The Scrolls of Gideon Read online

  But Alex didn’t know any of that.

  “Well, I guess you’ll have the chance now,” I said with real regret. “I wouldn’t have sprung this on you, if I had a choice.”

  “I know.”

  “Oh, and Daoin? Just one more thing,” I said. “How many more siblings do I have that I don’t know about?”

  He almost laughed. “None that I’m aware of.”

  “Good, because I think I’ve had enough surprise relatives,” I said with a smirk.

  I moved aside and turned to find Taeral and Sadie not far back. Grygg and Junkyard were still in the tall grass, apparently not in any hurry. But I didn’t see Alex.

  Until she darted past Sadie and ran straight for Daoin, the gun she’d used on the mermaids extended in front of her. The one loaded with cold iron bullets.

  The rest of the Seelie Guard behind Daoin lurched forward, but he stopped them with a raised hand and walked out to meet Alex. Tears streamed from her eyes, and she froze while he moved calmly toward her, stopping maybe five feet back.

  “It’s you,” she said unsteadily as the arm holding the gun trembled. “You’re Daoin. You stole my mother. You ruined my life!”

  “Alex.” Daoin sent a stern gaze past her and shook his head slightly. Taeral, who’d been tensed to throw a spell at her, stood down with obvious reluctance, and Daoin returned his attention to the furious woman. “I am Daoin,” he said. “But I did not steal your mother.”

  Alex sobbed and shook even harder. “She wouldn’t have left us, you bastard!” She took a single step forward and visibly forced the trembling away, until her gun hand steadied. “You did something to her,” she said. “My father told me. You enchanted her somehow, forced her to fall in love with you. And then you got her killed.”

  Daoin flinched. “I do blame myself for Jessamyn’s death,” he said hoarsely, and it was painful to hear the love he infused my mother’s name with. “Those humans, the Milus Dei … I’d underestimated them, and your mother paid for that with her life. I paid as well, for a very long time.” He closed his eyes briefly. “Alex, she came with me to protect you.”

  “No, she didn’t.” Alex stepped forward again. “You really expect me to believe that she abandoned me for my own good? That is so much bullshit.”

  “It is true,” he said. “She’d learned from one of her old coven that Milus Dei was hunting her. They wanted the descendant of Sybil Hadley. But they’d not learned that Jessamyn had a child, and so she asked for my help to protect you.” Daoin swallowed hard. “I had to alter your father’s memories slightly,” he said. “He’d agreed to it … again, to protect you. And so he spent his life believing that his wife had been enthralled by a Fae.”

  Alex was shaking again, and fresh tears streamed from her eyes. “Why?” she said. “Why that story? I grew up thinking…” She trailed off with a shudder.

  “For several reasons. It was close to the truth, which made the altered memories stronger and less likely to fail,” Daoin said. “We also knew no one would believe him, so there would be no further investigation into the matter. And perhaps most important of all, it was less painful than believing his wife had voluntarily left with another man.” He smiled sadly. “I also implanted the idea that he change your last name to his, so that you would remain undetected by Milus Dei,” he said. “And you must believe that it was not my intention to fall in love with your mother. I’d only meant to help her. The rest simply … happened.”

  Alex stared at him for a long moment. “I spent my whole life wanting to kill you,” she finally whispered. “Now … well, I don’t know what to think.”

  “Perhaps you could refrain from killing me for a while longer?” Daoin suggested gently. “You all seem in need of food and drink, and a hot bath. I’m certain the King will be glad to welcome you into the castle, and see that you’re refreshed and restored.”

  “The King?” Alex blinked and lowered the gun slowly. “Please tell me you don’t mean Elvis.”

  Daoin gave her a puzzled look. “The King is called Braelan,” he said. “Who is this King Elvis?”

  I tried really hard not to laugh, but it burst out anyway. “It’s okay, Daoin. Elvis is only royalty in the human realm,” I said as I went to Alex and put an arm around her. She was still shaking, but she relaxed a little as I stood with her and offered wordless support. “You’ll like Braelan,” I told her. “What do you say, should we go eat all his food?”

  She smiled. “Actually, I think I’ll take the hot bath first,” she said. “Because you smell like dead mermaid, so that means I do, too.”

  “I hadn’t noticed,” I said, laughing. “Guess you should put me down for a bath.”

  We headed for the castle, accompanied by the Seelie Guard like honored guests instead of prisoners. Filthy, cranky, confused and exhausted honored guests, but it was still better than being dragged off to the dungeons.

  I almost couldn’t wait to see Cobalt’s face when we got inside.

  CHAPTER 35

  The castle of the Seelie Court was a lot nicer in the non-dungeon parts.

  I had to hand it to the Fae — they really knew how to eat, drink, and be merry. Braelan not only welcomed us with open arms, but he’d somehow managed to whip up a feast with enough food for about a hundred people while us weary travelers were soaking in his private hot springs in the basement, using the magic showers that poured straight out of the stone walls, and dressing in the clean clothes that were somehow there when we finished and happened to be perfect fits.

  From there we’d gone to the banquet hall, which was a huge room just for eating. The long stone table in the center of the room, polished to a high gloss, could’ve seated fifty. And most of the entire surface was piled with food. There were two whole roasted animals I couldn’t identify, but they tasted like chicken, so I was pretty sure they weren’t the Fae version of wild boar that Uriskel and I had almost died hunting one time. Loaves of warm bread, blocks of cheese, a dozen different kinds of fruit — including the sweet, crisp mallow fruit that Sadie and I had been practically force-fed by nymphs when we visited the Mirror Mender — and some kind of not-quite-chocolate dessert that was so damned good, it probably should’ve been forbidden.

  And, of course, there was elderberry wine. Loads of it. Sadie didn’t even try to stop Taeral from drinking his fill, since it’d flush anything that remained of the mandrake oil from his system and didn’t really make him drunk. The stuff was only a mild intoxicant to the Fae. To humans, it was probably about two hundred and fifty proof.

  Poor Junkyard spent most of the time convinced that we’d somehow sailed clear across the Atlantic to England, and that we were having dinner with the royal family. He kept calling Braelan Prince Harry and asking if he could pet the queen’s Corgis.

  The little satyrs that scurried around bringing more food and taking away empty plates really didn’t appreciate it when Junkyard tried to scratch their heads.

  Once everyone was fed and rested, and we’d all had a chance to catch up, Braelan asked for all the Fae in both groups to confer with him. Now the rest of them were lounging in the castle courtyard, while Taeral and I sat with Braelan, Cobalt, Uriskel, and Daoin in the King’s Chambers. Which was apparently Fae for ‘man cave.’

  The room was circular, with a massive stone fireplace at one end and torches mounted at intervals on the wall. The furniture looked normal enough for Arcadia, all of it made from wood or leather or otherwise natural materials. There was also a big-screen TV and a huge DVD collection. That was strange enough, since the Fae didn’t use electricity. But it was the other large, non-Fae object in the room that really baffled me.

  “Uh, Braelan?” I said as I settled into a cushioned silk chair by the fire. “Why do you have a pinball machine?”

  The Seelie King smirked, looking more like his brother than ever. Him and Cobalt shared a striking resemblance. “That actually belongs to River, my … Regent,” he said. “He is human, and he’s a fondness for such fr
ivolities. Though I must say it’s quite fun.”

  Uriskel laughed. “Your River is bound to corrupt you yet, Highness,” he said.

  “Really, Uriskel. How many times must I ask you not to call me that?”

  “As many as it takes, until it stops irritating you,” Uriskel said with a grin. “After all, what are brothers for?”

  Braelan sighed, but he flashed a fond smile. “All right, then,” he said, moving across the room to stand near the fire and face everyone else, who’d taken various seats. “I’ve asked for us to come together, so we can discuss a matter Gideon’s mentioned. That of Milus Dei, and this Dante.” He turned to face me. “I am concerned, after learning of what Daoin had suffered at the hands of these humans, as well as what you and your friends have faced, that Dante and Milus Dei may pose an immediate threat to my People, and yours.”

  “Hate to say it, but I think that’s a pretty accurate assessment,” I admitted. “I’m relieved they haven’t found either of your brothers in the human realm yet, but the problem is they’re never going to stop. Unless we stop them.”

  “Aye, so I’m inclined to believe,” Braelan said. “Please. Tell us everything you know.”

  I tried to repeat what I’d found out from Sir Cromwell about the Order of Gideon, how they’d created Dante and then lost control of him, how Dante had twisted their message of peace into one of relentless pursuit, persecution and genocide. “Cromwell said that Dante has massive power, and that he might be unstoppable,” I said. “But he didn’t know where he is, and neither did the second-rate Milus Dei thug I interrogated after I killed him.”

  “Did you say after you killed him?” Cobalt said, inclining his head slightly.

  “He is the DeathSpeaker, brother.” Uriskel, who’d actually seen me talk to the dead, frowned deeply. “What type of power does this Dante possess?” he said. “From your description, it seems he is neither human, nor Other.”

  I shrugged. “Honestly, I have no idea. According to Cromwell, Grygg is just a pale shadow of Dante — and I’m pretty sure Grygg could kill any one of us if he wanted to.”

  “Aye, he could,” Taeral said. “I’ve known Grygg for many years, and have seen him destroy ancient vampires, minor gods, even a millennia-old Fae. One who’d turned to murdering his own kind for sport, and had to be stopped,” he added quickly. “And now that Cromwell has restored him to full function, he is even more powerful.”

  “But Grygg’s one of the good guys,” I said, remembering how he’d sworn to protect me. “So, yeah, I guess Dante is an evil, indestructible construct who’s about a thousand times stronger than Grygg and has been figuring out how to kill Others for centuries, and training his minions to do the same.” I shook my head. “Cromwell seems to think I’m the only one who can stop him, but I sure as hell can’t do it alone.”

  “Nor will you have to,” Braelan said. “Arcadia cannot stand idle while this monster and his armies slaughter my People in the human realm, our cousins among other species, and our human friends who risk their lives to oppose this threat. Gideon, when the time comes to move against Dante, you’ll have the full might of the Arcadian army at your disposal. Simply call upon me, and I will grant you all the support my People can muster.”

  I was too shocked to say anything.

  I’d been fighting one evil thing or another for most of my life, whether it was the Valentines or Milus Dei, blood-drinking djinn, self-proclaimed gods, or demons with human cloning abilities. And for a lot of those fights, I’d been alone. Then I met Sadie and Taeral, Grygg, the Duchenes, even Donatti and Ian. People who’d become my friends, my family. Despite all that, part of me still expected to face Dante alone, and probably die alone.

  But I wouldn’t be alone. I’d have my brother, my friends. And a Fae army.

  “And you’ll have my support, as well,” Daoin said, standing from his chair. “I’d not needed another reason to strike at the heart of Milus Dei, but I will be proud to stand in battle alongside my sons.”

  Taeral rose with a nod. “I’ve pledged to keep you safe before, brother, and I’ve not failed you in the end. That vow still stands, whether or not I’ve been absolved of the consequences. I will not yield now.”

  “You’ve an ally in me, as well.” Cobalt stood, and Uriskel got up with him. “I’ve many friends and contacts throughout the human realm. Surely one of them will be able to help us locate Dante. And when the time comes, I will join the fight.”

  “He’ll not do so without me,” Uriskel said, and smiled. “Beyond my brother’s rush to throw his life away for a good cause, Gideon, you’ve proven yourself honorable beyond measure. You’ve placed the needs of others above your own, and you have suffered and endured. If you are destined to face this great evil, we will ensure that you survive to enjoy the spoils of victory.”

  At that point I figured I should say something, but I couldn’t talk past the huge lump in my throat. I settled for standing instead, since everybody else was.

  “All right, then,” I finally said. “Together.”

  CHAPTER 36

  Goodbyes were hard.

  Alex and I sat on the platform steps of the Nostradamus, while Junkyard rummaged around below decks picking out a few things he wanted to keep. The two of them were headed back to the human realm soon — to Lightning Cove, actually. Alex wanted to take a little time off, to visit the place she’d fled so long ago and wrap her head around the idea that her mother hadn’t abandoned her after all. That she’d sacrificed a life with her daughter to protect her, and that Daoin wasn’t the childhood monster she’d always seen him as.

  As for Junkyard, Taeral had assured Alex that her first mate would recover his senses once they’d returned to the normal and familiar. He hadn’t gone crazy, exactly. He’d just created his own temporary reality.

  Right now his reality included his old friend Seadog, which had confused the hell out of the Fae attendant who’d been bringing them drinks in the courtyard when Junkyard insisted that they’d escaped the Straits of Malacca together, and tried to get him to sing something called ‘The Whores of Sailortown’ with him.

  I was kind of sorry I’d missed all that. Plus, Alex said she’d almost had a heart attack when Grygg joined in the sing-along and apparently knew every lewd word to the old shanty, including a few verses that Junkyard had never heard.

  “So,” Alex said, looking out across the gently rustling blue grass sea. “You’re really going to let me keep this ship?”

  I grinned. “Of course I am. I live in New York City, remember? Where the hell am I going to keep a five-masted galleon?”

  “You do have a point,” she laughed.

  “Besides,” I said with a shrug. “I destroyed your ship, so I definitely owe you a replacement.” I still felt terrible about that, critical lifesaving measures or not. The Foxtrot Uniform had been pretty much her whole life, before I came along and wrecked it.

  She sighed a little, but a smile lingered on her lips. “Maybe I don’t mind so much. I mean, this is one hell of a replacement,” she said, and bumped her shoulder gently against mine. “Besides, I got a brother out of it. That’s not so bad.”

  “Are you sure? Because I’m a pretty lousy brother. Just ask Taeral,” I said, and laughed. “But seriously, I’m happy to have a sister, too. And I hope you won’t forget all about me the next time you sail this thing away.”

  “Something tells me I’m never going to forget you, Gideon,” she said softly. “And I don’t want to. Promise that we’ll keep in touch, okay?”

  “Whoa, promise? I’d rather not die for forgetting to make a phone call,” I smirked. “Yes, we’ll absolutely keep in touch. And visit a lot,” I said. “Manhattan’s not that far from Lightning Cove. I’ve driven it once.”

  She nodded and looked off into the distance. “Gideon … when you fight Dante, I want to help.”

  “Not you, too,” I groaned. “Somebody needs to stay safe from this asshole.”

  “That’s what I’ve a
pparently been doing my whole life. And not by choice,” she said, her eyes flashing fire. “Well, I’m not standing back any more. Milus Dei is responsible for my mother’s death, and Dante is the head of Milus Dei. Plus, he’s trying to kill my brother. There’s no way I’m going to sit this one out.”

  “All right. I get it,” I said, smiling. “I’m still not sure how or when we’re going after this guy, but I will let you know. Deal?”

  “Deal.”

  A soft thump behind us made us both jump. “Gideon?” a familiar voice called as footsteps sounded on the steering platform. “Where are you?”

  “Right here,” I said as I stood and turned, waving at Uriskel. “I think they’re almost ready … um, are you?” I asked Alex.

  “Yeah, Junkyard’s had plenty of time to scavenge. I’ll just go get him.” She stood and headed down the rest of the stairs, turning to lift a hand. “Be right back.”

  “We’ll be here,” I said.

  Uriskel started down the steps, and I walked with him to the main deck to wait for Alex and Junkyard. “So, this woman is your sister?” he said.

  I nodded and looked at the closed door she’d just gone through. “I guess it’s a small world,” I said. “Nobody told me … well, let’s just say that discovering a sister was the last thing I expected when I got on her ship.”

  “Aye, life can be strange,” Uriskel said. He’d had some personal experience with dark family secrets. “But it can be rewarding, as well. Particularly when you find something you’d never known was lost.”

  “Yeah,” I said slowly. “You’re right.” As a matter of fact, most of the good things in my life fell into that category. I never knew I needed a father figure until I met Abe, or a friend until I met Sadie, or a brother until I met Taeral. I’d come to love them all, and I was sure it’d be the same with Alex.