Darkling. Part 16

I centered myself. This could be a trick-like wishes gone bad from some of the djinns who thrived on chaos and twisting meanings. Cautiously I said, "I'm looking for Jareth. Is he here in this temple, and will he help me?" There, that seemed clear enough.

The oracle blinked and then closed his eyes. I could no longer sense either of the men breathing, nor were their hearts beating the rhythm I was so used to hearing. This doesn't make sense This doesn't make sense, I thought. They were both alive-but it was as if all my sensory equipment went on the fritz.

After a moment, a thundering voice filled the room, departing the moment I caught the words, as if it had never been.

"The man you seek is here, and he will help you. But the question is: What help do you really need? The path is long and tortuous, leading within. Demons are only demons when they choose to live in the fire." And then, he fell silent, sagging for a moment before his eyes snapped open and he straightened, once again staring forward. Silent, like an image caught in freeze-frame.

I turned to the other man. "Now will you take me to Jareth?"

He inclined his head and motioned toward a door against the back of the room. I followed him, skirting the dais.

"Is he... does he always sit there with that thing on his back?" I asked, trying to keep my tone respectful.

My guide didn't look back at me, but said, "Yes, day and night, year after year. He is the Dayinye Oracle. He will answer questions until the day he dies, and then his soul will join Great Mother Dayinye's paradise in the afterlife."

We pa.s.sed through the door into another hall that led farther back into the temple. Here I could sense more movement, though snores reached my ears from behind a few of the doors. Obviously a number of the temple's residents were sleeping.

"How long has he been the Oracle?"

"Two hundred and fifty-seven years. Each oracle serves but a short time-five hundred years-and then they die. A new one is selected in the four hundredth year of the old. They are trained for one hundred years to take over the position, before ascending to the oracular throne." He seemed quite amiable and willing to answer my questions. I decided to try for a couple more.

"And who is Mother Dayinye? I'm sorry, I'm not familiar with your path nor this city." I glanced around as we entered a dining hall. My guide motioned for me to sit at one of the tables and I took my place on a bench.

"Wait," he said before disappearing through an archway. A moment later, he returned with a goblet of wine and-whoa!-a goblet of blood. He knew what I was, all right.

I accepted the crystal flute, sniffing it carefully. Human-more or less, tinged with magic. Not wanting to seem rude, I took a tiny sip and almost swooned. The blood was like nectar on my tongue. In fact, for a moment, I could have sworn I was drinking a fine merlot or burgundy or a gla.s.s of Elfin elixir. Another sip and I tasted apple juice and honey and cinnamon.

"Great G.o.ds, what is this? It's wonderful." I gazed at the goblet, thinking that if I could have a gla.s.s of this a couple times a week, I wouldn't be nearly so scritchy.

"The blood of our oracle. We bleed him twice a week and save it for special occasions and rituals. And for special guests." He gave me an indulgent smile and took a swallow of his wine.

I wasn't sure what to say. Apparently it wasn't doing the dude any harm, and if he'd been sitting there for a couple hundred years, then who was I to mention that it seemed like a raw deal? Considering the fact that I bled a lot of people myself, I decided to keep my mouth shut.

"I'm Jareth," my guide said, holding out his hand.

I stared at him. Why the h.e.l.l hadn't he said so in the first place? Or had the oracle been some sort of a test? Once again, I bit back a retort and took his hand. "How do you do. Queen Asteria sent me to find you."

"The Elfin Queen sent you? Strange days, these are, when elves and Svartans combine forces, and when Asteria sends a vampire to me for help. Tell me what you think think you require." He didn't even blink. you require." He didn't even blink.

I ran my finger over the cut crystal goblet and stared into the magical blood before taking another sip. Finally I set the gla.s.s down and delicately wiped my mouth.

"I didn't choose to become a vampire. I was turned by the Elwing Blood Clan. Currently I'm living Earthside on a.s.signment, and it's come to my attention that the Elwing Clan has crossed over the divide. Dredge, their leader and my sire, is after me. He may be in cahoots with a floraed who's joined forces with Demonkin from the Subterranean Realms. I need to know how to find Dredge, and how to kill him."

Jareth leaned forward, propping his elbows on the table. "And you think I know how?"

"Queen Asteria seems to think so," I said, contemplating his expression. He was hard to read, this monk.

"You don't believe you have the power to defeat him right now?"

I looked into his eyes and saw something there I hadn't seen in a long, long time. Understanding. Pure, crystal clear, understanding. It made me want to weep as I slowly shook my head. "No, I know I don't."

"You can find your sire. All All vampires can find their sires, if their sire still walks the world." As he continued to stare at me, I had the weirdest feeling that he was looking into my soul, looking past the anger and memories, deep into the me that once had been. vampires can find their sires, if their sire still walks the world." As he continued to stare at me, I had the weirdest feeling that he was looking into my soul, looking past the anger and memories, deep into the me that once had been.

"You know a lot about vampires, do you?" I tried to gauge his expression. Something about him fascinated me. He obviously possessed great power, but he kept it behind a mask.

"Enough for what you require," he said. "I've helped a number of vampires gain control over their impulses. And I've lost a few, too."

A chill ran down my back, colder than my skin, colder than death. "Lost a few?"

"There have been a handful who sought me out. I couldn't help them. Either they didn't want to face their inner demons, or they embraced them too readily. They sought no balance and turned into monsters." As he caught my gaze and held it, I knew. I knew why Queen Asteria had instructed me to seek him out.

"You tried to help Dredge, didn't you?"

Jareth lowered his gaze to the table. "Sometimes, no matter how hard you try, you lose the game. Dredge was my first-and greatest-failure."

I considered the possibilities. If Jareth had known Dredge way back at the beginning, he must be incredibly old. And he knew what made Dredge tick And he knew what made Dredge tick. Which meant invaluable information on how to take down my nightmare.

"Will you work with me?" I drained my goblet and set it down. "Dredge captured one of our friends. I don't hold out much hope but maybe... maybe we can get her back. He's out to hurt me. I don't think he'll kill her right away."

Jareth leaned across the table. "If you ask for my help, I'll force you to walk down some dark paths, Menolly. You must come to terms with your memories before I can lead you to Dredge. He's your sire. If you face him now without my help, I guarantee he'll end up controlling you. Dredge isn't like most vampires. Do you know what he was before he was turned? Did he tell you his story?"

I shook my head. "He didn't tell me anything, except exactly what he was going to do with me. He kept every promise he made that night." I pressed my eyes shut, trying to shove aside the images that flashed through my mind.

"As long as you fear your memories, you'll be at his mercy. I have to take you back into that pain, to that night, in order to free you of the chains that bind you to Dredge." He stood up. "Are you strong enough to withstand the journey? Can you give yourself to me and let me break you down so we can put the pieces back together?"

"I thought that's what the OIA did when I managed to get home," I said, wanting to find some way out. "They spent a year working to bring me back to sanity. Can't you just tell me what I need to know about Dredge?"

Jareth motioned for me to walk with him. We made our way through a winding corridor back into the great hall. "The OIA merely slapped a bandage on your wounds. They taught you how to cope with the memories but not to overcome them. I'm a shaman. I can teach you how to rise above all of this, to take control over what happened. Only then can you face Dredge and hope to win."

He paused. "What do you think will happen if you and your sisters go up against him, and you suddenly turn to his side? As much as you hate him, he can make you his puppet."

I stopped cold. "You're telling me that he can control me, even if I don't want him to?"

"For all of your ability to mesmerize others, you don't think his is far greater? Dredge is eight hundred years old, Menolly. He's a greater vampire, and before that, while he lived, he was a high priest of Jakaris even though he's not Svartan. He should have been cast into the Subterranean Realms centuries ago, but he always managed to outwit those seeking him."

A high priest of Jakaris. A priest of the Svartan G.o.d of vice and torture. No wonder he enjoyed inflicting pain so much. It had been his path in life, and he'd kept up the practice in death. I pressed my hand against my stomach, queasy. "Kind of makes Dracula look like a boy toy, I guess."

"You could put it that way," Jareth said. "But Vlad has some some ethics, regardless of how ruthless he seems on the outside. Dredge is devoid of conscience. If he's truly after you, he'll systematically destroy every single person you care about in the most horrible way possible before coming for you. He doesn't want to kill, he wants to rain fear and pain down on his enemies." ethics, regardless of how ruthless he seems on the outside. Dredge is devoid of conscience. If he's truly after you, he'll systematically destroy every single person you care about in the most horrible way possible before coming for you. He doesn't want to kill, he wants to rain fear and pain down on his enemies."

s.h.i.+t. I didn't have a choice. "Do you know an incubus named Rozurial? He's after Dredge, too."

Jareth nodded. "He wanted to study with me, but I don't work with incubi and he was denied access to the city. He went Earthside, then, to find Dredge?"

I nodded. "He's been helping me."

"Very good, then. You can trust him, as far as this matter goes. Like many others, he has a longstanding grudge against the Elwing Blood Clan. Now there's no time to waste. Will you put yourself in my hands? Queen Asteria sent you. I can help you, but you have to surrender yourself to me."

The thought of handing over control was terrifying. My trust no one trust no one instincts were screaming like I'd set them on fire. "Can I have an hour or so to think it over? I want to talk to my sister first." instincts were screaming like I'd set them on fire. "Can I have an hour or so to think it over? I want to talk to my sister first."

"Of course. I'll be here. But mind you, if you refuse, then don't bother returning to the temple. Ever Ever. This is the only time I will make this offer." He guided me through the larger-than-life statues toward the door.

"May I ask... who is she? You mentioned Mother Dayinye earlier. Are those statues of her?" I nodded to the stone figures.

"She is our G.o.ddess. Great Mother Dayinye is the guardian of souls, the keeper of conscience. We pursue truth through her. She divines the path of our destiny. If we stray, she reminds us gently the first time. The second, a sharper reprimand. The third and she destroys us with the violet fire of reckoning."

He turned away as I opened the door, but over his shoulder he called out, "I won't hurt you, Menolly. No more than I have to in order to make you an opponent capable of meeting-and destroying-your enemy."

I found Camille and Morio in the park, holding hands under the Moon Mother as she slowly progressed into the darkness of her cycle. They were working magic of some sort, probably s.h.i.+elding themselves. I silently glided up behind them.

Without a beat, Camille said, "I know you're there. Come out of the shadows, Menolly."

She was getting better, I thought. Delilah and I could sense when people snuck up on us. Camille wasn't quite as good, but she'd been practicing. I sat down beside her.

"We need to talk. Can we find an inn?" I knew better than to touch her right after she'd been working a spell-sometimes the exchange of energies sparked off more than we bargained for.

She s.h.i.+vered. "Sounds good. I'd like to get off the ground and onto something soft. Any luck finding Jareth? Who is he? What is he like?"

I glanced over at Morio. "I don't want to talk out here in the open, even in this city. Protected or not, I'd feel safer indoors."

He held out his hand to Camille and helped her up. When he proffered me his hand, I snorted. "You know I don't need the help... but thanks anyway. I appreciate the offer."

We headed out of the park the way we'd come. Inns and rooming houses were in the main part of the city. We'd only walked for about ten minutes before we came to the Mussels and Ale Pub.

"Looks promising enough," Camille said, opening the door. And she was right. Except for the difference in decor and lighting, it could have been any good hotel back Earthside. The walls were bathed in a rich teal and rose color scheme. The registration desk was manned by an elf. I blinked. We hadn't seen many races here besides whatever race the seers hearkened from.

"May I help you?" the clerk asked us. Polite, but as with every other person in this place, reserved.

"We need a room," Camille said, pulling out a purse from between her b.o.o.bs. I grinned. Leave it to my sister to find a handy hiding place for her money.

"How many beds?" the clerk asked.

"Two. We're just here for a bit of a rest and a meal. We'll need food, for two, sent up to our room. Something with protein in it." Camille placed three coins in his hand.

Elqaneve coins, I thought. Accepted almost everywhere in OW. We'd made sure to keep a nice little stash of money from various city-states tucked away in a wall safe at home, just in case we had to return here quickly. And Trillian never seemed to want for money, at least that he could spend here. He was perpetually broke over Earthside.

After showing our pa.s.ses to the clerk, we headed upstairs. The stairwell was carpeted with hand-woven rugs. Our room was the first door to the right on the third floor. Camille opened the door and ushered us in.

Twelve by twelve, the room contained two beds, a small table and two chairs, and a bathtub. Baths were problematic in hotels, at least in most cities. Maids had to fill them by hand unless there was some magical-or rough mechanical-system in place. They cost a good deal extra to compensate for the work and the wood used to heat the water. Camille dropped on one of the beds and pulled the blanket around her shoulders. The room wasn't cold, but it was chillier than the gardens had been.

Morio straddled one chair and set his bag down on the floor. "So tell us, how did it go?"

I frowned. "I'm not sure, to be honest. I met Jareth. He's a powerful seer, all right. Or shaman. I'm not sure which."

"A shaman, huh? What can he do to help?" Camille pulled off her boots and Morio slid over to the bed, taking her feet in his hands and rubbing them gently. "Thank you, babe," she said, leaning over to kiss him lightly on the lips.

"He can help me find and destroy Dredge," I said. "But there's a catch." I told them everything.

"Are you sure-" Morio started to say, but Camille hushed him.

"He wants to train you to withstand the pain. I've talked to Venus the Moon Child about this sort of thing. You learn how to relive the pain, cleanse it, and then you can finally let it go. A good enough shaman can use the pain inflicted on himself to cause a backlash strike against his enemy."

She caught my gaze and held it. "What are you going to do?"

I shrugged. "I don't think I have much of a choice. Dredge will work his way through everything and everyone I care about till he comes to me." I looked at Camille. "You know he's going to torture Erin, if he hasn't already. He'll keep her alive for a while, because he'll want me to see his handiwork. But he'll tear her apart. She'll never be able to heal from what he does to her. I may not be able to stop him from destroying her, but I can stop him from destroying anybody else."

"He's gathering an army," Morio said, interrupting.

"What?" Both Camille and I stared at him.

"He's building himself a nice little army. I think he means to create himself a troop of vampires so he can go on a killing fest through the city." Morio s.h.i.+fted position and took Camille's other foot in his hand.

"Think about it," he continued. "The dude is crazy, that much we know. But he's also power hungry. You're who he's after, yes, but think what being Earthside means for him. He has an untouched canvas on which to paint. A lot of people still don't know much about vampires. By the time the word hits the streets, he'll already have a toehold in ruling the underworld of Seattle."

The image he painted spread out for me in so many horrific ways. The Elwing Blood Clan, only far larger. With potentially hundreds of newly born vamps under Dredge's control. They'd hunt, and they'd take down anyone who got in their way. Wade and Sa.s.sy and I couldn't hope to make a dent against that-no way in h.e.l.l. And soon, all Supes would be targeted for destruction because of Dredge's minions.

"Holy s.h.i.+t." I stood up. "You're right. Dredge is forging an army in a world that can't protect itself from him. I have have to accept Jareth's offer. I can go up against Dredge if I'm prepared. Otherwise... I don't have a chance." to accept Jareth's offer. I can go up against Dredge if I'm prepared. Otherwise... I don't have a chance."

Camille slid off the bed and crossed to my side, draping one arm around my shoulders. "Menolly, you can do this. You survived Dredge, you came out of the abyss... you can survive anything Jareth throws at you."

"But that's just it," I said, feeling faint. "I'll have to go back to that night, to the darkness when he tried to destroy my soul." My voice ripped out of my chest like a baen-sidhe, and I dropped to my knees. "I don't want to relive it! I remember too much in my dreams."

My sister knelt by my side. She took my hand. "It's not fair, and it never will be. But, Menolly, you have to do this. You know it, and I know it. And when it's over, you can find Dredge and obliterate his soul. The G.o.ds will smile on you."

"The G.o.ds can go to h.e.l.l," I said, roughly grasping her hand. "I'm so grateful you're here. Will you help me and stand watch? Will you come with me if Jareth says it's okay? I need you."

She nodded. "You can count on me. You can forever and always count on me."

And then it was okay. Camille would be there. My big sister, who had taken over when Mother died, who had become our rock, who had kept her head when I tore into the house in a manic bloodl.u.s.t to kill, who had led us against Bad a.s.s Luke and the first Degath Squad... She would be there, watching over me as always. All of a sudden I realized that, torture or not, I still needed my family. I still needed their love. I needed to belong.

CHAPTER 14.

We waited until Camille and Morio ate before heading out to the Hall of Temples again. I perched on one of the beds, watching as they sat at the table. As I tuned out my thoughts, which were raging with fear, I noticed an odd light emanating from their auras. It was a silverish-green cord, linking the two of them. What the h.e.l.l had they been up to? Camille was linked to Morio in much the same way she was to Trillian, but it seemed more than s.e.xual.

"Menolly," Morio said, tearing a piece of bread in two and handing half of it to Camille, "I've been meaning to ask you something. You don't eat food anymore, right?"

I nodded. "I can't. I can't drink anything but blood, either. I get violently nauseated when I ingest anything else. Food won't kill me, but the aftereffects sure aren't pretty. Why?"