“Please, let it be good. Or at least something easily dealt with.” I cocked my head to the side. “I really don’t want to hear anything else bad going on.” But, with a sigh, I turned to the mirror. Trenyth couldn’t see me, but he could hear me so I simply said, “Hey, Trenyth. I’m here.”
Delilah cleared her throat. “Hold on, I need a drink of water.” She jumped up and ran into the kitchen.
I frowned. Vanzir offered to bring me a chair, but I shook my head. I wasn’t tired. In fact, the adrenaline was still coursing through my veins from the incident at the bar. It hit me that none of us could withstand more bad news. Morio, Roz, Vanzir, and Shade all looked beat. The war was bearing down on us now. We needed a break—something to reenergize us and give us hope.
By the time we were all gathered again, the tension in the room had built to a point where I could almost rip into it with my fangs. “Sorry, Trenyth. I think we’re all a little antsy. It’s been a rough past couple of weeks. Tell us what’s going on, please.”
The confused expression on his face fell away. “I can understand that. It seems like something’s always coming. There’s always a horror on the horizon, or behind the cliff, or in the cave, or riding the sky. But this time, it’s good news.”
The collective sigh in the room was audible.
“I got a call from Camille about an hour ago. The dragons are coming. She and Smoky asked me to tell you that we need you over here. The dragons are on the way, and they are going to war against Telazhar, but they need you with them.” The joy in his eyes was impossible to ignore. “We’ve finally caught a break. They’ll be here within the hour and they want you all to go with them.”
Even though we knew that they had promised, there had been a little part of me—at least—that had expected them to renege at the last minute. Roz let out a huge cheer, thrusting his fist into the air. Vanzir and Morio followed suit, and then we all joined in.
But a thought occurred to me. If I went over there, what would I do come daylight? “What about me? I’m a vamp—”
“Camille and Smoky have rigged something up for you, just in case. You’ll be safe, she promised. I know you hate to leave the house empty, but they said for you to send Maggie and Hanna to a safe location.” Trenyth looked like he was about to cry.
“We’ve needed a break . . . ever since Kelvashan was besieged and Elqaneve fell, my people have been a mass of walking wounded.” His voice was clouded and he wiped his hand across his eyes. “Even those who were unhurt by the destruction . . . everybody lost someone dear. Everybody lost their roots. Elves are grounded to their homeland, you know. The very land gives us strength and it shores us up. The land itself was wounded, and is still bleeding, and as long as it bleeds, so shall we. Now, the dragons will give us hope. Just the news gives me hope.”
I nodded, slowly, even though he couldn’t see me. “We’ll come. We’ll make arrangements and go to Grandmother Coyote’s portal. We’ll be there within the hour. Daylight is still a ways off.”
And with that, the mirror fell silent.
Delilah pulled out her phone. “I’m texting Tanne. We need him with us to work with Iris.”
Iris said nothing, and I realized that she meant to go with us. I turned to the others. “Hanna, take Maggie and stay with Bruce and the babies at the condo. When Nerissa gets home—well, I’ll call her. Her place is big enough for all of you for now. I don’t want her staying here, and we can’t take her with us.”
“Speaking of . . .” Morio nodded to the front door as it opened and Nerissa hustled through.
“I’ll tell her. The rest of you get ready. Hanna, can you pack a small bag for me—you know what I wear. I’ll need boots without heels.” I unbuckled my stiletto knee-highs and slid them off as everybody else jumped to get ready.
Nerissa looked confused as I drew her into the parlor and shut the door.
“We’re heading to Otherworld. Camille and Smoky are on their way to Elqaneve with the dragons, and they want us there. We’re about to go to war against Telazhar. I have to go.” I caught her gaze, holding it steady. “And you can’t come with us. Chase needs you here.”
She hesitated, her tawny hair flowing down her shoulders. I could sense her frustration, probably because I was paying a lot more attention these days. But I also saw the understanding that crept into her eyes.
“I don’t want you to go, you know that.”
“I know, but I have no choice.”
“I love you. Do you know how much I love you?” She pulled me to her. Nerissa was far taller than I, and when I gazed up into her face, I saw only love shining back.