Night Myst

Page 20

"Okay, let's head out." Taking a deep breath, I plunged into the ravine. The path was level for the first twenty minutes of walking, then slowly began to descend. When Rhiannon and I'd been children, we'd usually stayed on this side of the ravine, in the wood near the house. But today, we had quite a hike in front of us.
The mat of needles and leaves beneath the snow scrunched as I led the way into the thick copse. Throughout the woods, the call of crows echoed from tree to tree, and one lone bird sang to announce the coming storms. I listened to the breeze that had picked up, but Ulean warned me from playing in the slipstream too much.
A storm's on the way, with heavy snowfall behind it. This is an unusual winter and Myst might be behind it.
Great. Storms were crazy enough on their own. I tried to stay out of their way because if they could sense you had tuned in on them, they'd take aim at you like a lightning rod. And those of us who worked with the wind or weather tuned in to them like a compass needle seeking north.
I sent a mental hug to Ulean, surprised to feel one in return. It occurred to me that, now that I was settling down--and especially if I were to start up some sort of magical business--I'd need to begin regular meditation again. I'd taught myself how to meditate over the years and it kept me sane during my exile with Krystal. Now I could start to truly dive into my work with Ulean and see just how far we could take our partnership.
I'd like that. A smile broke through her words.
I'd like that, too.
I turned to the others. "Let's get a move on, rough weather coming in."
As I scrambled to the edge of the ravine, I noted the overgrown state of the path leading down and through it. When I was little, it had been carefully tended, but now it was a tangle of briars and other dangers, all hiding under a blanket of white.
"Watch it, there's stinging nettle along this path and it will be hard to see now. Everything's so overgrown and wild, and the snow over the slick ground won't make this any easier."
" 'Lay on, Macduff! Just don't lead us to ruin.' " Leo was joking but I could sense the tension in his voice.
"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," I said.
The path was slippery, the overgrown foliage slick from the winter's touch. The patches that were clear of plants had frozen, and were slick with black ice. Down below, mist rose from the bottom of the ravine. And the temperature was hovering around thirty-three degrees. Good thing we'd all worn heavy clothing.
I edged my way down, slipping and sliding, occasionally having to lean back toward the slope to balance myself with my hand. At a shout from Rhiannon, I glanced back. She'd landed on her butt in a patch of brambles.
"You okay?"
She nodded as Leo helped her up. "Yeah, a few thorns but nothing major." Shaking off the clinging stickers, she cautiously passed over the slippery spot and I went back to deciphering the best way down.
Ravines in western Washington are usually steep, covered in thorny brambles and stinging nettle and ferns, and they're moist. Fungi grow thick in them, and there's the ever-present sense that the very ground is alive. Add a layer of snow, and freezing temperatures, and you have the perfect recipe for an accident.
The scents of ozone mingling with the cedar and fir created a sharp blend that went straight to my head. Scents affected me more than they did others, probably because of my affinity for the air.
The mist wafted up the side of the slope and I stopped, staring at the coiling, vaporous serpents. If there was anything hidden within the fog, we couldn't see it. Chances are whatever might be cloaked couldn't see us either, but Rhiannon and Leo weren't skilled at quiet navigation. Kaylin appeared to be, and I knew how to soften my footsteps, but with the other two in tow it would be obvious we were coming.
I held up my hand and motioned for them to shut up. They quieted down, pausing as I listened. At first, the sound of snow falling from the branches to the ground below and the calling of crows overshadowed everything else, but as I tuned in and asked Ulean to separate the sounds for me, the layers began to pull apart. To the left--a small animal running through the overgrowth. Overhead, the trees creaked in the wind, branches rubbing against each other.
As I lowered myself even deeper into the slipstream of sound, I could hear the slow hiss of the mist as it rolled along the ground, alive and looking to cover and obscure. And behind the mist, spirits whispered on their passage through the ravine. Ghostly lips played out laughter and tears, sudden cries, then--just as suddenly silent.
Still lower, I had to go lower.
And finally, below the mist, below the ghosts and the susurration of breeze, more whispering. But this time the noise was on a different frequency--not Elemental, but belonging to . . . the Fae. And that meant, the Shadow Hunters. But I heard no footfalls to warn me they were near, no vocalized thoughts to indicate they might be waiting below. No, this was different--as though I were listening through earphones to something distant and far away.
I let out a slow breath and turned back to the others. "We're being watched, but I don't sense any immediate danger. I think we're safe enough." I kept my voice as low as I could but no matter what I did, I knew the slipstream would catch it up for the waiting ears and eyes that hid behind the mist.
Turning back to the path, I began to make my way down into the first layer of mist that rose about a third of the way up the sides of the ravine. The fog swirled around me, cloaking everything outside of a couple yards in my path. While I could see my feet through the white swirls, we'd be walking blind here. I waited for the others to catch up.
"Don't fall behind. I'll go slow. We need to keep within sight of one another."
"Will this help?" Kaylin passed me a thin rope. "We can each keep hold of it."
"Sounds good to me. Don't let it catch on anything." I wrapped the end of the rope around my arm and once again headed into the mist. The chill echoed in my lungs, and reflexively I coughed, then whirled at a sudden stir in the wild rosebush next to me.
"Crap!" I stumbled back as a creature leapt out and landed near my feet. Squat, with bloated eyes, it was about three feet high, and had nasty-looking teeth in an oversized mouth. And it latched on to my leg.
I tried to shake it off, but it had a good hold and--oh shit, it was about to bite down. I had no doubt that those teeth would be able to rip right through my jeans and take a good chunk out of me.
"Get it off me!"
Kaylin rushed forward and landed a kick to its midsection. The creature let go but hissed at him and gathered itself for a leap. Before I could think, instinct took over and I flicked my switchblade open, stabbing the tip square on the creature's back. As I pulled away for another blow, it jumped out of reach, reminding me of a toad, then ran off.
Panting, I faced Kaylin. "What the fuck was that?"
"Goblin dog. Goblins live in the forest with the Fae you know. They're actually part of the whole Fae world, but both Seelie and Unseelie avoid them. Goblin dogs are . . . well, they're intelligent to a degree. They're a cross between goblins and other . . . creatures. Goblins that didn't quite develop normally. They're used as slaves and frontline grunts in wars. In other words: anytime somebody has to do the dirty work and stands a good chance of being offed."
"Oh, how delightful. I've never heard of them. Hell, I barely know anything about the world of the Fae." I paused. "How do you know so much?"
He gave me a long look. "The shamanic tradition my mother was initiated into, the magic that changed my DNA, is steeped in the magic of the Court of Dreams. The inhabitants of the Court aren't fully corporeal and they work on the astral plane. They're well aware of the Fae and I've learned much in the hundred years I've been alive."
I'd never heard of the Court of Dreams but just the mention of it washed over me like a bucket of cold water. Something about the name . . .
"Wait . . . hundred years? You're a hundred years old?"
"One hundred and one, yes." He said it so matter-offactly that I decided to let that issue drop right there. We could discuss his age and how he managed to get there without looking a day over thirty later on, when we weren't fighting goblin dogs.
"Okay. So, is this also what gives you your ability to see ghosts?"
"Yeah, and my other . . . abilities." Kaylin nodded to the bottom of the ravine. "We'd better get a move on or that thing might come back. And frankly, I don't know if we're armed enough to actually kill it. You landed a nasty blow with your blade and barely slit the skin."
The reality of what he was saying washed over me. We'd barely hurt the creature. What would we do if we were facing something more dangerous? No two ways about it: We had to shape up because chances were good that we wouldn't make it through the next few months without another fight. Kaylin was experienced. And I knew enough to teach street fighting. We'd muddle through.
"Keep your eyes open. If something happens, don't run off into the mist alone. Kaylin and I have the most experience fighting, so Leo, you stick with me. Kaylin, you help Rhia."
Rhiannon moved to Kaylin's side. Leo pulled up front with me.
"We ready? Let's push toward the bottom of the ravine."
I showed Leo how I was inching my way down, stepping sideways on the steep and frozen hill. Then, I'd test my footing before putting full weight on my leg. He followed suit. Every few feet I called, "Check," and Kaylin echoed it back to me. After another ten minutes, I could hear the sound of tinkling water. The stream sounded muffled, and I guessed it was partially frozen over.
"We're almost at the bottom." The fog was so thick at our level that it caught in my lungs, making me wheeze. But sure enough, in another moment we were standing beside the channel through which a rolling stream flowed. Or did, under a thin layer of ice.
"Now what?" Rhiannon asked.
"Now, we cross the stream and head up the other side." This was taking longer than I thought it would. I hadn't counted on the mist, or on being attacked, or on just how rough our footing would be. We still had at least another hour--maybe two--of walking, according to the directions Grieve had given me.
"We need to pick up the pace."
"Here's a stepping-stone bridge," Kaylin said, pointing to a series of smooth, flat stones that had been placed across the stream. They were wet and iced over, but they were an inch or so above the water and if we balanced carefully, we might not end up calf-deep in the stream. I lightly crossed to the other side and the others followed suit.
"Now, up the hill and on to the Marburry Barrow," I said.
But even as the words left my mouth, a noise to our left alerted us and we turned. There, hiding behind a tree, stood Chatter, looking petrified. And Grieve was nowhere in sight.
Chapter 15
"Chatter? Chatter? I see you!" As I headed toward the tree, he looked about ready to run. I held out my finger, shaking it at him. "Don't you dare!"
Rhiannon glanced at the tree and a huge smile washed across her face. "Chatter! Please, don't go!"
He slowly stepped from behind the tree, eyeing the four of us nervously. After a moment of scuffing the ground, he bowed to Rhiannon. "Miss Rhiannon, it's good to see you again. And dear Cicely . . ."
"What are you doing here, Chatter? Were you watching us?" I took a step toward him. He didn't worry me nearly as much as Grieve. Grieve was a member of the Indigo Court. Chatter still seemed like . . . Chatter.
He blushed and shook his head. "I can see why you would think so. No, Miss Cicely. I'm not worthy enough to be used as a spy." By the tone in his voice and the lowering of his head, I could tell whatever self-esteem he used to possess had been beaten out of him. I prayed Grieve hadn't been on the other end of the stick.
"Chatter . . . my friend. What are you doing here?" I held out my hand and he slowly took it. As I pulled him close and gave him a hug, he relaxed just enough to tell me that he was as afraid as we were.
He winced, then shrugged his head to one side. "Just . . . trying to stay out of the way of the Queen and her Court. Grieve's not around today to protect me."
That figured. I had the feeling that life at the Indigo Court hadn't gone easy on Chatter. In fact, it occurred to me we might actually have a better in to the Court through him than through Grieve. Of course, if Myst found out . . .
"I bet life isn't very easy now that the Queen of Rivers and Rushes is gone. I'm so sorry. I liked Lainule." I held his gaze, wanting to take away some of the pain I saw behind those limpid brown eyes.
"No," he whispered, a light flashing in his eyes. "Life's been harsh the past few years. I miss the Queen. She was fair and just."
"Will you tell us what happened?" Rhiannon asked. She placed a light hand on his shoulder. He gazed at her, a slow sadness filling his eyes.
He likes her, Ulean whispered.
I nodded, slowly. I could see it in his face. Chatter shivered under her touch as she stroked his arm lightly. I glanced at Leo, who was not looking pleased.
"We need to know what's going on. My mother's disappeared, and a friend. We don't know if they're alive or dead."
Relieved she didn't spill Grieve's secret and let on that he'd already told us they were alive, I relaxed for a moment.
Chatter closed his eyes. "I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry about all of this. I wish you hadn't come back, Cicely--not to face this mess. And Miss Rhiannon . . . your mother and your friend . . . I wish I could help."
His eyes misted over and he hung his head. "We fought them. So much death. So much blood. We fought and fought. Grieve led a band of us deep into the Barrow and we tried to sneak the women and children out through the portal to the other side. But they caught up with us. There was so much blood and screaming, and little children torn to bits." He wiped his eyes with one hand, but the catch in his voice was like a rusty hinge and I knew he'd been broken.