Moon Shimmers(45)
“Oh no, you didn’t?” She dropped her fork, holding out her hand. “Hand over your phone.”
“Nope. I can use them as blackmail. You should see your squirmy fuzzy little butt. Camille, I sent you one of the videos I took.” He laughed, fending off Delilah’s attempts to get hold of his phone. “Hey, I put up with your litter box, your toys, you pouncing on my feet, playing with my hair, so you can just allow me this one perk of being engaged to a werecat.”
“He has a point.” I pulled out my phone and began playing the video. Delilah was lying in the middle of the entire bag of catnip, squirming on her back, squeaking as she tossed a sisal mouse in the air. Her eyes were glazed over but she looked happier than I had seen her in a long time. “Oh, Kitten. You might want to check into CA—Catnip Anonymous!”
“Very funny.” She wrinkled her nose at me, then went back to her breakfast. “So, how did the Hunt go?”
“Powerful. I saw Shamas, by the way. He looked happy.”
She paused. “You okay?”
I considered the question. Shamas had been our cousin. At one point he and I had been secretly engaged, but that had ended due to his mother refusing to accept that I was half-human. And then…so much water under the bridge. But he had died, still loving me, and somewhere in my heart, I knew a part of me would always love him.
“Yeah. I am.” I glanced at the clock. “Smoky should be back today. And…I guess…” I stopped, thinking that it was time to face up to the fact that I had to leave for Otherworld, to find the Keraastar Diamond. That was the next step in my evolution and one I couldn’t get away from. The days till my coronation were counting down and I had to dive in and take the reins of what was quickly becoming a one-way ticket into unknown territory.
“Otherworld?” Delilah pushed back her plate. “We have all the spirit seals.”
“Yes, we do. And so…the Keraastar Diamond. We’ll need Menolly to go with Roz and bring back the Maharata-Verdi tonight. I’ll have to take it with me. I’ll contact Aeval and have her bring Venus. He’ll be going.” I held out my hand, trembling. “And you, Kitten. You still willing to journey with me?”
She nodded. “Of course. Who else?”
“I don’t know. I thought I’d ask Aeval and Derisa. They’ll be able to tell me.” I thought back to Grandmother Coyote’s words. “My world is about to grow so much bigger, and like Sharah, my life won’t be my own anymore.”
Delilah crossed behind me chair, leaning down to wrap her arms around me. “It will be all right. I promise. It will be okay.”
“I know,” I said, but inside, I couldn’t help but wonder if she was right. Would I still be me after everything was said and done?
THE GATES OF Talamh Lonrach Oll were thirty minutes outside of Seattle on a day with moderate rain and moderate traffic, an hour if conditions were worse. Tonight, it was late so traffic was light, and the skies were clear. Smoky and Morio were with me. Delilah was driving her Jeep and Menolly and Vanzir were riding with her. The others had stayed back at the house to watch over things.
Smoky had shown up minutes before we were ready to head out, and he hadn’t had time to tell us about the council meeting in the Dragon Reaches yet. I let out a slow breath as I pressed on the gas pedal, speeding up. I was wearing my best skirt and corset—both black lace with silver embroidery—and a pair of black pumps fit to kill. They were strappy sandals, with four-inch chunky heels. I had brushed my hair till it shone, and I was wearing a silver necklace. My tattoos on my back—one from when I had first been initiated into the Moon Mother’s service, and the second when I had been made a priestess—felt like they were practically glowing.
Every time I went out to the Sovereign Nation now, I had to represent myself as the Queen of Dusk and Twilight, even though I hadn’t yet taken the crown. The moment I had heard the news that I would be taking the throne, I knew that I could never again appear there without being pulled together. Everything I said would be heard and analyzed by the Fae who lived there. And a number of them might not take kindly to a half-breed taking the throne. I had to hold myself up to be as beyond reproach. I was uncomfortable with the thought of being scrutinized, but I’d have to get used to it.
“What happened at the council meeting?” I glanced over at Smoky.
He looked tired, which in itself was unusual. “A lot of back and forth. There are those who are unhappy we’ve thrown our support behind the elves. They feel it weakens us to show any regard for anybody but our own kind. But Mother wore them down. I’ll say this for her—she’s got one hell of a way about her. I wish…” He drifted off, and then—after a deep breath—continued. “I wish she could have been free of Hyto earlier. But now, she’s come into her own. She’s being courted by several of the big Silver families, but she told me she’s not interested in marrying again. I’m one of her only surviving children, but she says that’s enough.”