Page 75 of The Rebel Seer

Danny snorts and then sobers. “You can’t call him that, baby.”

I sniffle, keeping my voice low. “I know. He’s wearing the amulet. I have to get close.”

“Or once I take down the wards, I can get close, pull off his head, and steal the amulet,” Danny offers. “Or we can wait until Myrddin flashes out. I would bet anything the wards require his presence. It’s a hefty magic that can keep a vampire king’s powers on the fritz. Summer did it but she was with me the whole time. I didn’t fight it. I’m fighting the hell out of this. Surely he needs to get back to the Coven House soon.”

“I’m not so sure about that. He needs something from the king. It’s the only reason he hasn’t outed the fact that I’m pregnant.” I quickly run down everything Myrddin said to me, including his plans to take over Hell. I don’t think he’s leaving unless there’s an emergency.

“I mean, I could have a conversation with Lucifer, but who knows if he’ll believe me,” Danny says, shaking his head. “I know he’s been using Gray as a focal point, so it’s hard for me to believe he hasn’t contemplated the possibility.”

Lucifer Morningstar is a tricky character, from what I hear. I’ve only ever dealt with the broody, disgruntled version. The old man who wants everyone off his lawn and can’t stand the sound of children’s laughter, but I’ve been told there are other aspects. It makes me wonder which one my Lee and Evan will potentially deal with. Hopefully none of them. “Myrddin said something about Gray. Something about him protecting Shy. He was angry.”

A brow rises over my vampire’s eyes as he stares at me, his fingers entwining with mine. “I’m unaware of the dark prophet’s movements beyond what he did to save our children. If Gray saved Shy from her parents’ fate, then I have to believe he did so for a reason. He killed the most powerful psychic families in our world, and many of the individuals. I know he would have taken Shy out even though she was a child at the time. Gray could have easily influenced the situation to get her out of the house for the night. Since she was a kid, Myrddin might have missed her. We’re sure this is our Myrddin we’re dealing with? I’ve spent hours talking to the trolls and gnomes and brownies the king didn’t spell to silence. There aren’t many, but they’ve figured a couple of ways around the spells. Some of the house servants find they can draw or write things they see in a rudimentary form. The ones who can talk like Bibi have gotten good at translating. They told me Myrddin has been visiting the palace since late summer, so almost half a year.”

I have no doubt. “It’s absolutely our awful wizard. According to him, he’s a unique being. All of the powerful gods are. It makes sense because he’s immortal.”

“Vampires are immortal, but according to our new friends, I had a doppelganger here. Your closest friend. The king had me burned at the stake for burying you,” Daniel points out with a frown.

I thought about this. “You’re long lived. You’re not immortal. Not really, and definitely not you. You go when I go, buddy. The same with the Fae. Long lived but can be killed. I know Myrddin can be, but I suspect his energy would go into something else. A bit like Bris. Or he’s simply a very special boy and I will thank the goddess there’s only one of him. But he knows far too much about us to not be our version of the man. I believe him about Bris and Ostara. He said Summer is one of them.”

“So she’s safe.” Danny breathes a sigh of relief for our eldest child. She’s in the Summerlands, powering the outer planes with her unique magic. I saw what happened when the outer planes were cut off from the magic as the last queen passed. Before Summer had taken her place, the planes had threatened to mesh together.

Is that what will happen to Earth and Hell without celestial power to keep us separate?

“According to him, but he lies.” I feel a dullness pour over me. How long will my children be hunted down? He wants this one gone and she isn’t even out of the womb yet. I have to focus. “Do you know how long the king has been in power?”

“Over ten years.” Daniel seems to have gotten some history lessons. “But he goes off plane often, from what I understand. He’s spent a lot of his time looking for another version of you. They like it when he’s not here. But lately the rebellion has found someone to rally around.”

I already know this part. “Lee. He’s come of age and he’s raising hell. I met him earlier. I hope he’s okay.”

“According to Sasha and the pixies, he’s holed up in the temple with Rhys and the rest of the group.” Danny lets a small smile light his face. “It was kind of cool to talk to the pixies. They avoid me at home, but these are spy pixies. No fear. One of them was riding Sasha’s shoulder, leading him to where I was. He’s with Neil. We decided it was too dangerous to move all of us. I’m worried Sasha’s going to try to get into the dungeons before we’re ready.”

My heart aches for Sasha. I know his story well. Months ago he told us he felt his wife. “I thought Ostara was talking about you when she said vampire. Is Sasha okay? If he moves too quickly…”

“I talked to him. Ostara will keep her host alive, as will Bris,” Danny says with certainty. “Sasha is going to try to get to a place where he can watch over them. Bibi says there is a way. But the dungeons are guarded, and I worry if we burst through they’ll murder Dev out of spite. I don’t know the layout. I need more intel and Sasha and Neil are going to get it for us. Bibi doesn’t know a lot about the spell they intend to use to peel Bris off. They’ve never worked it before, but she thinks they’re going to soften him up tonight so it will be easier tomorrow. I suspect they will use Ostara as a guinea pig. I’m not sure what they expect will happen. At least one like Bris cannot be tied to this place. I don’t think they can trap him.”

“But they can trap Dev?” I know the answer. Dev’s soul is mortal. It will linger until it’s ready to leave. It can move but not right away. If he dies, he could suffer the fate of the rest of the dead in this palace.

He puts a hand under my chin and forces me to look him in the eyes. “I love Dev, but it’s Bris Myrddin wants. It’s Ostara. Those ancient souls could serve as real fuel. You know what he’s trying to do, right?”

I nod. He told me as much. “He’s going to use that power to close the door since the plot with Gladys didn’t work.” I use Kelsey’s name for the Sword of Light. It fits her better anyway. “I can’t stand the thought of Devinshea being tortured.”

“Well, he’s not tonight.” Danny sits back against the big bed that dominates the room, drawing me close. “We’re causing some trouble. Myrddin really wants to catch me so the servants are helpfully giving reports on where they’ve seen me and the damage I’m doing. According to the grapevine, there are only three guards on the dungeon, and they are simply there to keep me out.”

I raise a brow, silently asking the question.

“And again, I don’t know what wards I’ll be up against,” he says with a sigh. “And you have to get that amulet. I know we wanted to ask the ancestors about how to find Sarah, but now we have another question.”

How to return safely to our own time.

“Why don’t they fight back?” It’s what I don’t get. “There are more of them than there are of the king’s guard. I understand that he’s powerful, but I would fight.”

“Would you?” Daniel sighs, and I lay my head back against his chest. His hands go around me, one on the gentle curve of my belly where our tiny abomination sleeps. “From what I understand it wasn’t like Miria and Declan were great. They caused their own damage. The lesser Fae thought they could wait it out. If they were quiet and polite. When the king took out the scarier creatures, they thought he wouldn’t come for them. Ogres can be violent. Large trolls can be dangerous. Not them. They’re helpful. Why would he burn gnomes and brownies?”

“Because he’s a fucking monster.” Tears are right there again. I know my Dev. It’s awful to realize what he could have been. What any of us can be with the right pressure put on us.

“All I’m saying is that fear can lead to dangerous hope. The hope that things will work out even if you don’t put yourself on the line and fight. It’s all fear in the end, but at least the palace lesser Fae seem ready to do what they can. Sometimes what a rebellion needs is a sign,” Danny says. “If we can break Dev and Ostara free, it might be what they need. I promise, I’m not leaving Dev in there one second more than I have to, but he would also want you to be safe. I already tried to get into the king’s rooms. Myrddin’s been there. He warded the place against pretty much everyone, and they locked up the servants’ entrance after a couple of attempts on the king’s life, so I can’t get to him.”

“But I can tomorrow,” I say with a sigh.

---