She shook her head. “And risk further changes to this timeline? That’s too dangerous. We said we would stop. We’ve got to stop.”
As Rune opened his mouth to argue, he took note of how her shoulders slumped in discouragement. The line of reasoning in their conversation was a bitter blow to him. How much harder was it for her to hear, after she had borne the brunt of so many disappointments for so long? He bit back what he had been about to say. “Let’s set that aside for now. I think our next step is to go to Louisville and talk to the new Oracle. We need to hear what she has to say, especially if she’s another one of Python’s children.”
She sighed and said, “Yes, we need to go.”
Seremela said quietly, “Would you like for me to examine you while I’m here? I don’t know that I can add any more to what you already know, but this is such a serious issue I really would feel better if we pursued every avenue we have open to us.”
Carling nodded. She let her hands drop away from her face. “It makes sense.”
Rune looked at his iPhone. He asked, “Do you need me for this? Because if you don’t, I’ve got something I need to do.”
Carling turned to him. “No, of course not. What are you going to do?”
“I need to make that phone call,” he said.
Carling scooped up her leather bag and led Seremela into one of the bedrooms. Rune listened to the soft sound of their voices as they talked before he picked up his cell. He hit Dragos on speed dial.
Dragos picked up on the first ring, “There you are. What took you so long?”
“This is the first chance I’ve had to call you,” Rune said. “It’s been a long day. In fact it’s been a long day for a while, and a lot has happened. Carling and I just returned earlier today from an Other land.”
Dragos said, “Can she overhear you right now?”
Rune glanced at the closed bedroom door. “No,” he replied. “Look I have some things I have to tell you.”
Dragos said, “Later. Has she bound you with that favor you owed her, or restricted your ability to act in any way?”
The pointed question threw Rune off track. “No,” he said again. “Forget about that, it’s no longer important. Listen—”
“All right,” Dragos interrupted. “Here’s what has been happening in the rest of the world. I’ve been consulting with the Nightkind King, and also with other members of the Elder tribunal. Julian had quite a tale to tell. Apparently Carling’s been blanking out and affecting the physical landscape around her. Have you seen any of this for yourself?”
Rune set his teeth. “Yes,” he said. “That’s what we’re dealing with right now. What else did that bastard say?”
“He petitioned the tribunal to remove Carling as Councillor for the Nightkind demesne. He claimed she’s no longer fit to hold office. They agreed with him. I talked with Jaggar and Councillor Soren. Carling’s been removed from the Elder tribunal.”
Jaggar was the Wyr Councillor on the Elder tribunal. Soren was the Demonkind Councillor and head of the tribunal. If Carling was no longer a tribunal Councillor, she no longer had the authority or the weight of the Elder tribunal behind her. If anything happened to her, the Elder tribunal would no longer act in retaliation. She was now completely isolated, without anyone backing her. Julian had just set her up to take her out. Rune’s hand tightened on the phone. He heard something crack.
He said evenly, “Is there anything else?”
“Yes,” Dragos said. “The other gryphons are weirded out. They’ve insisted three times now that something has changed, twice over the weekend and once today. Only they can’t verbalize what that is, they just know something has happened. Graydon said it was like reality had shifted, only he couldn’t tell what might have changed. Have you experienced anything like that?”
“Look, you’re going to have to let me get a word in edge-wise here,” Rune said between his teeth. “Yes, Carling and I have caused some things to happen—”
“Three times?” Dragos said. “You and she caused something to happen—you caused reality to shift three times?”
“Let me fucking explain what we did,” Rune bit out.
But the dragon’s anger was roused. He growled, “When Carling blanks out, she affects the landscape around her. Then you and she do something that Bayne, Constantine and Graydon felt all the way from here in New York, and you did it not once but three times? What the fuck did you do?”
Rune looked out the window at the spray of stars and electric lights. We changed history, he thought. We changed each other. We changed the world.
“Tell the other gryphons not to worry,” he said. “It’s going to be all right.”
“It better by-gods be all right,” Dragos said grimly. “Tell me about the rest of it later. I want you out of there, immediately.”
“I can’t do that, Dragos,” Rune said quietly. He stared out the window as he watched the end of his life approach.
“You said Carling had not restricted your movements,” Dragos said.