Page 27

27

IRON SIDE

Calreth

I f there's one constant in life, it's that fate has terrible timing.

My hunt can settle in various places on Earth. I took it to one of its locations in America, landing as close as I could to San Francisco, before setting off to find the witch.

So naturally, it was only to be expected that I'd see her along the way.

The same face that has haunted my dreams and nightmares for centuries, but on a new soul. And with very different hair.

I like it. I like her. The taste of her wild defiance. The way she holds herself.

I don’t have much time to watch her, but I can’t help myself.

Here you are.

I am fairly certain it's her this time, though I already made a humongous mistake when it comes to recognizing my mate.

She's a mortal, albeit a little fae-touched, by the curve of her ear and the taste of her smell.

And though it costs me everything to walk away, I make myself leave, forcing one step after the next.

I have a job to do.

* * *

S he's easy to find—the witch—with the directions Darina provided. She's in their shared apartment when I come, and doesn't take nearly as much convincing as I would have thought.

"So, Darina is a freaking fairy queen. In another world," she repeats.

"Yes to both."

"And she needs my help finding a demon to get information on a couple of deities?"

"Again, I admire your skills of summarization." I'm a little drier than strictly friendly, but I'm impatient. Itching to get going. Do what I said I would for my brother and his mate. Then go get mine.

I settled the hunt too close, and already, she was intrigued by the woods. She isn't safe. If she goes a little too far, if she follows the willow trail…

I make myself refocus on the mortal. "Can you do it?"

She huffs. "It’s so far above my pay grade it’s not even funny. Like, communicating with hell ? That's a white witch job. I'd need the might of the whole coven behind me, and let me tell you, the head of the coven—my mother—would never accept it. Ever ."

I sigh. "Do you know anyone who has that power here? As in, in this world."

In my experience, witches gossip. They know about other covens, their network of communication transcending borders.

Rain sips her tea, lukewarm by now. It's not half bad, though the iron taste of the very water in this world burns on the way down. I don't know how Darina survived twenty-four years here. How any changeling survives it. The torture must be constant, unyielding.

"Maybe Highvale or Oldcrest?" she guesses. "They’re warded lands, exclusively for sups. Oldcrest is mostly a school, and though there are witches, I'd say there are more vampires than anything else. Highvale might be a better bet. It's a larger city and the rumor is, there are a few powerful witches there. Even demigods."

"Fine. I'll go."

"It's not that simple. As I said, it's warded. I can put in a request for an invitation, but it’ll take a little time—let alone managing to ask for the aid of a scholar able to contact a demon…"

I cut her off. "No need for requests. I know someone who lives there."

If I weren't this distracted, I might have thought about Highvale first; but my contact is fae. I didn't realize his city has its own witches and sorcerers.

"I am grateful for your assistance," I say, about to take my leave.

Before I can say so much as goodbye, she's on her feet. "Wait! Let me come with you."

I blink in surprise. "What?"

"Highvale? Ilvaris? They’re legendary . What kind of witch would be if I missed any of that? I took time off to find Darina anyway. Let me accompany you, please?"

I take a moment to consider. I'd travel faster alone, but on the other hand, I'm never one to turn my back on a witch. One never knows when one will need a little spell only mortals can do as a favor.

"All right, but make haste." I need to get this over with as fast as possible. Then I can return to the hunt, and the enticing mortal who should know better than to wander into the woods. "And pack light. We're traveling by portal."

* * *

H ighvale is a thing of beauty. Shining white buildings carved into stone, with an art that I believed mortals had lost to time. High columns and golden-domed ceilings, flat roofs, handpainted murals.

Most of all, like nowhere else on Earth, this place doesn't cause me any pain. It's not that it's free of metal, but it has been treated in order not to harm the folk. And the air is so pure, one would think it was in the mountains of the Hollow, not right in the middle of Europe, surrounded by nothing but polluted lands.

This is a place of magic and beauty.

And power.

"How are you doing, old friend?" Stillwater calls, offering me a hand.

I take it and smile. "It's been too long."

I don't tell him I'd do better if I were in America, coughing under the effect of the iron and nasty air, so long as my eyes could see her . Watch over her. Make sure it's her this time.

Although every ounce of my body and soul screams she must be.

What's her name? How old is she?

I force myself to stay in the moment. "This is Rain, a witch friend of a friend. Rain, Alden Stillwater—one of the few gentry fae who somehow thought it a good idea to call this poisonous world home."

He laughs at that. "There are far fewer of us assholes around here." He waves toward his two companions."Silver, Kleos, this is Calreth, leader of the hunt. Cal, these are two of my interns. They’re shadowing me today."

Silver is a petite thing with pink hair and silver eyes. Kleos has ocean blue eyes, and red hair braided down her back in a fishtail.

Both mortals. Both notably powerful. I don't even have to try to sense it.

"Interns?" I repeat.

They seem on the young side, but no one with such obvious strength ought to be called anyone's intern .

"I'm a guardian these days." He gestures me forward, and we follow after him. "Silver and Kleos are starting in the bureau; it's required for them to go through some training. You don't mind if they stay with us, do you? You called a little last minute; I couldn't rearrange things."

"It's fine," I say. "I'm grateful you could receive me so quickly. And you've managed to book a witch?"

"Yeah, a sorcerer. He'll see you. It'll cost a pretty penny, but I can't imagine it's a problem for you."

I snort. "Is gold still worth a ton in your world, for some unfathomable reason?"

It's one of the cheapest metals on Ilvaris, due to the limited range of magic one can make with it.

"Yes."

"Then, no, it's not a problem."

"Well, then, Lucian just needs a guardian’s presence to perform a summoning without getting a earful from the city council. Good thing I owe you ten favors." He glances at his two charges. "You're in for an eventful day. No pressure if you'd rather call in, by the way. It's not going to be your average routine."

"Are you kidding?" Silver hisses. "A summoning by LucianRegis, for a freaky fae lord, working for the queen of a damn universe? You'd have to drag me away kicking and screaming."

“Only one world, witch,” I say. “The universe’s a stretch.”

The redhead is a little less enthusiastic. "I mean, it ought to be rather interesting, won't it? And safe. Lucian's strong enough to hold a demon back, right?"

"Oh, yeah, you don't have to worry," Stillwater says. "It likely won't be the first demon he's dealt with this week."

Silver beams. Kleos has the expression of someone used to dangerous situations, and used to dragging her friends out of them; she’s plotting the ten ways this might go wrong, and planning contingencies for each eventuality. Rain looks like she might just come, from everything she sees around her, though she's silent, bringing up the rear.

We make our way to the underbelly of the city, where magnificent tunnels have been carved—great halls lit by star-like stones.

Under the mountain, the streets are bare and silent, where they were brimming with life up in Highvale.

"The unders are night dwellers," Stillwater tells us. "There's nothing much going on at midday, but you should see this place at night."

"The folk also prefer the twilight hours," I say. "Do you live under here, then?"

"No, I'm a Highvaler all the way. Got used to the sunlight, I guess. I get along with unders just fine, though. Lucian, he's one of the best guys down here."

"I've seen him around," Kleos says. "At official gatherings, that is. He's the high sorcerer of the dark magic users, right?"

"That's the one."

It takes a while to reach his place, down in the complex underworld city.

Calling it a house would be inaccurate. Carved of dark blue stone, the building is almost as regal as my new sister in law’s castle, in the heart of the Hollow. It looks exactly like one would picture the manor of a modern-day dark high sorcerer might look like. So dark it seems almost black, with blue, unnatural magic shining through the stone. The doors, large enough to fit a chariot, are deep blood red.

The man who opens the door, however, doesn't fit the bill.

For one, he's about forty years younger than I would have guessed. Mortals, even of the witch variety, age awfully fast. One would think it would take six or seven decades to reach such heights as the high sorcerer of an eminent city. But this man looks around my age—and I stopped aging somewhere in my mid-twenties.

He's pale, with white hair cut short and brushed back, accentuating sharp features, and silver blue eyes shining in the darkness of the entryway. He wears nothing but a robe, falling off on his shoulders and revealing taut muscles.

In my more artistic days, I would have attempted to paint him.

"Well, now,” he drawls, those silver eyes scanning the crowd. “Two folks, two princesses and a witch. I'm honored to receive suchprominent guests.” I know enough about mortals to realize he’s lying. His tone drips with sarcasm. “Though one would certainly have preferred them call at a decent hour."

"We pay extra for midday," Stillwater says cheerfully, undeterred.

The sorcerer rolls his eyes and shifts to let us enter his dark home. Every curtain’s drawn.

The dim lighting doesn’t bother my eyes. The house is tastefully decorated in various shades of black and reds, not letting in any natural light. Reddish ceiling features are all we have to see where to step.

"Isn't it a little dark?" Silver whispers to her friend, the other intern.

Though my ears catch it, I can tell it's meant to be private.

The sorcerer sighs, and extends his hands. Sunglasses that were nowhere to be seen moments ago appear, and he put them on. The next instant, all curtains are drawn back, tied by red velvet ropes.

"There, princess."

"Oh, you didn't have to—" Kleos starts. “It’s your home. If you prefer…”

"Nonsense. The client—or the client's little guardian friends, in this case—is always right. Even when dragging me out of bed after two hours. Now, what do we know of the target, please?"

Darina only gave me a name and a race to go by, which isn't much. I assume there are many Seevars in the hells; it would be like searching for one specific David on Earth. Even if Seevar is a rarer name—I'm not sure it is—it can't be easy.

The sorcerer doesn't seem bothered. "And he was on Earth recently?"

I hesitate. "About two weeks ago, your time. In one of the pathfinder halfway pubs. It's not exactly on Earth."

"But he interacted with someone from here." He shrugs. "That leaves a trace I should be able to track. Between the name, the race, and general location, I should be able to pin him down."

I must admit I'm impressed.

"It would help to have an object that belongs to the girl he fucked, though."

"I have something!" Rain cuts in, ruffling through her shoulder bag.She brandishes a hair brush with a few strands of blue hair. "There. I figured I might as well have it, in case I needed to try to locate Rina."

"That'll make my job a lot easier," he assures her. "And cheaper for you. Now come on in. Touch nothing. And if something tries to bite you, don't worry, it's probably not rabid."

"Bite?" Kleos yelps. "What would try to bite?"

He flashes her a smile full of sharp, pointed teeth. "Unless you ask very nicely, just my cat."

The sorcerer's den is more of a man cave, really. A minibar, a large collection of books, and a shelf full of objects I mostly can't identify. Those I recognize are highly dangerous.

He invites us to sit on low, plush sofas, and serves us a round of wine, before settling into a bloodred Chesterfield armchair, closing his eyes, the hairbrush in his hands.

At first, nothing happens at all, and I wonder if we're being scammed by a charlatan. And then, although there were no incantations, no ingredients, or spells that I could see, there's a man standing on the coffee table, looking thoroughly confused.

He's tall, bald, and with silver eyes not unlike Silver's, or even Lucian’s. His skin is brown, but with a reddish hue not found in humans, likefired clay.

He tries to move, and a set of four chains appear, blue, seemingly made of living light. When he's still again, they disappear.

"Sorry, my friend," Lucian says pleasantly. Right now, his eyes are no longer pale grayish silver; like the chains, they're bright blue. "A mere precaution for anything called from the other world, you understand."

"What's the meaning of this?" the creature roars.

Lucian raises both hands in sign of surrender. "Don't ask me, I'm merely the messenger boy. My friends have questions for you. Know that I will release you, and let you return to your affairs the moment you're done, so long as you don't attempt anything too naughty."

The demon doesn't seem appeased.

I stand. "The new queen of Ilvaris sent me to talk to you, Seevar. You fed from her down in the pathfinder's halfway house, and she helped you escape. Should you aid us now, she'll consider you debt to her paid."

His expression switches from annoyance to recognition, then amusement. "A fairy queen, huh? No wonder she was delicious." He inclines his head. "Yes, I do owe her much. Proceed."

"We need information about gods we, in our world, call the All and Undoing." Unfortunately, gods tend to change names as often as most people change shirts, so that's not telling him much. "It's a couple, very old, and warring. Our world was built to contain them, initially."

A moment passes, then the demon nods. "Earth and Sky. Gaia and Uranus. We know of these forces. They were banished and bound to stop them from destroying worlds as they fought each other."

I actively try not to groan. That's not good. At all.

"Gaia and Uranus? The Gaia and Uranus," Silver repeats. "Are we actually talking about?—"

"Yes," I snap. "Moving on. Do you know why they warred?"

"Why do you ask, halfblood?" he questions.

I don't like the idea of revealing Ryther's business to such a crowd. "Because I must know."

"Give me an actual answer, not your fairy nonsense, and I might just tell you what you seek."

"I'm not the one with a life debt to repay," I counter.

Seevar considers me for a moment. Then, he talks.

"It’s inaccurate to say the gods made the world. They didn’t. They found this corner of the cosmos, through the unknown region of space, and at first there was very little. Just the possibility of life. Through experiments, while sharing with others of their kind, they built the living world. And eventually there were war over territories." He pauses. "The gods you talk of… There’s a reason they call her the All. She was always too powerful, and had chosen a mate to match. No one could even dream to take what was theirs, until he came."

"Who?" I press.

"He’s known by many names, too. He invited them to a revel and plied them with wine, laced with enough eversleep to send an entire kingdom into a hundred-year slumber. For these two it was just a nap. Gaia woke up in chains, blindfolded, getting defiled. As for Uranus, when he woke, their host told him he didn’t expect his mate to be such a slut, describing how she fucked half the guests. She came to him still reeling from the assault, and he accused her of cheating. It was the beginning of the end, for them both. Of course, they never knew they were duped. She didn’t bother to defend herself—not to a mate who didn’t trust her and hadn’t been there for her in her moment of need. From this point it was easy to set one against the other. She truly did start to cheat, all too happy to hurt him, as she knew he’d hate it. And he took pleasure in killing everything and everyone she made, earning that title—the Undoing."

It takes me long moments to recollect my thoughts after that speech. "Basically, they’re morons."

"Yes, quite," Seevar agreed. "Though they're hardly the first to have been tricked by that god.There were talks, some thousand years passed. You see, while they lived free, it was a great secret, but once they were bound, he boasted of having arranged their doom to everyone. Now, will you tell me why you seek this knowledge? If the All and Undoing are unbound, my world needs to know, and prepare."

"Prepare for what?" Rain asks.

"The end of all things, likely."

I sigh deeply. Why are Ryther's problems always so dramatic?

"They haven't quite been freed. They're contained," I hedge, not wanting to get into the who and how and when.

"What do you mean?" Silver asks.

Kleos looks like she's dying to take notes.

"When a god dies, they leave behind their power, and that power can be claimed by a living being," Lucian answers for me. "A new god. They have the god’s power and maybe an echo of their memory. Honestly, if they're bound in a new body, it's probably not going to be the end of the world?" He shrugs. "The hosts should be in charge."

"Well, they aren't. Not quite. The gods acted on their own, when the hosts were asleep."

"I guessthose guys were seriously powerful. I'd better get a ticket to another universe."Lucian grimaces. "You're welcome to go, good friend," he tells the incubus.

Seevar tilts his head, watching the sorcerer closely. "How did you call me here, mortal?"

"And on that note, bye." He snaps his fingers, and the creature disappears.

Now it's my turn to wonder. "He has a point. There's no circle. There wasn't any incantation. You just…"

Willed it.

I close my mouth. "Things like you don't belong in the mortal worlds."

The sorcerer rolls his eyes and yawns. "Welcome to Highvale. The whole city is full of things who shouldn't be here. That's literally on the pamphlet. Now, if that's all, I'd love to get back to sleep."

Silver screams, jumping to her feet.

Lucian seems thoroughly amused."I warned you the cat bites. Bye! I'll invoice you."

The cat is a tiny little dainty thing, with soft white fur. It looks adorable. His eyes are bright red, though, so he also looks rather evil. He jumps on Lucian's shoulder as the sorcerer leaves the room, clearly not intending to see his guests out.