Gossamyr Part 43

Gossamyr de Winters.h.i.+nn of- Wait.

No urge to prostrate herself before the woman befell. Not a single muscle flinched. Breath held, Gossamyr sucked in deeper. Was that a prinkle racing up her spine? No.

Named, yet- Her Faery name.

You are mortal complete!

Not her true mortal birth name.

The smile of adventure, of dangers yet mastered, crooked Gossamyr 's mouth. "Think you?"

The Red Lady's jaw dropped. Clearly she had expected Gossamyr 's submission. "Gossamyr de Winters.h.i.+nn," she repeated thrice quickly.

"Not the right name, b.i.t.c.h!"

Fire blazed in the red pupils fixed in the Red Lady's alabaster mask. Lifting the alicorn high, she incited its power with a few words. "Faery forged with glamour bright and magic bold. Tell me your mortal name!"

Gossamyr dodged the stream of power that shot from the alicorn's tip and rolled beneath Ulrich's dangling figure to the far wall. There, she gripped her staff and jumped to defense just as another wicked bolt of forbidden magic crossed the room.

She spun the half staff up to protect her face and caught the mixture of glamour and magic within the ribbons of carved apple-wood. Gossamyr could feel the wood bend and change, briefly, and then the strange mix shot out from the carved ribbons at each end. To master the alicorn-so much power the succubus drained from the essences!

"You do not want me dead," Gossamyr called. Moving deftly, she sidestepped another blast. "I am your only connection to s.h.i.+nn!"

The room silenced. Gossamyr had played the one weapon she could guess would harm the woman. Love.

Drawing back her stolen weapon, the Red Lady gained in height and volume almost as if puffing herself up with air. An illusion, Gossamyr knew, but still impressive. Her pale flesh shone. And now, peeking through the decorative cuts of white fabric, the blazon that girdled her waist glittered brightly. The air tickled with sharp bites-Enchantment bound by a darker force. What wicked magic comes this day?

"s.h.i.+nn is in Paris," the succubus announced. "I don't need you, silly mortal."

Could he yet linger in Paris? Gossamyr prayed not, for her father risked far too much. He had aged; a stay in the Otherside would weaken and further age him.

"I know as much because I control him at this moment," the Red Lady announced. "Turiau de Winters.h.i.+nn of Glamoursiege-"

"No!"

Too late, her father's name had been invoked, mayhap many a time previous to this moment.

Please stay away, s.h.i.+nn. Fight the allure.

Easing to the left, Gossamyr worked slowly toward Ulrich. A keen eye to the alicorn ensured it hung at her enemy's side, for the moment forgotten. She could feel the subtle wind of Ulrich's feet swaying overhead.

The urge to strike stirred in Gossamyr's breast. If she rushed forth right now, she could pin the woman to the floor and be done with her. But the unknown held her at bay.

If the Red Lady died would her glamour then die? All those pinned essences...would they be obliterated? And Ulrich, he may perish, as well. What of s.h.i.+nn? He would be released from the succubus's erie. But- possibly Disenchanted-could he then return to Faery?

And where was Avenall? The pin man must lurk close by. Had her confession to their past stirred his memory?

"Call s.h.i.+nn to you," the Red Lady commanded in her cool growl, "and I will release the mortal man."

"Promise?" Gossamyr knew it would not be so easy. Nor would-or could-she summon s.h.i.+nn into this dangerous nest of tainted Enchantment.

"You have my word." The succubus bowed her head and looked up through dark-shadowed eyes. "The Faery lord for your mortal lover."

"Your word?" Gossamyr laughed. "Nay, that I should trust thee! You be the one who doomed me to Faery through your spurned heart."

"Doomed? You did not favor your home?"

"Well..."

"Should not I bear the right to exact punishment against my heart? Come, child-" the succubus tilted her head, eyeing her with curious malevolence "-you know the sharp pulse of a wounded heart." She drew a blood-red nail along the curve of her pale breast.

Speared expertly through her bruised heart, Gossamyr flinched. The succubus knew of her and Avenall's relations.h.i.+p. She knew of her birth and origin. The enemy grew more powerful with every bit of history she claimed from Gossamyr's soul. Yet, she did not wield her mortal name, and that promised hope.

"Are you not willing to do anything to make your mortal heart whole?"

"It is..." Gossamyr s.h.i.+vered at the quake moving through her body. It is whole!

Have you no feelings? Your truth...you are lost to Faery.

"My heart..."She stepped twice to the side, swayed, but righted herself. "No," she gasped to herself.

A beautiful song, rich in volume and melody, filled the room. Come to me, it uttered in lyrical tones.

Gossamyr blinked and yawned. Falling, she. So pretty, the surrender.

Her muscles stretched and loosened. The staff stabbed her foot.

The blurry figure of another, a man, bounced in behind the Red Lady. Wings spreading, he fluttered them, his position gifting the succubus with false wings. Flash of silver glinted in Gossamyr's peripheral vision.

"Surrender your heart, pitiful one," the pin man hissed in glee. Tapping a pin aside his jaw, his wings, lucid and tattered, flapped once. "She wants you."

Pulled into the song, Gossamyr again swayed. "No, Avenall..." she managed to say. "Av...enall..."

"Surrender," danced the delicious tones tickling into her ear.

Yes, to the Dance. Merry be and merry will, dance away your life you shall!

No! Gossamyr gathered a breath and shouted, "Avenall Eloi Papilion of Rougethorn!" She fell to her knees as the whinny of a horse startled her.

Awaken.

Gossamyr shook her head. It felt as though she were shaking away a hard sh.e.l.l of opaque gla.s.s, seeing again, coming back into her soul. Your mortal soul.

In the doorway appeared Dominique, and behind him Tor raced past, his glossy white hooves clacking against the marble. Had the-yes-the unicorn had spoken beyond the erie and wakened her from it.

The Red Lady spun and pointed her Enchanted scepter. "The unicorn!" she announced, and then scurried from the room in a flight of flowing white skirts.

At the touch of the alicorn, Dominique flew into the air. Connecting to the wall with a sickening crunch, he slid down to land in a tangle of legs and wings.

Gossamyr ran to the doorway. The duo-pin man and Red Lady-were on to the room filled with essences. Scampering back to the center of the room, she retrieved her staff and glanced to Ulrich.

"Leave me," he whispered.

"And when did you become such a pitiful excuse?" Planting the staff before her, she leaped, using the short bit of applewood to lengthen her distance. Arms stretched, she straightened her legs upward and kicked Ulrich in the gut. The blow released him from the erie. He landed the floor less gracefully than Gossamyr's crouch.

A yelp and a moan clued her the man would survive. She had been rather rough with him of late, poor thing. He deserved only kindness.

"Dragon p.i.s.s!" Ulrich whined. "When will you see to leaving this poor old man in peace?"

"When you are poor and old and worthy of ignorance. Are you all there?" She pressed a hand to his bare chest. "Soul...intact?"

"I think so."

"Did she kiss you?"

"A bit."

"A bit?"

"Once or twice."

"Hmm." She touched his cheek, tilting it to a side. His eyes fluttered, but beneath the nervous lids vivid blue flashed. "Yet you are still whole."

"Yet." Probing over his body with his fingers, Ulrich finally nodded and let out a sigh. "I may be beaten, Faery Not, but I am far from broken."

"That is the Ulrich I like to hear."

Flinging her arms about him, Gossamyr hugged him, drawing him upright to clasp to her chest.

"Faery Not?"

"Yes?"

"You are...hugging me."

"I know." And she gasped out a happy sound. "I would kiss you, as well, but we've more urgent needs."

"Must we? I could manage a kiss."

Gossamyr forced their separation, but Ulrich touched her face.

"What of you? I thought you were off to find your father." His head lolled, but he snapped it level. Remnants of the erie. "Did you speak to s.h.i.+nn?"

"I did." Softly, she touched the green bruise on his cheek. That a woman could hurt this man! A charming smile managed to stir up a smile on her face. "You have taught me much, Ulrich. I do believe that a man can love a child, even if she is not of his blood. s.h.i.+nn thinks love is elusive, but it was love that kept him silent about my mortality. He has always had the mortal pa.s.sion, as have I."

Two blinks offered a silent agreement. Still woozy from the Red Lady's erie, surely. A film of glimmer purled a trail from the corner of his right eve.

"What be wrong with your eye?"

"Nothing that hurts overmuch. Don't touch it! It seeps...glamour, I think."

"Glamour?"

"I spoke to s.h.i.+nn, too."

"My father- When?"

"Mayhap right after you did."

So s.h.i.+nn had sought Ulrich. There was no reason- "He took your sight?"

"Just the one eye. Blessings, but I cannot see faeries now. Though, I did see the red b.i.t.c.h, or at least, part of her. There is another whom I cannot see."

"Avenall."

"Ah." He held up a swaying finger. "Your forgetful lover. Do you count him as your enemy?"

"No." At the moment she needed any would ally themselves to her. Sure, he stood at the Red Lady's side; but for now- "Ready for some danger?"

"Does that b.i.t.c.h yet hold the alicorn?"

"She does."

"Then I'm right behind you."

"Let's be to it!" Gossamyr dashed out into the hallway and slid to a stop. She glanced back; the soul shepherd rolled to his knees.

"Right behind you!" he called.

The white marble halls twisted into dark curves and long stretches of cold blackness. When Gossamyr felt sure they had pa.s.sed the same horned gargoyle torch, candle held in claw, she turned to find the scent of myrrh drew her forward down the hallway, dark on the end she and Ulrich stood, and bright a short dash onward.

The clomp of hooves alerted them both. Sliding to a halt, Gossamyr pressed back a hand to still Ulrich at her side.

"The unicorn. Slowly, Ulrich. We don't want to frighten it."

The beast paused at the T at the end of the hall, shook its head and stamped the floor. Tor's brilliant l.u.s.ter illuminated all.

"That be a unicorn?"

"Shh."

"It's...why, it is but a white horse!"

"Sacrilege! Oh!"

And the beast was off, snorting its displeasure.

"You've chased it off with your unthinking words."