn't want to give up either of them.

He glanced over to the counter where Delilah was putting the finishing touches on our lunch. "As soon as I eat. Meanwhile, I suggest that you cast a tracking spell to locate Luke. I'll bet you anything he's on his way here. The last thing you want is to be caught unprepared."

"Oh, that's just what we need," I said. "And if it works as well as the one I cast on the harpy, then all our troubles will be over because good ol' Luke will appear right in our living room."

Chase snorted, and Delilah laughed outright. But Morio was right, I thought. We just couldn't sit around and wait for Luke to come to us. I accepted the turkey sandwich Delilah handed me and morosely bit into it.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm good for a laugh," I said. "But Morio does have a point. I'll give it a try, but we all need to be prepared, because if my spell backfires and he shows up in the living room, we need to take him down then and there. This is to the death, people."

Chase slid into the chair next to mine. "Camille, how long has this civil war thing been brewing in Y'Elestrial?" ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">