Harvest of the Gods (31 page)

Chapter Fifty-Nine

We traced into the place we'd found the fey and amazingly enough, it was unburned. The fire raged just off to our right though and I knew it was too close to be a coincidence.

“See,” Trevor waved his hand toward the blaze. “It wasn't you, now do what you've got to do and let's go.”

“
Aren't you even the least bit suspicious?” I pointed at the raging fire. “That's awfully close to the fey's tree. This was a message, I can feel it.”

“
Vat message?” Kirill frowned at the creepy hole which still had bones hanging in it, waiting for something to hit them and make them go clickity clack.

“
I don't know,” I looked around, seeing if there was maybe an actual note just pinned to the tree or something.

I got down in front of the fey's burrow and did something I've been afraid of doing ever since watching
Flash Gordon
as a child, I put my hand in a dark hole. I felt around but there was nothing beyond dirt and bones in the hole. No letter lying there addressed to me. No hate mail stuffed in a tree.

I got up with a huff and started to search the area around the tree. That's when I finally noticed it. I'd been so distracted by the scent of fire on the breeze that I hadn't realized that the whole area surrounding the fey's den was empty of scent. The Darkness had been there.

“Andrasta,” I hissed. Trevor and Kirill exchanged grim expressions as they picked up on it too.

“
Da,” Kirill nodded. “I smell ze nozing, it's bare here.”

“
And she was working with the fey, who knew I was the
Queen of Fire,” I growled. “This was a message, a taunt. She's trying to destroy something with my element. Kirill, can you go home and get Tlaloc's goggles while I rein in this fire?”

“
Yes, Tima,” he nodded and traced away.

“
What are you doing?” Trevor eyed me.

“
I'm going to pull back the fire as much as I can and help those firefighters,” I pointed in the direction of the flames. “And then when Kirill gets back, I'm going to look for Andrasta.”

“
We need to tell Dad.”

“
I told Fenrir I was going to handle Andrasta in Faerie,” I shook my head. “The fey said no weapon made of man or god could hurt her, so that means I gotta get the fey to make one and I think I've finally worked out what needs to be done.”

“
So you're going back to Faerie?”

“
After I verify with Tlaloc's goggles that she's gone there,” I nodded. “But let me deal with this first, Trevor,” I waved off anymore questions because we were wasting precious time talking while the fire raged behind me.

I ran off toward the fire, casting a spell of invisibility around myself as I went. The edge of it was bordered by firefighters and park rangers working towards containment but I kept running past them. The hollow roar of the flames surrounded me, the scent of ash and embers stinging my nostrils for a second before they adjusted and the scent became sweet. The dress I had on caught fire and burned away within moments but the heat felt good on my skin, my dragon rising to roll against it. Scales beneath the surface seeking heat like a flower seeks the sun.

It was like being in a warm bath while drinking coffee, soothing and exhilarating all at once. My body felt renewed, recharged, like the fire was energy I could claim if I wanted to or encourage to rage for my delight. I calmed the urge to let the
flames rage wild, to let them consume and burn. Instead I breathed in deep and took the fire within me. It filled my nose and throat, tingling all the way down into my belly and curling my toes with the ecstasy of it, much as Arach's fire did to me. I pulled and pulled and pulled of it until I felt near to bursting with energy, my skin crawling with the feeling of power.

When I thought I could hold no more, I automatically sought for a way to release the energy and my magic took it, soaked it up until it was overflowing and then sent it down the bonds we shared with others. First my lovers received a dose, I felt them start with surprise and then exult in the rush of it. Even Arach got a small jolt of fire and I saw him in my mind, lifting his face as if he could see me.

Then the Intare came to life around me, roars filling my head as I let the energy of fire fill them, recharge the magic that gave them life. All of my lions were filled and still the flames rushed into me.
Trees creaked around me, sap cracking like gunshots as it exploded within the wood, and the smoke was thick on my tongue. It was all home to me; the heat, the smoke, the vivid colors. I reveled in it, throwing my hands out and twirling in the flames as they swirled into my skin, like a top being wound.

I pulled and pushed that ripe energy, letting it flow over my Intare an onward, finally finding an outlet down the connection I held with Fenrir. As often happens with magic, things done in haste or necessity often reveal themselves to be happy accidents. The bond I'd accidentally formed with Fenrir in the midst of our fight, the bond formed out of love magic to tame the wild wolf and save my life, would now save the Froekn. I released the energy of fire down my bond with the Wolf God and I felt him instantly grab onto it and pull. Fenrir was a survivor and survivors didn't need explanations, they took help when it was offered.

I laughed and gave him what they needed, the wild energy of the flames around me, enough to sustain the Froekn for another thousand years. I felt him laughing with me on the other end of our bond, distributing the energy out to the rest of his children, who started howling in delight. The joy and gratitude of the Froekn rebounded through Fenrir and into me. I basked in it, needing that happiness as much as I needed to know they would be fine now, the threat of infertility gone. Fenrir smiled in my head, in my heart, and then let go of the energy.

Finally, after what felt like hours, I pulled enough fire from the blaze to reduce it to something more manageable, maybe twenty percent of it was left. It was enough, the sequoias were safe and so were the animals. I was sure the humans could handle the rest and I didn't want to scare them more by having the fire suddenly just put itself out, so I walked away, back to my waiting men and left the problem in human hands.

Kirill was there when I got back, smiling at me with a grin that almost looked pharmaceutically enhanced. Trevor was smiling in a much softer manner but it was clear that they both knew how momentous my actions had been. Now I not only had the power of earth to call on, I had fire. Although my affinity for fire had come first, I never would have known to use its energy like that if earth hadn't shown me the way. Was I now a faerie with two elements? I blinked, no, my earth affinity was different. Wasn't it? Yes it was, I couldn't control earth, couldn't create it.

“
Minn Elska,” Trevor whispered and pulled me into an embrace and firmly out of my crazy thoughts. “That was amazing. You realize you've saved the Froekn?”

“
Fire did,” I smiled and shrugged. “See, it pays to help people.”

“
I guess it can,” Trevor kissed me and squeezed me tight.

“
I feel very good,” Kirill had to hug me after Trevor was done. “All of ze Intare do. I haven't felt like zis since first day I vas made lion.”

“
I'm glad,” I laughed and backed out of his hug. I still had more to do.

“
Goggles,” Kirill handed me the goggles, sensing my need as always.

“
Thank you,” I put them on, feeling a little silly wearing goggles and nothing else but then the world got dark.

The dark was focused around the fey's tree though and just as it had when I'd observed it at the sight of the Froekn deaths, it coalesced into a human form and then traced away. I followed its progress through the Aether and watched as it entered Faerie. I had known it was headed there but still it angered me a little, knowing that this evil was going back to hunt more fey.

“Alright,” I sighed and pulled the goggles from my head. “Let's go home.”

“
That's it,” Trevor looked shocked. “We can go home?”

“
That's it for you,” I smiled grimly at him. “I need to go home to put on some clothes and pack. Then I'm going to Faerie.”

“
I don't like this,” Trevor lost his grin.

“
I know,” I traced home without waiting for him to complain more. There was nothing else to be said. I had to go, had in fact been putting this off long enough. I should have returned already.

“
Vervain,” Trevor traced in behind me with Kirill and followed me to our bedroom.

A couple of Intare were roaming the halls and they gave me wide-eyed glances before hurrying away. Even though I'd gotten used to their nudity, I wasn't so free about mine, so it was probably startling to see me walking naked through the hallways right after feeding them enough energy to make them high.

“We need to talk about this some more,” Trevor closed the bedroom door after Kirill made his way in.

“
Go ahead,” I pulled some underwear on and then a black sheath dress. “I gotta pack some things though.” I pulled out a large bag and threw a few items into it; face wash, toothbrush and paste, some gifts for the fey, you know, the little things.

“
You have all the time in the world,” Trevor stopped my hands and pulled me over to the couch. “You know you'll be going back to the moment when you left. She may not even be there yet.”

“
Oh, she's there,” I grimaced.

“
Vervain,” Trevor shook his head. “I have a bad feeling about this.”

“
I'm not going to blow off your instincts,” I sighed. “I know this is going to be dangerous and I know things may go very badly but what option do I have?”

“
You can take me with you.”

“
No, I can't,” I held up the finger with the ring on it. “You said it yourself. I'm going back to the past and this is the only advantage I have over her right now.”

“
How so?” He frowned.

“
She left me that message, probably intending for me to follow her back to Faerie,” I tried to slow down my brain so I could explain to him. I felt like it had been racing on overdrive ever since I'd pulled all of that fire into me. “She thinks I'll be going back now and is expecting to fight me in the future but I'll be going back to the past, to a time when she thinks I don't even know about her existence.”

“
You'll be able to get the jump on her,” Trevor nodded to Kirill, who had come to stand in front of the couch. “Okay, I get it. I just can't let go of this feeling that there's something different about you, that the difference is going to play into this situation somehow.”

“
Oh, right,” I hadn't told them. “Remember that day when you came into the library and found me laughing hysterically on the floor?”

“
Yeah?” He narrowed his eyes on me.

“
Okay, so I have three beasts,” I started again. “And I have three natures,” they both nodded, “and now with Demeter's magic-”

“
You have three magics,” Trevor whispered. “Fuck, you have three triple aspects. What happened?”

“
They joined together,” I shrugged. “It's nothing huge, I just feel more right, more complete. I do have this feeling that I could use that connection to fuel my actions though.”

“
Vat does zat mean?” Now Kirill was frowning.

“
It means she could pack one hell of a punch if she needed to,” Trevor was still staring at me with shock. “Vervain, I don't know if you should leave now. Maybe we should look into this more, test out this connection you've made with all your different aspects.”

“
I need this,” I took Trevor's hand and squeezed. “I can't sit here researching things anymore. I don't want to test this new part of me or just poke at it and see what it does. I need to finish this. I need to go back and stop Andrasta and I need to do it now.”

“
You've been absent from our relationship,” Trevor's voice was soft and sad. “I've tried to give you time and space but now it feels like you're running away completely. Have you forgotten that you have three other lovers right here?”

“
No, of course not,” I whispered and glanced at Kirill who looked away, his jaw clenched tight. “I'm sorry, this isn't about running away.”

“
Odin's dead, Vervain,” Trevor ran a hand through his thick hair. “I know it's awful but we're still alive. Kirill, Azrael, and I still need you. We need you here, with us. We need you to get your head on straight and stop retreating into that damn library everyday. I feel like I haven't spent time with you since before he was killed.”

“
That's not true,” I shook my head and tried to think. “We spent Halloween together.”

“
Yeah, with everyone else,” Trevor reached a hand out to Kirill. “You wanna help me out here?”

“
It feels like you love him more zan us sometimes,” Kirill shrugged. “Like you love his memory more zan ze reality of us. Ve vant our voman back. You can mourn and ve vant to help you mourn but ve must do it together from here on. No more running avay from us, Vervain. Enough.” He cut his hand through the air and I stared at him, a little stunned.