Unhuman Acts Read online

“Once I’m on the phone with Kendra, she can usually set up a telepathic conversation, even from a distance. I’d rather tell her and have her tell Abbott.”

  Aaron nodded. “You look good. I look forward to hearing your story.”

  Nathan walked close enough Aaron would be able to see him on screen. “She brought Harrison back with her. Missing imperator from centuries ago. Abbott should tell Isaac that someone else trustworthy and capable is willing to accept the energy of King. I’ll need to meet with him to be sure the centuries of slavery haven’t changed him, but Kirsten vouches for him, so I assume he’s up to it.”

  Both of Aaron’s eyebrows lifted and his head tilted. “Quite a story indeed, Bug. Did you learn anything that might help our fight?”

  I sighed. “Maybe, maybe not. I’ve had this idea for a while now, that in places where the land is mirrored across realms, it could matter. Chattanooga in our realm mirrors the land around Hecate’s Temple in Faerie. Homewood mirrors the land around the Harlequin’s castle in Alfheim.”

  Nathan crossed his arms. “And Point Park on Lookout Mountain mirrors Xaephan’s front yard. You have to climb what amounts to the top third of the mountain to reach his castle, and the gates of Point Park are the gateway to the passage over his fire moat.”

  I looked to Aaron. “That means your home and Abbott’s are part of that mirror.”

  “The mirror seems to stop at the gates aboveground, though the caves underground have some similarities. We didn’t realize until recently.”

  Probably when Nathan arranged for Becca to be traded to Hell, but I didn’t bring that up. Becca had originally been Jess’s lion, after all.

  “And the land we’re on now?”

  “Nothing, as far as we know,” said Chance. He clicked a few keys, and McClellan Island showed up on the screen. “It’s a smaller version of the island the Merrow King and Queen have allowed the Celrau to use.”

  McClellan Island is on the Tennessee River, just offshore from downtown Chattanooga. One of the four downtown bridges is anchored on it, and that took a whole lot of legal wrangling to make happen because the island is a wildlife sanctuary.

  A picture of The Lost Sea came up, followed by pictures of the huge cavern you pass through to get to the water, and of the room that’d been an underground bar for a while in the previous century. “The caverns and tunnels match up with Svartalfheim. Specifically, with the King of the Dwarves’ castle.”

  Svartalfheim was the realm of the dwarves. Tolkien crafted Moria after the myths.

  “Ruby Falls?” I asked.

  “Nothing yet,” said Nathan. “We have maps out to trusted people who might be able to match it up.”

  “The top third of the mountain was what showed above the clouds during the Battle Above the Clouds.” I blew out a breath. “Should we look at other major Civil War battle sites to see if they match up?”

  Nathan looked to Chance, who nodded and started typing.

  “What do we know of Killian? Griffin? Rinaldo? Nero? Caligula? Katarina?” The list was long, and seemed to keep growing.

  “Katya is holding Nero on Milos,” said Ryan. “I’m convinced she’s on our side. Nero shouldn’t be a problem during this war, or possibly ever. Their battle started while they were still human and I assume Nero will end up dead once Katya’s finished torturing him.”

  “We believe Caligula is neutral,” said Aaron.

  “Killian’s missing, as are Griffin and Rinaldo,” Chance pointed to a smartboard on a side wall, divided up into perhaps one hundred squares the size of dinner plates. “Each location is a time lapse of their known properties. Any lights at night or movement during the day or night will show up. It scrolls through several screens at intervals. There are a lot of properties to watch. The last one hundred and ten locations with a satellite pass are currently shown.”

  Ryan finally sat, and he looked towards the smartboard to say, “You’re paying for my advice. Cora and Kirsten need time to adjust to the new power levels on both sides. Cora has learned to exist as pack Alpha without Kirsten. Kirsten’s power levels are off the chart. They’ve rejoined, and we need to know what they can do now. It’s going to be more.”

  I shook my head. “Not just me and Cora, but the whole pack. We need a field with obfuscation, and in a perfect world, we’d be able to work out on our home meadow.”

  “We have an underground facility you can work out in,” said Nathan.

  I shook my head. “I’m not at full power when constrained by walls. We probably need to work out in your subterranean room to see what our underground capabilities are, but we need to do a whole bunch of training outside, in a field.”

  Aaron looked to the side a second and then back to the camera. “Bug, focus on me and come here. Feel free to bring Cora, but no one else. I have space where the two of you can train outside. We’ll talk about options for the entire pack once you’re here.”

  I met Cora’s gaze. “You up for a trip?”

  “With you? Always.”

  Chapter 9

  We landed on an island, and I breathed in the warm salty air. It was October at home, so the temperature difference was noticeable. I wondered how many tropical islands Aaron owned, but then had to catch my breath when Emmie and Hunter slammed into me in a bear hug. I squatted down to them, and noted Cora had picked Sapphire up to talk to her.

  “What lessons has your mom incorporated into your homeschooling, since ya’ll are visiting a tropical paradise?” I asked.

  “There’s a coral atoll not far from here, and we fly to it and then dive underwater to explore.” Emmie’s eyes were as wide open as little saucers. “There’s a whole ’nother world under the water!”

  Hunter proceeded to tell me all about how coral reefs are threatened, and how important they are, and I noted their mom a few feet away, beaming.

  When I finished talking to the kids and stood, I told Sophia, “I regret that I didn’t know Lauren at this age, but I’m so glad I got to be her mom, even if I came late to the game.” Motherhood is the hardest thing I’ve ever done, but it’s the most rewarding, too. It feels as if Lauren and I missed out on so much, but I’m forever grateful I was allowed to adopt her.

  “I think I’m as proud of Lauren as you and Aaron are, and I haven’t been in her life as long. She’s a special kid.”

  “As are all three of yours.” Especially Emmie. I desperately hoped she didn’t turn to the dark side, because she’d take over the world without breaking a sweat if she did.

  “Okay you three,” Aaron told his kids. “Stand with your mom. Kirsten and Cora are going to join their energy with intent, and they’ve both gone up in power since they last tried it.” He looked at me and shook his head. “Emmie, tell me what you feel in Kirsten’s energy?”

  “It’s like she’s the goddess of all living things. No, goddess isn’t right, but I don’t know what word to use. Mother? Holder of energy? I wasn’t paying attention, before, and I should have. Now that I am, she feels like a different person. Higher than royalty, but not quite a goddess.”

  Aaron lifted a brow and met my gaze, waiting for me to respond. I went back to my knees and told Emmie, “I’m still Kirsten, but when I went to visit the place that mirrors mine and Cora’s land, I was sick. I was dying. During the process of getting better, I picked up a lot of power.” I shrugged. “That isn’t quite right, but it’s close enough. In that land, I’m now known as the Harlequin, which is kind of also known as the Elf Queen. A few people have referred to me as Mother Nature, which is scary, but I’m not sure what to do about it. I’m only telling you the other two names because of what you picked up. I want you to know your feelings were right. I’m not a goddess, but I now own a castle and labyrinth and a lot of land in Alfheim, and I’m not sure exactly what that means yet.”

  Little Hunter stepped to his sister’s side. “Duh. It means you’re a goddess.”

  I laughed. “I’m pretty sure I’m not. I’m also pretty sure it means I can’t claim
to be human anymore. I was born human, but I’ve evolved into something else.”

  Sapphire looked from me to Cora and back. “She’s still your wolf, but it’s different. All wolves belong to Mother Nature. Just as all lions, and dragons, and other shapeshifters do. She’s more yours than other wolves, but it isn’t like the Strigorii connection anymore. It’s going both ways.”

  I looked up to Sophia and then Aaron. “Your children are phenomenal.”

  “All dragons are geniuses,” Aaron reminded me. “I feel what they’re telling you. You aren’t a goddess, but I’d bet you’re stronger than a few of the lesser goddesses. Not the heavy hitters, so don’t get all cocky with them, but...” He shrugged. “It bears some research.”

  “Why have I not seen Apollonius yet? I figured he’d have shown up by now, sniffing my new powers out.”

  Sophia laughed. “Oh, I’m sure he’s looking through old texts as we speak, trying to figure out what to do with you.” Her smile faded. “Emmie’s right. Your power is somewhere between royalty and a goddess. If he deems you a goddess, you’ll be under the same rules as Mordecai, and won’t be able to help us fight. If he deems you a nature spirit of some kind, you’ll be able to help.”

  I didn’t want to have to deal with those questions. I’d assumed the Harlequin title wouldn’t follow me home, and now that it had, I wasn’t sure what to do. Practical matters first, though — Cora and I needed to understand how our bond would work.

  I stood behind Cora, touched her hips, and cautiously joined us.

  And then sucked air in when the effects of our combined power hit. It’s possible I felt every pack wolf on the planet, and not just Cora’s pack. I certainly had Randall’s attention, and I knew I’d need to call him when we finished and try to explain.

  “I’m going to let go. You good?”

  “What the fuck?”

  “Excellent question. Can I let go?”

  “Yes.”

  I let go, and she took a step away from me and turned to face me. “I don’t want this. I can barely handle my own pack. I’m not ready for this much.”

  “We’ll figure it out.”

  I formed a sword, handed it to her, and created a light staff for me. No different than before. I dissipated my staff, and she did the same with the sword. I levitated. She levitated. I turned in a circle and didn’t see anything to boil or blow up.

  Aaron understood what I was looking for, and he said, “Hang on. I’ll get something.”

  He returned with a plastic bucket of water. “I know you’ll probably melt the plastic when you boil the water, but that’s okay. We need to know.”

  We put it on the beach and levitated over the water until we were approximately a hundred yards away. I counted down from three, and the water was boiling in under two seconds.

  I wasn’t sure what to say, but Cora said, “Well, that’s certainly faster.”

  “It’s shallow here. I’m levitating over the ground under the water. What about you?”

  “Same,” she said. “It’s easier than it used to be.”

  “Let’s head back. Aaron’s old enough, he might remember the original Erlkönig. I need to learn more about the power I wield. It doesn’t make sense it makes me a version of Mother Nature. I mean, surely he wasn’t Father Nature. Right?”

  Aaron walked us to a sturdy, concrete home. It was clearly hidden by an expensive obfuscation spell, because I couldn’t see it until we were about ten yards away.

  “The entire island is spelled,” Aaron told us. “Satellites only see ocean here. There are keep-away spells, to keep ships away, but should someone venture past them anyway, they won’t find the house unless they’re really close.”

  Their cook was inside, working in the kitchen, and she settled plates full of appetizers — a vegetable tray, lots of fruit, an assortment of cheeses, and several platters with various sausages and other meats.

  “There’s a famous poem about the Erlkönig,” Aaron told them, “and this is the only reason this version of the title remains. I doubt it was the king who took the child in the poem. More likely, just an elf, or — as they were known at the time in English — a goblin.”

  “Goblins and elves were the same thing, just in different languages at one point, right?” I’d learned that much, at least, but it was good to verify the information with Aaron.

  “Correct. Recent pop culture has made elves tall, thin, and beautiful, while goblins are short and less attractive. Originally, they described the same thing in two different languages.”

  “My people in Alfheim are mostly tall and thin. Not all. Some of the nature spirits resemble their plant. One of the maids assigned to me is basically a walking, talking embodiment of a butterfly bush, so she’s tall but roundish, not at all thin.”

  “You smell of cedar now,” Cora said. “I smell the original you, and I can still pick up the divinity, though it’s different. The biggest addition is the scent of cedar.”

  “I smell it too,” said Sapphire. “It’s nice.”

  “The cedar tree Mordecai brought over from the old house had been recently mirrored in the same spot near the Harlequin Castle. She’s a nature spirit. Her name’s Cedrotrix, and she went with me into the Labyrinth, even though it was assumed we’d both die if we entered.”

  “Then why did you enter?” Hunter asked.

  “I was dying anyway,” I told him. “If I made it to the center, I could be healed.” I looked at Cora. “Trees have always been my friends. Now, a walking, talking tree is one of my best friends. I can’t wait for you to meet her.” I turned back to Aaron. “Was the Elf King also known as Father Nature? How is it that people see me that way, instead of as the Elf Queen. Also, I’m not an elf, so…” I wanted to ask what the fuck, but I knew Sophia was trying to discourage the triplets from cussing.

  “You have less than a half of a percent of elven blood. We didn’t trace the specific lineage because we worried someone might try to claim you, even though legally, there wasn’t enough for a claim. Still, it seemed safest not to know. I’m guessing your line will trace back to the ruling family, which has supposedly been wiped out. A combination of your powers and abilities, and that slim tie, seems to have allowed you to step into the role.” He shrugged. “Or, I could be totally off base. I’m just guessing.”

  “And the Mother Nature thing?”

  “It’s a relatively new concept. I don’t know, maybe in the past eight or nine hundred years? A few older cultures had it under various names, but it didn’t take hold on a wide scale until the middle ages. Much as Cedrotrix is the embodiment of a cedar tree, you can be considered the embodiment of…” He sighed. “The circle of life? I don’t know how to explain it. Birth, life, and death.” Another sigh. “But not magical death. I don’t believe the vampires are going to fall under your demesne.”

  “Every living thing,” said Emmie. “Plants and animals. Good and bad.” She tilted her head. “You had an affinity for vultures, before?”

  I nodded, and she stood, excited. “That’s part of what let it happen. Like Daddy said, it’s the whole circle of life, and the vultures are a super important part of that — transforming death back into life. Because you honored them, as well as the other parts of life, the energy chose you. It needed an embodiment, and when you became the Harlequin, it let you become the embodiment of nature, too.”

  I looked to Sophia, but Emmie wasn’t finished. “You have to take Lauren to your castle in Alfheim! Once they meet her, it won’t matter that you aren’t blood related. They’ll see how much she’s your daughter, and they’ll crown her princess.”

  I shook my head. “I can’t do that to her unless she’s ready to take it on. Lauren has to live her own life.”

  “She needs to understand,” Sophia told me. “Not today. Possibly not until we’ve won this war, but you need to explain it to her and let her decide.”

  “Yeah. Okay. Not today. I can’t make any important decisions today.”

  “H
ow does this play into battle plans?” Cora asked.

  “Kids,” Sophia said. “Why don’t the three of you go for a swim.”

  Emmie crossed her arms. “No. Want to help plan the battle.”

  “Not happening,” Aaron told them. He motioned his hand, and Jonathan stepped towards them. He’d apparently been in the room, but unseen. I didn’t ask how.

  “C’mon bratlets,” he told the kids. “A swim sounds like a great idea.”

  “We are not brats,” Sapphire crossed her arms as well.

  “I should take a picture,” Sophia told her daughters. “You both look like you’ve perfected the art of being a brat. Go swim. Do as you’re told.”

  The kids weren’t happy, but they all trouped outside with Jonathan, and Sophia sat back on the sofa. “It’s my job to teach them, and yet I want to shield them from as much of the ugly stuff as I can until they’re older.”

  “Understandable. They’re so far beyond smart, it’s a little scary.”

  “Yes, but it’s logical smarts. They don’t have the emotional maturity to go along with it yet.”

  “Lookout Mountain is mirrored in several realms,” Aaron said. “So is Missionary Ridge, and now we know your property is, too.” He sighed. “Our research team has found out a portion of Chickamauga Battlefield is, as well as another area of Chattanooga we wouldn’t have thought to check if you hadn’t mentioned checking Civil War battle sites. There are soccer fields on a portion, aptly named the Redoubt fields. The geography goes from there to the site of a Civil War cemetery, quite close to a motorcycle dealership and the bookstore Sophia and the kids spend so much time in.” Another shake of his head. “The bookstore is mirrored where a huge library stands in another realm. The motorcycle dealership mirrors a stable where racing horses are auctioned off.”

  My mind tried to consider what else was between the two. “There’s an Amazon warehouse facility. Also, a horribly racist church.” My turn to sigh. “It isn’t just about hating people of other cultures, but of hating anyone different. The kids who go to the attached school have to stand up and state publicly that gay people are destined for hell. They have to verbally say hateful things about them when called upon to do so, and if they refuse, they’re expelled.”