Courting Darkness (Page 22)

We took turns guarding each other as we stepped outside the snow fort to relieve ourselves, and then we spread out our cloaks and snuggled beneath them to generate as much warmth as we could. We didn’t dare build a fire, but the snow packed around the sides sheltered us from the worst of the wind, and if we lay facing each other, we were warmed by each other’s breath.

Sleep did not come easy and neither of us felt like talking, so we dozed, listening to the howl of wolves in the distance. Shortly after moonrise, I woke, sensing something was going on. I slowly peeked over the edges of the fort, up the slope toward Hyto’s cave.

Fire. Fire was burning near the top of the mountain. I could vaguely make out where it was coming from—sparks were lighting up the sky near the cave. Hyto had returned and discovered we were gone.

I quickly woke Hanna and we scooted as far back in the shadow of the boulders as possible. My stomach lurched as we watched the pyrotechnics. I tried to keep my thoughts away from what might happen if he found us. A low rumble and we could hear the sound of a small avalanche racing down the slope, but I searched, reaching out, and could feel that it wasn’t heading toward us, so we stayed put. Hyto must have set it off in his anger.

Another flare and the upper forests began to burn. A loud roar filled the air—this time Hyto rather than tumbling snow. It echoed all the way down the mountain to where we were, and it took everything I had to keep from screaming. I began to cry, silently, the tears freezing on my face. As my shoulders shook, Hanna drew me into her arms and I hid my face against her shoulder.

We clung to each other through the night, unable to sleep, as the show continued. Toward morning, before dawn hit, she leaned close and whispered, “We should go. Now, before first light. We may have a chance to cross the glacier in the mists . . . if we wait till they clear, he’ll see us.”

I nodded, staring out across the wide ice fields. The mist was thick; it would be dangerous, but we had no choice. My stomach lurched as she pressed another piece of bread and some jerky into my hands, but I knew we’d need the fuel and so I ate, chewing mindlessly, forcing it down my throat.

“Do you think he can find me from this collar?” I tugged on the fucking leash around my neck.

“I don’t know,” Hanna said. “I just know I don’t want to chance cutting it off you and having some spell kill you or something.”

When we finished, we packed up our rucksacks and headed out, cautiously creeping over the sides of our fort, trying to keep low to the ground. We skirted through the fields, from boulder to boulder, crouching as we went.

The rocks from the alluvial deposits were sharp and dangerous, and more than once, my ankle began to turn before I caught myself. The mist rose in swirls, like ghostly sentinels, and now and then I’d hear snuffles and movements in the fog, but we couldn’t stop, couldn’t chance finding out what they were. We had to reach Howl’s cave before Hyto decided to fly lower.

The upper tier of forest was burning brightly, even in the new snow that had begun to fall, and I bit my lip, feeling a hollow sadness at the loss of the woodland. Hyto didn’t give a fuck about the land, about the creatures who might be making their homes in the forest. All he cared about was his rage.

Another hour and we paused for a quick rest. The mist was starting to lift, even as the snowfall was growing deeper. With a ragged pant against the cold, I tried to gauge how long till we were near Howl’s cave. It couldn’t be that far away. And then I glanced up and saw the opening to Hel’s Gate. Iris had confronted Vikkommin there and destroyed him for good. We were near.

“Hurry,” I whispered. “We’re almost there. We have to hurry.”

We slid down the icy slope, crossing as fast as we dared. And then a roar filled the air again, and I glanced back at the mountain.

“Hyto! He’s out and searching. Hurry!”

Hanna said nothing, just pushed ahead as we scrambled forward, trying to keep our footing on the slippery glacier. I fell once, but she yanked me back up, and even though the jarring pain in my wrist told me I’d broken my little finger, I ignored it, biting back the pain. My forehead had hit a sharp rock, but I’d only grazed myself and drops of blood were streaking down my cheek.

Hanna tripped next, and despite the pain in my finger, I helped her up as we scrabbled for footing. We were almost off the glacial field when a noise in front of us took us by surprise.

Out of the mists, a soft voice said, “Lady Camille. What are you doing here?”

I recognized the voice and—almost in tears—dropped to my knees. “Lord Howl, please, please help us. There’s a dragon after us and we can’t run any farther. Please, give us shelter.”

Within seconds, a low whistle went out and we were surrounded by wolves. Howl, the Great Winter Wolf Spirit, stepped out of the mist, lean and muscled, in thick pelts of white, with a headdress of bone and silver adorning his head. He was dark and his hair long against his back, and a wild feral gleam filled his eyes.

“You are hurt.” A statement, not a question. “Come, we will take you to safety. And then you can explain why you are out here at the ends of the world.”

Several of the wolves transformed then, into dark warriors who gathered both of us up into their arms, and quick as the wind, we were racing back to Howl’s lair, and to safety.

Chapter 14

Howl’s lair was pretty much as I remembered it from just a few days back. A labyrinth of welcoming, warm caverns, with bathing pools and the smell of roasting meat filling the corridors. My stomach rumbled, but beneath the hunger I felt weary, beyond any movement or will to go on. I’d used up all the stamina and endurance I’d ever possessed.

I introduced Hanna to Howl, who had shed his outer pelts. With leather buckskin pants and a bare chest, he was pretty much dressed the same as last I’d seen him . . . except the headdress was different. He had long dark hair, gathered back in a ponytail, with eyes just as dark.

“Howl, please, meet Hanna. She saved my life.” Even as I spoke, something gave way inside, and I slid to the floor, unable to stand.

One of the largest white wolves padded forward to press her nose against my side. I knew who it was. Sure enough, in the blink of an eye, she transformed. She was short, about five five, and sturdy; with eyes that glimmered ice blue, Kitää had hair as silver as Smoky’s. Dressed in a white pair of soft leather pants and matching tunic, she knelt by my side and stroked my hair.

“You are hurt,” she said, and I burst into tears as Kitää, Howl’s wife, the Queen and Mother of the Katabas Wolf People, gathered me in her arms and rocked me gently.

I leaned into her soft body, wanting nothing more than to fall asleep, but one of the warriors raced in, kneeling at Howl’s feet. Howl motioned for him to rise. “What news, Taj?”

“Lord Howl, the dragon at the top of the mountain has gone on a rampage. Fire is raging in the upper forests.” Taj, who by the coloring of his hair I guessed was a gray wolf, was standing at alert. The rest of the pack picked up the scent of his worry off him and began to mill around, in both wolf and human form.

I let out a little cry. “Hyto. It’s Hyto. He’s made a dreyerie for himself up there. He’s been there about five years, though—from what I understand.”

Howl turned to me, slowly looking me up and down. “Indeed, the dragon has been living there five years. But you say it is Hyto? The White Demon?” And then he paled. “You have come from there. Is Iampaatar up there with him?”

I shook my head. “Hyto captured me.” Stopping as a lump rose in my throat, I tried to keep my panic at bay and slowly showed him my collar. “He kidnapped me. This is his mark. He was trying to lure Smoky here, to destroy him.”

Kitää gasped. “He caught you?” She looked into my eyes and I opened my heart to her, telling her everything that had happened with a single look. As her expression fell, she ducked her head, shaking it gently. “Oh my child, you are truly hurt.”

Nodding, I forced the tears back. “Yes . . . But Hanna helped me escape, and Hyto is furious. We saw him raging early this morning, from the boulder field on the Skirts of Hel.”

“We have to get you out of here,” Howl said. “Before the dragon rains fire down on my people. That collar can lead him to you—once he comes out of his rage long enough to remember it.”

“I don’t want to put you in danger,” I whispered. “But I don’t know if I can make it down to the portals on my own. I could barely make it here. I am hurt, bruised sore through.”

“We don’t have time to stand on ceremony.” Howl motioned for Kitää to help me.

Hanna started to protest, but I shook my head at her. “It’s okay. Howl won’t harm me.” I stripped out of the garments, now soaked with sweat and the scent of fear. As I winced, peeling off the underlayer of lighter clothing that had stuck to some of my open wounds, Kitää let out a sharp cry and Howl shouted.

“You poor child.” Kitää hurried forward, examining my back. As she circled me, her gaze fell to the dark bruises and raw skin between my thighs and she raised her eyes to meet mine. “He has grievously injured you.” She turned to Howl. “He has violated her, as well as beaten her.”

Howl let out a low growl. “We will help you get safely home. I will not let him take you from our midst.”

I inhaled a deep breath, shuddering, and as we stood there, a low shimmering caught my attention. “Someone is coming through from the astral—over there!”

The warriors of the tribe swiftly moved into position, weapons to the ready. As we waited with pent breath, three shapes flickered into view and I shouted with joy, as Rozurial, Shade, and Vanzir stepped in off the astral.

I stood there, staring at the three of them, naked except for Howl’s collar. It didn’t matter to me that I was naked—I’d been so exposed the past few days that it was beginning to feel normal.

And then I saw the expressions on their faces as they took in the bruises and welts on my body. Vanzir let out a sharp cry, as Shade began to rumble. Roz hurried toward me and gently draped his duster around me, but the inner pockets were full of weapons and I moaned as something sharp and pointy scraped a sore spot. He quickly pulled it away from my shoulders, but by then Kitää had found a luxurious fur drape and slid it around me.

All the adrenaline that had been keeping me going suddenly vanished, and once again I lost my balance and tumbled forward, into Roz’s arms. He gathered me up and Kitää led him over to a soft pallet of fur pelts. As I tried to catch my breath, she motioned to a serving girl and soon I was holding a cup of hot broth, propped up by Roz, who was sitting behind me, with me leaning back against his chest. Vanzir and Shade knelt nearby.

“You’re safe now, Camille.” Shade took my hand, but I pulled away. Too much attention was making me feel weak. “What’s this?” He fingered the collar, then let out a sharp hiss. “Evil! What evil do you wear?”

“Hyto’s collar.” I motioned Hanna over to sit beside me. “This woman saved my life. She’s to thank for me escaping.”

“We’ll take you home as soon as you’re ready to travel. And we’ll get that collar off you.” Roz stroked my hair back away from my face. I pressed my lips together.

“Where’s Smoky?” I looked up at him, dreading yet needing to know the answer.

“Looking for you. He’s on the rampage. He went to the Dragon Reaches to find out what he could about Hyto . . .”

I turned to Vanzir. “The other night . . . I don’t know when—I’ve lost track of the time—you came to me . . .”

“I still don’t know how I got out there, but when you told me you were in a cavern near the Skirts of Hel, I remembered what Iris had said about her journey and thought that maybe . . . just maybe . . . so Roz and Shade brought me along with them.”

“We weren’t quite sure where to look, so we have been looking as we came up the mountain from the portals,” Roz said. “You told Vanzir near the Skirts of Hel, but we weren’t sure in which direction. It took some doing to get our bearings, but it helped that I’d been here before.”

“We have to get out of here.” I struggled to sit up. “I can’t let my presence put Howl’s people in danger.” The Elemental Lord would be able to handle Hyto, but his people weren’t quite as powerful as he was.

“Lady Camille, it is true you are a threat here, but we will not ask you to leave until you are ready,” Kitää said. She pressed a mug of soup into Hanna’s hand and gave us soft bread and meat. We both gulped down the food, along with big steins of heady beer.

I wiped the crumbs off my mouth. “I need to get home. Hanna—you’d better come with me. If Hyto finds you, he’ll kill you. I don’t know if you can adjust to life over Earthside, but until we’ve somehow managed to destroy Smoky’s father, you need protection.”

“I’m not the one he’s after,” she said, softly brushing a stray strand of hair out of my face. “My dear, I’ve done what I set out to do—help you escape. I really haven’t thought further than that. I thought I might search for my daughters . . . in hopes they still live.”

I grabbed her hand. “You don’t dare run off now. Hyto will seek you out, and he will kill you for your part in this. Do you want to chance your daughters’ lives to him? At least come with me until we’ve found a way to deal with him.”

She smiled softly, then knelt by my side. “You are a caring woman. I hope I can call you my friend.” Then, after a pause, she added, “Yes, I will come with you. Warn me of things I need to be aware of. I’ve heard that Earthside has wonders unheard of in the Northlands and in Otherworld, but I will miss my home.”