The Iron Warrior
Page 47
“Annwyl.” Kenzie’s face was sympathetic and angry at the same time. “I’m so sorry,” she whispered, and her eyes glimmered. “This isn’t... It’s just not fair! You didn’t ask for any of this. It’s not your fault that Keirran went completely stupid.”
“It’s all right.” Annwyl gave a small smile. “I’m...tired, Mackenzie. I’ve lived a long life, longer than most. I have fewer regrets than joys, fewer sorrows than happy memories.” She looked away, into the trees, her voice the barest murmur. “I’m not afraid. It’s time to stop lingering and move on. Keirran is the last piece I must take care of.”
There was a ripple of movement in the darkness ahead, and the Wolf melted soundlessly out of the trees. Annwyl stiffened, eyes going wide with fear and awe as the huge creature padded toward us, but she didn’t panic, even when the Wolf swung his massive head toward her, sniffing the air.
“I take it this is the one you came for?” he growled, his voice making the leaves vibrate overhead. “You didn’t tell me she was one of them.”
“One of who?” Kenzie asked.
“Them. The Fading Ones. The Forgotten, as you call them.” The Wolf snorted in disgust. “She reeks of stolen magic, of forbidden glamour, yet she herself is not entirely here. And there is something else. Something...dark. Angry.” His muzzle curled, revealing fangs, and he pressed forward threateningly. “It sort of makes me want to bite her head off.”
“Well, restrain yourself,” Kenzie snapped, stepping in front of the Summer fey. “No one is biting anyone’s head off. You, stay.” She glared at the Wolf who, while he didn’t look exactly intimidated, snorted and backed off a step. “We have to get back to the wyldwood and look for Keirran,” Kenzie went on, glancing at the rest of us. “Any ideas on how we’re going to do that?”
“Quickly, would be my advice,” came a voice overhead. A pair of glowing eyes floated in the branches above, a moment before Grimalkin materialized on a tree limb. “I see you managed to locate the Summer girl and the amulet,” the cat said, sounding as if he had doubted our ability to accomplish that. “And the dog remembered his end of the bargain and did not bite anyone’s head off out of habit. I suppose wonders never cease.”
I expected the Wolf to snarl and bare his teeth, but to my surprise, he only chuckled. “Don’t be a sore loser, cat,” he rumbled. “Remember, you had to ask for my help. I look forward to reminding you of that at every opportunity.”
“Hmph.” Grimalkin sniffed, looking bored. “I suppose the less intelligent have to reassure themselves however they can,” he mused. “I, on the other hand, have been busy with important matters. Ethan Chase...” That gold gaze shifted to me. “The First Queen has invaded the wyldwood,” he said, making me jerk up. “The courts are now at war. A multitude of Forgotten stands between you and the Iron Prince, not to mention the Lady herself. Going after him now would be most unwise.”
“Great. So what are we supposed to do?”
“That I cannot tell you. However, the courts have set up camp at the edge of the wyldwood and Arcadia,” Grimalkin went on, curling his tail around himself. “The Iron Queen is among them, as are the rulers of Summer and Winter. Perhaps they will have a solution. One more feasible than charging headlong at the Iron Prince through a horde of Forgotten and getting yourselves torn to shreds.”
Back to the wyldwood. Back to Meghan and the rest of the courts. I wondered if she would be angry with me; I had promised her I’d stay away from the battlefield if it came down to war with the Forgotten. But... I glanced at Annwyl, watching in somber silence. This is my family. I can’t stay away. I have to try to save him. The Summer girl gave a tiny nod, as if she knew what I was thinking, and my stomach turned. Dammit, I just wish I could save Annwyl, too.
“All right,” I said, and looked to the Thin Man, who hadn’t said much since we’d left the witch’s house. “Back to the wyldwood, then. Can you take us there? Through the Between?”
He raised a razor-thin eyebrow. “Not here,” he said slowly. “One can only part the Veil where it is weak, and I know of only one place in the Deep Wyld where the barrier between worlds is that thin. We would have to cross the River of Dreams to find a spot where I could take you into the Between.”
I sighed. “I guess if that’s the only way,” I muttered. “But we’re running out of time. And call me cynical, but I can’t see us not running into some kind of trouble on the way back, either.”
The Wolf shook his massive head.
“There will be no trouble,” he stated in a deep, firm voice. “Nothing will dare come close. I’ll take you back myself.”
Kenzie blinked. “You will? Why?”
“I’m old, little girl.” The Wolf regarded her with solemn green eyes. “Older than the witch. Older than even your thin friend over there. I remember the days when the First Queen ruled. The courts have forgotten—purposely, I suspect—but those were chaotic, bloody times. The world lived in fear of us, terrified of the Good Neighbors and the creatures that lurked in the dark. She would bring those days back, if she could.”
“I don’t understand,” Kenzie said. “All that fear and glamour and belief? Isn’t that what you want?”
“Chaos and panic and mortals running around like headless chickens?” The Wolf barked a laugh. “It would be highly amusing. But the world has changed. Those days are gone. And I know what humans are capable of now. They no longer worship the things they fear. They try to eradicate them.” His eyes narrowed. “The First Queen would bring destruction to the Nevernever even as she tried to save it. The Veil cannot be allowed to disappear again. So if you need someone to carve a bloody swath through ranks of Forgotten to get to the First Queen and her little Iron pet, I’m the best one for the job.”
“Oh, goodie,” said Grimalkin, rising from the branch. “And now we have picked up the dog. I will inform the Iron Queen of your imminent arrival, and to prepare for the smell.”
He waved his tail once and was gone. Razor bared his teeth in the direction the cat had been and hissed. “Evil, bad kitty,” the gremlin muttered. “Tie rock to tail and throw in lake, ha!”
The Wolf chuckled in approval. “At least one of you has good taste.”
* * *
As the Wolf predicted, we did not run into any trouble on our way back through the Deep Wyld. Though there was one tense instance where a boulder uncurled and stood up, revealing it was actually a wrinkled gray giant with mossy hair, yellow tusks and arms down to its knees. Wolf and giant stared at each other for a few terrifying heartbeats, before the two-legged monster took a step back and shambled off into the trees.
The bridge was waiting for us as we left the tangled forest, which was somewhat of a shock. And a very grumpy bridge gnome informed us that a bossy gray cat had already taken care of the toll, and that we were free to cross as we pleased. Why he couldn’t have done that the first time we crossed, I had no idea, but it was, after all, Grimalkin. Once we were back in the wyldwood, the Thin Man quickly found a spot where the Veil was thin, and we slipped into the blank grayness of the Between once more.
“It’s all right.” Annwyl gave a small smile. “I’m...tired, Mackenzie. I’ve lived a long life, longer than most. I have fewer regrets than joys, fewer sorrows than happy memories.” She looked away, into the trees, her voice the barest murmur. “I’m not afraid. It’s time to stop lingering and move on. Keirran is the last piece I must take care of.”
There was a ripple of movement in the darkness ahead, and the Wolf melted soundlessly out of the trees. Annwyl stiffened, eyes going wide with fear and awe as the huge creature padded toward us, but she didn’t panic, even when the Wolf swung his massive head toward her, sniffing the air.
“I take it this is the one you came for?” he growled, his voice making the leaves vibrate overhead. “You didn’t tell me she was one of them.”
“One of who?” Kenzie asked.
“Them. The Fading Ones. The Forgotten, as you call them.” The Wolf snorted in disgust. “She reeks of stolen magic, of forbidden glamour, yet she herself is not entirely here. And there is something else. Something...dark. Angry.” His muzzle curled, revealing fangs, and he pressed forward threateningly. “It sort of makes me want to bite her head off.”
“Well, restrain yourself,” Kenzie snapped, stepping in front of the Summer fey. “No one is biting anyone’s head off. You, stay.” She glared at the Wolf who, while he didn’t look exactly intimidated, snorted and backed off a step. “We have to get back to the wyldwood and look for Keirran,” Kenzie went on, glancing at the rest of us. “Any ideas on how we’re going to do that?”
“Quickly, would be my advice,” came a voice overhead. A pair of glowing eyes floated in the branches above, a moment before Grimalkin materialized on a tree limb. “I see you managed to locate the Summer girl and the amulet,” the cat said, sounding as if he had doubted our ability to accomplish that. “And the dog remembered his end of the bargain and did not bite anyone’s head off out of habit. I suppose wonders never cease.”
I expected the Wolf to snarl and bare his teeth, but to my surprise, he only chuckled. “Don’t be a sore loser, cat,” he rumbled. “Remember, you had to ask for my help. I look forward to reminding you of that at every opportunity.”
“Hmph.” Grimalkin sniffed, looking bored. “I suppose the less intelligent have to reassure themselves however they can,” he mused. “I, on the other hand, have been busy with important matters. Ethan Chase...” That gold gaze shifted to me. “The First Queen has invaded the wyldwood,” he said, making me jerk up. “The courts are now at war. A multitude of Forgotten stands between you and the Iron Prince, not to mention the Lady herself. Going after him now would be most unwise.”
“Great. So what are we supposed to do?”
“That I cannot tell you. However, the courts have set up camp at the edge of the wyldwood and Arcadia,” Grimalkin went on, curling his tail around himself. “The Iron Queen is among them, as are the rulers of Summer and Winter. Perhaps they will have a solution. One more feasible than charging headlong at the Iron Prince through a horde of Forgotten and getting yourselves torn to shreds.”
Back to the wyldwood. Back to Meghan and the rest of the courts. I wondered if she would be angry with me; I had promised her I’d stay away from the battlefield if it came down to war with the Forgotten. But... I glanced at Annwyl, watching in somber silence. This is my family. I can’t stay away. I have to try to save him. The Summer girl gave a tiny nod, as if she knew what I was thinking, and my stomach turned. Dammit, I just wish I could save Annwyl, too.
“All right,” I said, and looked to the Thin Man, who hadn’t said much since we’d left the witch’s house. “Back to the wyldwood, then. Can you take us there? Through the Between?”
He raised a razor-thin eyebrow. “Not here,” he said slowly. “One can only part the Veil where it is weak, and I know of only one place in the Deep Wyld where the barrier between worlds is that thin. We would have to cross the River of Dreams to find a spot where I could take you into the Between.”
I sighed. “I guess if that’s the only way,” I muttered. “But we’re running out of time. And call me cynical, but I can’t see us not running into some kind of trouble on the way back, either.”
The Wolf shook his massive head.
“There will be no trouble,” he stated in a deep, firm voice. “Nothing will dare come close. I’ll take you back myself.”
Kenzie blinked. “You will? Why?”
“I’m old, little girl.” The Wolf regarded her with solemn green eyes. “Older than the witch. Older than even your thin friend over there. I remember the days when the First Queen ruled. The courts have forgotten—purposely, I suspect—but those were chaotic, bloody times. The world lived in fear of us, terrified of the Good Neighbors and the creatures that lurked in the dark. She would bring those days back, if she could.”
“I don’t understand,” Kenzie said. “All that fear and glamour and belief? Isn’t that what you want?”
“Chaos and panic and mortals running around like headless chickens?” The Wolf barked a laugh. “It would be highly amusing. But the world has changed. Those days are gone. And I know what humans are capable of now. They no longer worship the things they fear. They try to eradicate them.” His eyes narrowed. “The First Queen would bring destruction to the Nevernever even as she tried to save it. The Veil cannot be allowed to disappear again. So if you need someone to carve a bloody swath through ranks of Forgotten to get to the First Queen and her little Iron pet, I’m the best one for the job.”
“Oh, goodie,” said Grimalkin, rising from the branch. “And now we have picked up the dog. I will inform the Iron Queen of your imminent arrival, and to prepare for the smell.”
He waved his tail once and was gone. Razor bared his teeth in the direction the cat had been and hissed. “Evil, bad kitty,” the gremlin muttered. “Tie rock to tail and throw in lake, ha!”
The Wolf chuckled in approval. “At least one of you has good taste.”
* * *
As the Wolf predicted, we did not run into any trouble on our way back through the Deep Wyld. Though there was one tense instance where a boulder uncurled and stood up, revealing it was actually a wrinkled gray giant with mossy hair, yellow tusks and arms down to its knees. Wolf and giant stared at each other for a few terrifying heartbeats, before the two-legged monster took a step back and shambled off into the trees.
The bridge was waiting for us as we left the tangled forest, which was somewhat of a shock. And a very grumpy bridge gnome informed us that a bossy gray cat had already taken care of the toll, and that we were free to cross as we pleased. Why he couldn’t have done that the first time we crossed, I had no idea, but it was, after all, Grimalkin. Once we were back in the wyldwood, the Thin Man quickly found a spot where the Veil was thin, and we slipped into the blank grayness of the Between once more.
