Winterfall Read online

  “This is Coel,” Greer said, patting the massive head of the giant mustelid.

  The wolverine greeted Ian and Ashley Moore before turning to the others. That’s when it freaked out. Mack, who’d been holding his SOCOM CQB slung across his chest, stepped back and shifted the barrel slightly, bringing it in line with the massive wolverine, who suddenly crouched and snarled.

  The object of its fear and anger lifted one slim hand and brushed her platinum hair behind her ear. “Cute. Should it be off its leash?” she asked Greer.

  The elfin warrior moved to his beast and touched it with one hand while frowning at the beautiful girl.

  Mack shifted his attention to the real danger in the situation, studying the tall, lanky form of Declan, whose unsteady weaving had vanished, becoming something more coiled and tense, as winding black tattoos writhed and climbed his neck and hands.

  The fact that Stacia was watching the growling wolverine but was touching Declan’s arm in almost the same manner Greer was touching Coel was not lost on Mack.

  “Apologies, Speaker. Coel hunts wolves, and it seems you have one with you,” Greer said to Ashely, tone cool and eyes still on Stacia.

  “As fun as that sounds, I thought we were here for a special diplomatic meeting, not exotic weasel hunting,” Stacia said.

  “Greer, control your familiar,” one of the elven females said.

  Mack knew her. Neeve, Greer’s sister and leader of the Winter Court’s Guardians, not to mention that she was also the Princess of Winter. She had white hair like her brother but silver eyes instead of ice blue.

  “Yes, Cousin. Keep that monster off the Speaker’s monster,” the other alien female said.

  Mack hadn’t met that one before, and he was absolutely sure he would have remembered if he had. She was unworldly beautiful, with sun-kissed cornflower hair and green, green eyes. Her lush figure was a sharp contrast to Neeve’s athletic frame and her smile was magnetic. But Declan had met her and he’d described her to Mack. This had to be Eirwen, the Summer Princess, whose magic glamour lent her inhuman beauty and overwhelming sex appeal.

  “Wouldn’t want any wolf blood shed,” the tanned princess said, “or to harm her guy…” she trailed off as her gaze shifted to Declan, her smug face turning to something akin to horror. “You’ve broken the Pact!” she said, spinning to Ashley, snark changing to outrage.

  “Ah, what?” Ashley asked, looking confused at the Princess’s accusation.

  “You can’t bring his kind to Fairie! It’s forbidden,” Eirwen said.

  “Correction. It’s forbidden for the citizens of the Summer and Winter Courts to bring witch-kind to Fairie,” Neeve said. “The Speaker to the Dragons does not fall under the Pact. Plus, he’s only a male.”

  “All witches are forbidden, and he shines bright with power, Cousin,” Eirwen snapped back.

  “Look it up, Cousin. The Pact is very specific in listing the members of the Courts and the Wild Hunt. It makes no mention of the Speaker,” Neeve said calmly.

  “Because there hasn’t been a Speaker for an eon!” the blonde elf said. Mack had already mentally tagged her as Elf Princess Barbie.

  “The Pact had been in place for thousands of years before the demise of the last Speaker,” Greer said, holding his ground when the tanned princess spun his way.

  “It’s bad enough that she brought beastkin,” Eirwen said, waving a hand at Stacia, “but to bring one of his kind is the grossest of insults to both the Courts.”

  “What’s so bad about bringing witches?” Jetta, the youngest among them, asked.

  Eirwen glared at her without answering, then spun about and stormed back to her cadre of waiting males.

  Neeve, who was watching the sky and not her angry cousin, spoke matter-of-factly. “The greatest troubles this world has ever seen were caused by the last witch brought here by Summer’s Hunters. They’ve been banned ever since.” She spun in place slowly, still looking up.

  “And you didn’t think you should share that factoid with us?” Ian Moore asked, his voice mild. Mack knew that quiet voice well and instantly went up on guard. He wasn’t the only one, as his sister and Ashley both tensed, which Stacia and Declan appeared to notice as well. “I can go home if this is an issue,” Declan volunteered.

  Ashley spun around to him but held her tongue at her father’s quick look. Ian turned back to Neeve and watched her for a response to the young witch’s offer.

  “The Speaker is outside the conditions of the Pact, as I might have said several times already. My original advice was to bring people capable of offering protection, and I see no reason to second-guess Ashley’s choices now,” Neeve said in an even tone, still looking up in the sky. “It would leave her short of trusted guardians.”

  “So, by your admission, your mother is aware that Declan is here,” Ian stated, turning to look at Greer.

  The tall elf held his gaze for a moment, then looked away. Ian kept staring and the others held their silence.

  “Mother knows what her Black Frost knows,” Greer finally said. Neeve ignored him, turning in place and shielding her eyes from the sun as she scanned the horizon.

  “Does she? Does she know just how strong Declan is… or does she too think him a normal, low-powered male?” Ian asked. Greer looked uncertain but held his silence.

  “This is some sort of elven political bullshit, isn’t it?” Declan asked.

  “Of course, D,” Stacia said. “Politics are universal and Neeve was there when you blasted that Hunt elf asshole. So yes, we’re being played,” the blonde said, staring at Neeve. The elf princess finally brought her gaze back down to focus it on Stacia, her right eyebrow cocking in what might have been a challenge.

  It was Declan’s turn to grab Stacia’s hand, but the beautiful werewolf just laughed. It wasn’t a real happy laugh.

  “Okay, we’re here ten minutes and the games have started. Bait the Summer elves, then bait the wolf. See who you can get to lose their cool, right, Snowflake? Sorry. Werewolf baiting is just about the official sport of my pack,” Stacia said. Then she turned to Ashley. “I think you and we are being used. Shit, I know we’re being used. Don’t know the game or the rules, which is usually a major red flag. Declan and I will go home now,” Stacia said.

  The couple turned without waiting.

  “You can try to leave, but the Watcher won’t grant you passage without my say-so,” Neeve said.

  “Actually, I think I can duplicate the activation key,” Declan said.

  Neeve raised her eyebrows, perhaps surprised for the first time. “Can you? Maybe you can duplicate the spell that opened the portal from Earth to Fairie, but when, exactly, did you see the one to open the passage from this side?” she asked.

  Declan was unable to keep the look of uncertainty from his face and his girlfriend read it along with the rest of them. She sighed. Declan started to speak, but she stopped him. “Don’t even suggest beating the key from that old elf up there. Neither of us is that ruthless, at least at this point,” she said to him. “Okay, Snowflake. We’ll wait,” Stacia said, but her tone indicated an unspoken for now.

  Ian was staring at Neeve, and Mack noticed that the protective father’s right hand holding the HK UMP45 submachine gun was holding it in line with the elven princess’s body, the muzzle pointed at her feet.

  “Are you going to shoot me, Ian?” Neeve asked, turning to take in his stance.

  He didn’t answer right away and behind the princess, the white ape-thing, which Ashley had previously told him was a goblin, growled and shuffled forward. Neeve smiled slightly, just a twitch of her thin-set lips.

  “Go ahead, Mr. Moore. I’ll hold both her and the goblin thing steady while you take your time shooting both of them. I still owe her for stabbing me with her bracelet spear. Then I’ll burn the bodies to ash and Greer can tell the old fart on the hill to dial up Earth,” Declan said.

  “Oh, please do, witchling,” Neeve said, glancing over her shoulder to the five Summer e
lves, who watched them all with suspicion.

  “What? You think five more are a big deal?” Declan asked. Mack had absolutely zero doubt that Declan could lay waste to all the elves present, plus a whole bunch more, but his roommate wasn’t that bloodthirsty. It was a bluff and, from the very slight smirk on Neeve’s face, she knew it.

  Declan’s eyes narrowed at the silent challenge and he finally turned away in disgust. Then the anger cleared from his face and he smiled. It was his about to ruin your day smile. It happened every time Declan came up with a slick tactic or move to win the day in Wytch War.

  “Ya know what? I bet Erin, I mean Eirwen, would be downright happy to tell the codger on the hill to send us home. Let me just go ask her,” Declan said, taking a step toward the other party of elves.

  Neeve grimaced so fast that Mack almost missed it. She turned to Ian. “Mother knows the guest list and knows what I know about each member of the Speaker’s party,” she said in some kind of formal admission.

  “Does Zinnia?” Ian asked. Mack recalled from the pre-trip briefing that Zinnia was the Queen of the Summer Court.

  “I cannot say what my aunt does or does not know,” Neeve said, holding his gaze. Behind her, the big white goblin shifted anxiously.

  “Why should Ashley have so much protection at this meeting?” Ian asked again.

  “There are always those among both Courts who wish power and influence above their current stations. Kidnapping or threatening the Speaker is a potential avenue to that goal,” Neeve said. “I’ve seen that your witch can more than protect himself, and he’s immune to my cousin’s charms. The list of males who can say the same is very, very short. Eirwen is as strong as they come. If he can block her influence, he can block almost all others. It is in my interests to make sure the Speaker is protected.”

  “A partial truth, but nowhere near all of it,” Ian said.

  Ashley suddenly spun and pointed her right arm directly at the glaring red sun.

  The rest turned to follow her hand, staring into the harsh glare. After a couple of seconds, Mack spotted a black dot amid the reddish sunlight. It got steadily bigger, the flapping of wings becoming visible.

  At first he thought it was a bird, but something was odd about its flight. Then it struck him where he’d seen that peculiar flapping motion before and he spun to Declan.

  “No, he’s home at Rowan West. Besides, that one is much, much bigger,” Declan said, guessing his roommate’s unspoken question.

  Mack turned back and realized that it was still far away, yet he could see much more of its reptilian detail.

  “That’s Trygon. He’s our ride,” Ashley said.

  Eirwen and her guards were moving further away and now Mack could see odd horse-like creatures standing with another green-clad figure who held their reins.

  When he looked back at the sky, the dragon was much, much closer. He shot a quick look of disbelief at his tall friend. “It looks just like Draco,” he said, turning back to the flying myth.

  “Right? Listen, I copied the one from the Potter movie. Who knew the special effects guys had it dead on?” Declan said.

  The dragon swerved into an arc, swinging around to approach the open end of the semicircle of little hillocks. Massive wings backstroked, sending dust and small bits of loose vegetation flying, causing each of them to cover their faces. Even the squatty white ape thing turned its head and the wolverine, Coel, covered its face with a massive paw.

  “It’s as big as a bus,” Jetta said.

  “He… He’s as big as a bus. Well, actually a bit shorter, but close. But Trygon is still young, barely a thousand years old. He’s got a lot of growing to do still,” Ashley said, turning to face the monster as it shook the ground with its landing.

  The giant back legs touched down first, the wings folding in and coming forward like a bat’s to become its front legs, stabilizing its landing. Gargantuan and terrifying, yet oddly graceful, Mack thought. The massive beast was mostly a yellowish-green with black tigerish stripes down its sides. The long neck swung down, bringing the horn-backed head level with Ashley and her father, a single dinner-plate-sized eye swiveling around to study first them and then their friends.

  “Greetings Trygon,” Ashley said, completely relaxed. “These are my friends,” she said with a wave. She proceeded to name each of them and Mack felt his stomach twist and his testicles shrink when the dragon’s attention turned completely on him. Then the eye blinked and moved to look at Declan and Stacia. “He greets each of you and welcomes you to Fairie, but wonders that I would invite trouble on myself,” Ashley said, frowning at the dragon.

  “I was told I could bring whoever I wanted, and Neeve knew they were my picks,” she said, moving right up close to the head that was bigger than the giant white wolverine. “We just had this argument. I had no idea there was this whole Pact thingy.”

  Mack, who was fully understanding how far down the food chain he really was, marveled at her complete confidence.

  The dragon eye swiveled back to her and she suddenly backed up a step, put both hands on her hips and straightened all of her five-foot-five frame. “In that case, I should just go home,” she said, in response to something only she seemed to hear.

  Mack knew Ashley had a form of telepathy, one that only worked with another species, specifically dragons, but seeing her converse with a monster out of legend was so surreal, he felt he might get dizzy like Declan had.

  The dragon drew back its head and pulled up to its full height, staring down at the little human girl, eyes swirling with anger and a puff of honest-to-frigging smoke coming out one nostril.

  “Fine. This trip’s over. Let’s go, guys,” Ashley said, turning and marching for the switchback trail back up the hill. Charm followed her and, with a shrug and a grin, so did her father. Realizing she was leaving them with a maddened monster, the others looked at each other and then rushed to follow. Declan pushed Stacia ahead of him, taking the rear position and watching the dragon over his shoulder as the little group started for the trail. Neeve and Greer and their two familiars stood unmoving, watching the drama play out.

  Declan, his eyes on the massive monster, his most dangerous spell lined up in his head, saw the moment when the tense anger flowed out of its features, instantly replaced with a different kind of tension—that of fear and worry. It snaked forward, rushing around the group and twisting its long neck to place its head level with Ashley, who had already climbed about ten feet in elevation on the steep little trail.

  The slender girl stopped, hands on hips, and stared at the toothy head of the mythic beast. Then she dropped her hands and nodded. “Yes, I know we’re being played… now. I submitted my list of names through proper channels,” she said, glancing back at Neeve before continuing. “Nobody said a word and the Winter Court knew full well that Declan was a witch.”

  The dragon pulled back its head as if considering, then lifted to its full height and regarded the pair of Winter elves standing with their nervous familiars. A deep rumble, like an earthquake, emanated from its chest.

  “Trygon says congratulations, Princess, on finding a way around the Pact. You are the first since it was signed to legally bypass it. But whatever plans you and your matriarch may be hatching, be warned. We, the dragons of Fairie, will be watching. If anything happens to our Speaker, we will end you,” Ashley said, gulping a little at the part about herself.

  Neeve said nothing, just inclining her head regally before turning away and moving off behind the hill, her goblin ape ambling after her. Greer stood stiffly for a moment, looking not at the dragon but at the little group before turning and following his sister.