Earth's Hope (28 page)

The dragons dropped heavily to the ground. Aislinn wondered if they’d killed all the griffons. She didn’t see any in the sky, but that didn’t mean anything.

“We have two choices.” Nidhogg eyed them. “The stronghold gates are open—probably on purpose. We can leave, or we can storm the fortress.”

“What other surprises do they have in store for us?” Eve asked. Tabitha snarled low in her throat. Blood smeared her snout and whiskers, and she looked fierce.

“Truthfully,” Dewi said, “I have no idea. I understand you’re tired and this world drains your ability. Nidhogg and I won’t make this decision for you.”

“How about if I make it,” a clear, melodic voice cried. “Welcome to my humble abode.”

Aislinn cringed. D’Chel. She’d know his voice anywhere. Christ! She’d listened to him enough, either seducing her, or screaming epithets when she wouldn’t cooperate. She squared her shoulders and saw him framed in the open door of his fortress. Silky dark hair flowed around well-defined muscles and bronzed skin. Copper eyes leered at her. Thank God he was dressed for once, but his buckskin top and pants fit him like a second skin.

She girded herself for the rush of sexual energy, but it still caught her unprepared, staggering in its intensity. Damn the dark gods. They all wanted to use her for breeding stock, and her sexual response to their energy amused them. Visions of D’Chel’s huge, perfect cock danced before her eyes, and her breath quickened in her throat.

“Human.” He smiled lazily. “I’ve missed our visits.”

“Leave her out of this,” Fionn growled. “Last time ye wanted me to trade her for Bran’s and Gwydion’s freedom. It dinnna work then, and it willna work now. She’s not part of the equation—now or ever.”

“Fine.” D’Chel half-bowed, his eyes alight with intensity. “She wants me, though. I can smell her…interest from here.”

“Only because ye bespelled her.” Fionn curled his hands into fists and stepped between Aislinn and D’Chel.

“If you’re here”—Nidhogg faced the dark god—“then where’s Perrikus?”

“Sorry, old chap, er old dragon, but that’s classified.”

Aislinn moved to Fionn’s side. “Since he invited us in, I think we should take him up on it.” She clapped a hand over her mouth. “I didn’t say that. It wasn’t me.”

Fionn shot her an incredulous look. “So long as he’s shown himself, he can come the rest of the way out—or stand in the doorway—to talk. The only reason to risk ourselves in his lair would have been to flush him out.”

Rune whined anxiously, and Aislinn leaned toward him. “Out of my mind. I don’t want him to hurt you.”

The wolf developed a mulish look and drew his upper lip back in a snarl, but he obeyed.

Something subtle altered the air around D’Chel. He was up to something, but she had no idea what.

Rune stood by her side, hackles raised, sending a foul stare at the dark god. If looks could kill—and if D’Chel weren’t immortal—he’d be dead.

Fionn jerked her behind him again. Aislinn bit back a string of harsh words, and Dewi shot a stream of flame at the god of illusion. It ran down D’Chel’s body and smoke roiled about his feet. Nothing burned, not even his clothes. He must have spelled them in some way.

“He’s cooking something up,” Nidhogg said, “and we’re playing right into his hands by standing here.”

* * * *

Fionn shifted from foot to foot. They should move forward, all of them, and attack. D’Chel couldn’t hold them off forever, not by himself. He caught Nidhogg’s eye and jerked his chin toward D’Chel, but the dragon shook his head.

“Why not?” Fionn asked in carefully shielded mind speech.

“Because that’s what he wants us to do. Something’s in the fortress with him. I feel its energy, but can’t determine what it is.”

“We canna just stand here. If we’re not moving forward, we should retreat.”

The humans had formed a tight group, talking among themselves. Suddenly, with no warning, they broke and hurtled toward the house, magic streaming from them, while Fionn watched horrorstruck.

“They’re not going in there alone,” Aislinn cried, and took off after them with Rune at her heels, growling and snapping.

Fionn pelted after her. So much for a coordinated approach. This was what came of fighting with troops you hadn’t trained much with. The smile on D’Chel’s perfectly sculpted face broadened, and he didn’t lift his hands to defend himself.

“Stop!” Fionn yelled. “’Tis a trap. Once you get close enough—”

Sound cracked like a hundred whips snapping against one another.

“Retreat!” he shrieked and grabbed Aislinn, throwing her behind him. “Flee,” he told her. “Back to the dragons.”

“I will not run.”

“We’re right behind you,” Dewi said.

Magic flashed past Fionn and Aislinn whooshed onto the dragon’s back. At least she’d be safe there, so long as she stayed put.

Rune ran to him. “Get her back,” the wolf demanded. “She wants to be on the ground with me.”

“I’ve got bigger problems just now,” he told the wolf. “Stay close to me.”

Bran and Nidhogg dove into the group of humans, pushing, pulling, yelling. Some obeyed, others ran pell-mell toward D’Chel, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat who’d just cornered an entire nest of mice.

A wave of magic rolled past, and the front row of humans got sucked into a vortex that spun them upward. So that was why D’Chel needed them close. Something about the fortress, or where he stood, concentrated his magic. Sowing chaos and destruction was a real power hog, but the dark god looked as fresh as if he’d just wakened from a nap.

Nidhogg flew into the vortex, interrupting its flow. His black scales gleamed golden as magic bounced off him. He caught three of the four airborne humans on his back and made a grab for the fourth with a foreleg, catching him handily. Huffing smoke and fire, Nidhogg flew back to where he’d overseen the earlier battle.

Fionn made certain Rune was still with him and turned to follow the dragons. Once he caught up to them, he’d insist they return to Earth. No point in remaining to provide sport for D’Chel. As he ran, the air felt thick, prickly, just plain wrong. He stopped and made a grab for Rune. “Something is amiss. Until I figure it out—”

“Nothing to figure out, human.” Another dark god with cropped red curls and brilliant green-gold eyes dropped from nowhere, blocking Fionn’s path.

Fionn narrowed his eyes. “By a process of elimination, ye must be Adva.”

“Brilliant! You’re quite the brain-boy.” Adva straightened his broad shoulders and mock bowed. Unlike his fellow gods, he wore a pale linen shirt and dark trousers, with a blue silk tie hanging loosely around his neck.

“I do all right.” Fionn eyed the god of portals. “I’m thrilled you showed up. Saves us a lot of trouble finding you.”

“You won’t be so thrilled when you discover I’ve shut off your exit route.”

“Ye’re bluffing.”

Adva’s green-gold gaze glazed over with pure evil. He wasn’t smiling anymore. Nor was he bothering to maintain the illusion that made him appear human. Sharp planes bisected the lines of his face and his teeth lengthened into fangs.

“I never bluff, Celt,” he hissed.

“Is this where ye turn into a vampire and—”

“Fionn!” Aislinn’s shriek tore into his heart. When he spun and looked for Dewi, her back was empty.

Chapter Twenty-Three

Dewi’s screech nearly flayed the skin from Fionn’s bones. Rune howled and leaped into the air, snapping his jaws over and over. To the accompaniment of Nidhogg’s booming trumpeting, Dewi shimmered and vanished. Fire flashed from Nidhogg, cutting a wide swath.

“What’s the matter, Celt?” Adva sashayed to his side. “Lose something?”

Fionn twisted, light on his feet, and smashed his fist into Adva’s face. He heard the crack of bones breaking and drew his arm back to do it again, but the dark god jumped out of the way. Blood and snot ran down his face, but the damage began to repair itself immediately.

In a shower of fiery sparks, smoke, and steam, Nidhogg dropped to the ground a few feet from Fionn, his green eyes whirling furiously.

“Goddamnit!” More fire flashed from the black dragon. “I told Dewi not to use the MacLochalinn bond to follow Aislinn. Ordered her not to, but she ignored me. Now she’s trapped too.”

Nidhogg plodded toward Adva with fire blasting from his mouth. It rolled off the dark god like water, but his shirt and trousers smoldered. “You control portals,” he thundered. “Where are Aislinn and my mate?”

Adva shrugged. “Who can say? These things are…complicated.”

Nidhogg moved faster than Fionn imagined he could and swiped a taloned foreleg around Adva’s neck, lifting the dark god off the ground.

“Uh-uh.” Adva shook a finger at the dragon. “You need me. This isn’t the way to secure my cooperation.”

“What happens next depends entirely on that cooperation,” Nidhogg replied, his voice viciously sweet.

“Put me down this instant.” Adva wriggled, fighting the circle of the dragon’s talons. Fionn felt him deploy magic, but Nidhogg was impervious to it because nothing changed.

“He says he closed off the portals,” Fionn told Nidhogg. “All of them.”

The Norse dragon cocked his head to one side. “That could be good news. Closure works both ways. If, and that’s a huge supposition, this piece of shit is telling the truth, that means Dewi and Aislinn are still somewhere on this world.”

“I resent that,” Adva sputtered, and opened his mouth to say more.

Fionn spoke over him, addressing his words to the dragon. “Can ye sense Dewi?” he asked, not daring to let himself hope, “because I canna feel Aislinn’s energy.”

Rune howled mournfully. “I can.”

A bitter smile split Fionn’s mouth. This wasn’t the first time Hunter magic had trumped his own.

Eve sprinted to where they stood with Tabitha pacing her. She tossed her long black hair over her slender shoulders and her blue eyes were pinched with worry. “What’s next?”

“How many of your people sustained injuries?” Fionn asked.

“One is dead. Bran helped two more who were injured, or they’d be on the far side of the veil right along with poor Freddie.”

“We doona need numbers anymore,” Fionn said. “Take your people and return to my manor house. We’ll be along presently.” He thought about how things had unfolded and added, “’Tis possible ye’ll find the other contingent already returned. All the action appears to have unfolded here.”

“But they were supposed to join us in that case,” she protested.

“Mayhap they couldna.” Fionn sent a harsh glance Adva’s way and followed it with, “Ye will allow my troops safe passage.”

“Oh I will, will I?” Adva smirked. “The Geneva Convention scarcely applies here.”

Nidhogg shook the god of portals until Fionn heard the rattle of teeth.

“Ye have a smart mouth,” he observed. “’I’m surprised it hasna landed you in trouble long since.”

“One of the benefits of immortality,” Adva muttered through gritted teeth.

Nidhogg tightened his grip, and then snugged it up some more. Adva’s face turned an unattractive tomato color, and the dark god’s breathing degenerated into gurgling gasps.

“If I’m unconscious, I can’t open the gates around this world,” he panted.

“Aye, I’m betting if he’s unconscious, ’twill be naught to hold his spell in place.” Fionn watched Adva carefully to see how close he’d come to truth.

“Same bet I’d make,” Nidhogg rumbled and hoisted Adva another foot in the air.

“Stop talking.” Rune bit Fionn’s calf hard enough to draw blood. “We have to go after Aislinn.”

The god of portals tried to thrust his hands beneath Nidhogg’s talons, but couldn’t budge them. His face was purple now and his pupils dilated. Fionn figured he’d pass out soon.

“Stop.” Adva motioned with both hands. “You win. I’ll let them go.”

“Gambit well played.” Fionn grinned at the dragon and then turned to Eve. “Gather everyone, including your fallen comrade. At my signal, open teleport spells and return home.” He blew out a breath. “Home doesna mean ye get a holiday. Ye may well have to defend the place from Lemurians.”

“What about you?” she asked.

“I’m not leaving without Aislinn, and I’m betting Nidhogg feels the same way about Dewi.”

“Do you even have to ask?” the dragon opened his taloned foreleg and Adva dropped to the ground with a thunk.

He rubbed his neck, but didn’t make any motion to get to his feet. “It’s done,” he said sulkily.

“What’s done?” Fionn asked.

“What you asked. The gates guarding the borderworld are open. I’d hurry if I were you, though. You didn’t say how long I had to keep them that way.” Adva opened his mouth in a hissing snarl that would have done Tabitha proud. The cat saw it as a challenge because she lunged at the dark god, and Eve had to call her off.

“Good Hunting.” Eve bowed slightly and took off at a trot for the queue of humans.

“Same to you,” Fionn called after her.

Rune bit him again. Fionn yanked his leg out of reach.

Bella fluttered her wings. “Stop that,” she told the wolf. “Fionn’s got his hands full just now.”

A snort blew past Fionn’s lips. Having the raven defend him was something new. He toed Adva in the ribs with a booted foot. “Where’s D’Chel?”

“Last I looked he was on the raised platform in front of the drawbridge.”

“Yes, well, he isna there anymore. Second guess?”

Nidhogg leaned close hissing fire. “This accursed world tries my patience. Answer him.”

“If I were D’Chel, I’d have gone back inside.” Adva managed a smirk; his face was still colorful, but white splotches had formed in between the reddened parts, sullying his casual elegance.

“What exactly is inside, besides D’Chel?” Magic caught at Fionn’s senses, and when he glanced over his shoulder the humans were gone. He hoped to hell Adva hadn’t played fast and loose with them. Portals were tricky things. Just because the humans left this world was no guarantee there’d be a clear shot to Earth. Adva could have made certain the only route off this world led to another of the borderworlds—or somewhere much worse, like straight into Hell.

If that happened, the humans could go home from there, assuming one of them understood why they’d had an extra stop stuffed into their itinerary.