“Oh, it goes deeper than that, Camille, but that’s all I am allowed to say on the subject. But you would do well, tonight, to prepare yourself. Your life as you know it has very little time left.”
She picked up Bad Ass Luke’s finger bone. “This bone, you brought to me.”
“I remember, all too well.”
“That he reappears now tells me the final showdown with the Demonkin is coming. Shadow Wing is weakened, and that makes him angry. You have the spirit seals as of today.”
“Yes, we do. All of them.”
“Every Great Fae Lord left in existence feels this shift. Every portal quakes from it. The fates of all three worlds hinge on what you do next. You could bring them together and watch the portals unravel. You could destroy them and see what would happen. You can raise the Keraastar Knights and do battle to keep the Sub-Realms in their place. There are so many varying futures that fracture out from this moment that I have no way to predict what will be—or what should be. Camille D’Artigo, you are the crux and the crossroad, and by your actions, the world will shift.”
I swallowed. Hard. “Gee, put the pressure on, why don’t you?” I tried to joke but the words came out thick as the panic grew. I didn’t want to determine the fate of three worlds. I wanted to go play with Maggie and sit under a tree by Birchwater Pond and eat a sandwich.
“Some of us are born great…” She paused.
I nodded, murmuring, “Some are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them.” Shakespeare had it right.
“You will never know which of the three brought you to this point, and right now it does not matter. But whatever the case, Camille, you must think carefully. You must weigh the issues, and seek guidance from those you can trust. And from those you aren’t sure of—sometimes the advice of a stranger can be more keen-sighted than the advice of a friend who is too bound up within your world. Now go. Do not fear K’thbar. He will rumble and roil the water, but he cannot come to land. But I advise you to not visit the waters there again for some time. He will eventually seek another spot in which to slumber, and will go to sleep once more. He was not so much injured by the loss of the spirit seal, but by the intrusion into his dreams.”
And with that, Grandmother Coyote stood and motioned me to the door.
I turned back. “Will I ever get to come back to visit you again?”
“Oh, Camille. If you do not, I will be visiting you. You’re bound up in my world, as I am in yours. Go and be grateful that you have the opportunity to change the world. So few have that chance.” With that, she swept the bones back into the bag and I turned, finding my way out.
By the time I crossed the meadow again, my ribs and stomach were hurting and I was so glad to see my car that I almost kissed it. I slid in behind the wheel and, thoughts in a jumble, turned and headed for home.
IRIS CHECKED ME out. “No broken ribs that I can tell, but you’ve bruised yourself a good bit. I’ll spread some salve on it, and you rest tomorrow, and the injury should be on its way to healing come Sunday.”
“I can’t rest tonight. I have to ride with the Hunt. But that will most likely spur on the healing rather than harm me. The energy of the rides is thick and bracing.”
Iris didn’t bother to argue. She knew, as well as everybody else, that each Full Moon saw me up and on the astral with the Moon Mother. Nothing could break that bond—not even death. For when I died, she’d sweep me up onto the Hunt until the day she allowed me to go to the Land of Silver Falls.
“Here, you rest for now. Lay down on the sofa and I’ll bring you some food on a tray.” She shooed me out of the kitchen and I knew better than argue.
Delilah was sitting in the recliner by the sofa, reading. She put down her book as I entered the room. “I wish Menolly could rise earlier during the summer.”
“So do I, but you and I both know she can’t. She should move to Alaska each winter. She’d almost never have to go to bed.”
“Yeah, but summers would be a bear.” Delilah waited until I made myself comfortable. “Shimmer’s down by the pond. Vanzir’s going to drive her home in a bit.”
“I hope she’s ready to buckle up and hang on. He’s gotten three tickets in the past four months and I told him if he doesn’t watch out, they’ll suspend his license. He likes to play hotshot on the road.” I paused. Then, very softly, I reached out for her hand. “Things are going to change so much in the next two weeks.”
Delilah squeezed my fingers. “I know. Are you afraid?”