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Sub-Cult network figures out what's really going down with Shadow Wing,
they'll want to survive. They'll follow you, when push comes to shove."
Camille dusted off her dress and returned to her meal.
I closed my eyes. "Weary is he who wears the crown of a king," I said.
"Don't set yourself up on a throne yet," Iris warned me. . "Wearier yet are
those who seek to knock it off his head, and more desperate. The battle lines
are being drawn." She sat back and closed her eyes. The energy in the room
grew thick and Delilah settled down on her chest, purring. "Over the coming
months, the Supe community will be coming out of the closet and banding
together. There are going to be rough times ahead. I'm afraid humans will
think the Supes are rising against them. If so& "
"Gang warfare." Camille slid off her chair and knelt beside Iris. "Iris, are
you a seer?"
A slow smile spread across the Talon-haltija's face and she let out a
whispered, "When the need arises. There are many things I've done in my past
that you know nothing. about. Trust me, I'm here for a reason." And then,
without opening her eyes, she turned toward me. "You must go to Aladril. He is
waiting for you. Do you understand?"
A shiver ran through me, chilling me far colder than the death pall of my
skin. Magic was in the air, the magic of Sight, the magic of prognostication,
the magic of wind and ice, which Iris wielded with skill.
"We're going Sunday night."
Camille placed one hand on Iris's knee. "Is there anything you need? Anything
you require?"
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Iris let out a soft breath. "Bring me a crystal. You may have to buy it from
one of the shops. Aqualine a clear blue stone that only comes from the depths
of the Wyvern Ocean. Sirens mine it and sell it to the seers. It will cost
more than you can afford, but tell them that a priestess of Undutar needs it.
That should do the trick."
"Undutar?" As I spoke, Iris shook out of her trance and blinked. I was about
to ask again when Delilah let out a loud purp and leapt down from Iris's
shoulder, racing toward the curtains. She only made it halfway before the
golden mist surrounded her and her body began to transform, contorting in on
itself as she twisted in the most painful-looking convulsions, a blur of fur
and flesh caught in the throes of our family's magic. As she landed on her
knees, letting out a loud "oof," Camille rushed over to her side.
I looked at Iris, who gazed silently back. When I opened my mouth to speak,
she shook her head. "Don't ask. Not yet. It's not the time, Menolly. I
couldn't tell you about my relationship to Undutar even if you threatened me.
There are events in my past about which I cannot speak& " Her words drifted off
as her eyes sparkled with a shining vortex of light. The silver of the moon,
the indigo of twilight, white clouds racing past on the wind.
Iris let out a long sigh, and then her eyes once more returned to the color of
morning sky. As much as she'd piqued my curiosity, I knew better than to
press. Iris would tell us when and if she could. I nodded silently, then
hurried over to help Camille with Delilah, who was looking dazed, but no worse
for the wear.
"You okay, Kitten?" I asked as she slid into her chair.
Camille picked up the teapot and began refilling their cups.
Delilah nodded, blushing. "Sorry. I thought I was gaining more control over my
shifting but apparently I'm not. Either that or it's just as sporadic as
Camille's magic."
"Hey!" Camille stopped in midpour. "I'll have you know, I'm doing much better
on certain spells now."
"Yeah, if you count death magic. But I'm talking about moon magic your innate
skills." Delilah gave her a toothy grin. "I'm not being snide, Camille. You
seem to have a knack for the dark magic that Morio's teaching you, but can you
honestly say you're any better with the spells you learned from childhood?"
Camille let out a loud sigh. "I don't know. And I don't understand why I take
to death magic so well. It's rather unnerving, but I know I have to learn what
he's teaching me. It feels important, but I don't know why." She glanced at
the clock. "We all need sleep. As it is, Delilah and I will only manage a few
hours. Menolly, we'll wake you up before the meeting and all head out
together."
I nodded as the two of them gave me a peck on the cheek, waved to Iris, then
headed upstairs. They walked in the world of the day. I lived during the
nighttime. Two very different worlds, separated by the sun.
"I guess I'll head out to Sassy's." I pushed myself out of the chair and
glanced at the clock. Still four hours till sunrise. Plenty of time to drive
over to the Green Lake area and see if anything was going down that I should
know about. "Iris, keep watch over the place," I said.
She patted my hand. "I always do, my dear. You be careful, you hear?"
"Loud and clear," I said, snatching up my keys and purse as I headed out the
door for my Jag.
The drive to Sassy's took about twenty minutes this time of night. Seattle's
streets were clear, with only the occasional car slinking through the dimly
lit streets. The ice still frozen on the pavement shimmered under the street
lights and the world felt muffled, hushed by the cushion of snow that had
frozen solid over the past few days. Once again, I made a note to ask Camille
about the winter. She and Iris could look into it and see if there was
anything magical going on behind the sudden Arctic freeze that still held
Seattle in its grip.
Sassy's house was actually a mansion, set back on two acres of well-kept
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grounds with a spiked fence that circled the property. The actual gate worked
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