Page 36 of The Rebel Seer

That’s easy. I would totally pick lion over goat. Goat doesn’t scare me much, though apparently my son did piss off the Icelandic goats. So there’s that.

“I think she’s a sprite.” Shy manages to push back some of the vines separating us. I can see her face now. She glances downward. “Sorry. I didn’t know. She says she is a woodland Fae and sprites are whores. But she also says some weird stuff, Your Highness.” She sighs. “I was not referring to her as the Queen of the Fae. She’s the Queen of All Vampire. Yes. I said vampire, though she’s also the high priest’s wife.”

“Zoey, please.” I’m going to have to remind her because the idea of my son’s goddess calling me by a royal title doesn’t sit well. “And I would think almost every creature in the Seelie sithein would know who I am. We’ve done tours of all the districts over the years. She might not know me by sight, but she should know my name. I’m her high priest’s goddess.”

I can barely make out Shy’s head shaking. Rhys seems to have thrown up another wall, and I can’t see anything at all outside now. I never get to have any fun.

“That’s the thing, Zoey,” Shy says. “I’m not sure this is the Seelie sithein.”

There’s a loud crash and Daniel yells for Dev to get out of the way. Then Dev yells for Rhys to duck and something else seems to explode. Cassie calls one of the men an asshole, and I hear a whole lot of growling and barking. “I promise you it is. I’ve been here many times. This is the place where Herne the Hunter bound me to a tree that might have exploded because he wanted to use me as bait to kill an ogre, but then he got horny and followed a baobhan sith home for some loving. Now she was a skanky bitch.”

Sasha rushes by our green cell cursing in Russian.

“Clem says there are no baobhan sith in this sithein and haven’t been for centuries. She’s surprised the chimera is here. What?” Shy’s face disappears for a moment and then she’s back, her hands wrapping around the vines. “She said she thinks the rebels must have brought him over from the Unseelie sithein.”

Rebels? “Someone is rebelling against Miria?”

“Cassie!” Neil must have taken human form again because he’s screaming his daughter’s name. “Don’t you dare try to ride that… Damn it…”

I turn, trying to get a look at Neil’s fierce daughter. And make the mistake of actually catching a glimpse of that thing. Creature. I try not to be too judgey. There are a lot of creatures who seem really scary who turn out to be super cool. This…I would bet this is not one of them. The massive beast has two heads—a roaring lion with a matted mane and a goat with nasty horns it’s currently using to try to headbutt my vampire husband.

Of course there’s also the tail, which could be considered a third head, maybe, since it’s a big old snake. Cassie has a machete in her hand. I would bet anything that sucker’s made of cold iron. Rhys and Dev seem to have shackled the chimera with various roots, but the lion/goat/snake is giving it a good go.

“Is Cassie okay?” Shy asks.

“Cassie is…oh shit. Cassie lopped off the tail, and the biting snake parts that went with it.” I’ve got a good view now, and I will faithfully recount everything I see to my future daughter-in-law. “Oh, and now it’s super pissed. It’s strong. Its claws are able to cut through whatever Dev and Rhys are sending his way.”

“How do you know it’s not a her?” Shy asks.

I frown her way.

Her eyes widen. “Oh.”

Yeah, there’s big old dangly bits that tell me this is a masculine chimera, although I personally don’t know how he identifies. Chimeras could be very fluid. Probably are since they have to deal with all those various animal spirits.

I wince as Cassie manages to leap onto the chimera’s back just as he launches himself into the air. A big brown wolf jumps, trying to catch the chimera, but it’s too fast.

And Cassie is reckless as hell. She somehow manages to grab one of the goat horns and wrap her legs around the body before she shoves that machete into the beast’s side.

“Cassie’s going to get in so much trouble,” I say, admiring my bestie’s daughter. From what Neil has told me, I know she was left behind because she couldn’t change. Or she couldn’t completely change. I note her fingers have claws.

“Daniel!” Neil yells as the blood starts to flow.

“I’ll get her.” Daniel takes off, and then they’re out of sight.

“I’m pretty sure Cassie killed the chimera, and Danny’s got to catch her because she did it midair.” I have faith in my vampire hubby. He’s caught me many times.

The chimera’s body hits the pond and water splashes everywhere.

But no Cassie. She’s in Danny’s arms as he floats down.

Girl didn’t even drop her machete.

“Clem is upset. She hoped the chimera would take out the king.”

“Why would she want Danny dead?” I ask, and the vines start to recede, and I can see again. I frown at my son. “You could ask, Rhys.”

He rushes over to Shy, not looking my way. “Why would I bother, Mother? I was going to do it one way or another. And don’t assume it was to protect you. It was to keep you from doing what Cassie did. You are extremely chaotic in battle. Shy, are you all right?”

---