"Where is she?"
Paen pulled up in front of a small, comfortable-looking bed-and-breakfast. Finn dashed from the protective shadowed doorway to the car, climbing into the backseat as I asked my question.
"I don't know," Finn answered, his face bloodied and black with anger. "The bastard grabbed her as we were talking with Reuben. I don't know what the hell he is, but he has some serious power at his control. He slammed me up against the side of the building before I even knew what was happening. I think I was knocked out for a few minutes, because when I came to he was shoving Clare back into her car. I tried to go after them, but didn't make it far on foot. I can promise you this, though - when I find the slimy wanker, I'm going to beat the living shit out of him."
"Sam?" Paen asked, waiting for me to tell him which direction to go.
"I'll try, but no promises." I closed my eyes and cleared my mind of everything until it was as blank as a clean sheet of paper. My thoughts went to Clare, visualizing her, drawing from within all the emotions that represented her. I saw Clare as a child at a birthday party, happy and laughing; Clare as a teenager on a double date, gorgeous and poised next to my gawky, awkward self; Clare as she was last week, helping me move furniture around the dusty, dank office, happy and excited and talking non-stop. I held all of those memories and emotions tight inside me, and used them to find where she was.
"To the east," I said, looking in that direction. "She's to the east of the city."
Paen pulled out a map from a pocket on the door, spreading it out on the steering wheel. "Can you pinpoint where?"
One possibility jumped out at me. I didn't hesitate as I tapped my finger on a large beige shape. "Dunstan Moor. I just bet you he's taken her there."
"Why?" Paen asked. "Why would he want to kidnap her in order to take her to a movie set?"
"It's not the movie set that's the attraction," I said, making shooing motions until Paen pulled out onto one of the major arterials leading to the east. "It's the lodestone."
"The what?" Finn had used a couple of tissues from my purse and wiped up most of the blood that had streaked down from a cut above his eyebrow, but he still looked pretty grisly, especially in the gloomy afternoon light. Like Paen, he had shadows under his eyes, making me wonder how much sleep the two had during the past few nights.
"Lodestone." I fell silent, wondering if it really was just four days ago when Paen had walked into my office. We're running out of time.
I know. The pain and regret was in his voice, seeping through despite his attempts not to worry me.
I don't want your mother to have to experience this, I said, rubbing a hand on my chest, as if that would ease the constant agony of howling wind that seemed to tear me apart from the inside out.
I know you don't, love. I don't want you to have to live this way, either. We'll find the statue and the manuscript. Don't worry.
"Lodestone like the magnetic stone?" Finn asked.
"That's one meaning of the word, but in the Fae world, it also refers to a location that is strong with the magic of the beyond, a place that draws elves and faeries. It's like a doorway between realities."
"Something like the place your office is located?" Paen asked.
"Like founded land, only multiplied by about a thousand times. Lodestones are treated as holy places, as sanctuaries where only the most ancient of rituals are held. There are only three in the UK."
"And Dunstan Moor is one of these lodestones?"
"Yes. I felt it when we were there the other day, but didn't think much about it. That's why Uilleam and the other ghosts had such a strong presence - the land itself was founded, making it possible for them to be more than just an apparition in our reality."
"You think Pilar has taken Clare there?" Finn asked.
I shrugged. "It's the only logical place I can see he might want to go to in this area. Although he's a demon, and as such can't use the lodestone as a doorway, it's conceivable he could tap its power by means of some being who could, like Reuben..."
"... or Clare," Paen finished the sentence.
I nodded.
"What did you find out from Reuben?"
"Nothing," Finn answered, disgust evident in his brown eyes. "It was a complete waste of time. He was clearly afraid of Pilar, and had been in hiding since Paen ripped off his arm." Finn paused for a moment. "Did you know that a poltergeist can't function without his arms?"
"Er... no," I said, sidetracked for a moment into wondering if they could do the starfish thing and grow back their limbs.
"Well, according to Noelle, they can't. That's why Reuben was hiding from Pilar. He couldn't go into the beyond with one arm missing."
"Odd," Paen said.
I nodded. That pretty well sums up the entire last five days.
The rest of the trip was accomplished in near silence, our speculations of what Pilar might be trying with Clare too troublesome to put into words. We broke some serious traffic laws as we raced into the Lammermuir Hills, passing through gently rolling hills, small farms, and endless stretches of land dotted with sheep. The sky was black as huge, ominous clouds gathered to block the sun until it was almost as dark as night. Paen followed the signs pointing the way to Dunstan Moor, pulling in at the same viewpoint where we'd parked a few days before. Although night was almost upon us, the sun sinking behind the hills surrounding the area, huge arc lights lit up the ground beyond the cluster of trailers and collections of small tents used to house wardrobe and makeup personnel.
"Looks like they're filming again," Paen said as he helped me over the guardrail.
Sounds of men yelling, assorted deathly screams, and the inevitable clash of metal confirmed Paen's guess. I glanced at the field where the mock battle was taking place, then scanned the people outside of the range of the camera. No familiar shape caught my eye.
"To hell with them, I want to know where Clare is," Finn grumbled, following after us as we made our way down the low hill, angling slightly away from the bright lights.
I stopped for a minute and tried to locate Clare using my elf senses. I couldn't feel her presence specifically, but I had a hunch we would find her where the lodestone's strength was the strongest.
"I think she's over there," I told the two men, pointing to a small rocky cliff that rose behind the trailers. I started forward through the wild moor grass, heather, clumps of bracken, and occasional bluebell that made up the terrain.
"Sam," Paen said, taking my arm so I couldn't go any farther. "Stop. We need to have a plan of action."
"Plan of action? We're going to rescue Clare, find out from Pilar where the statue is, and then we'll get Clare to get it for us," I said, a little bit annoyed at the delay.
"Pilar has Clare," he pointed out, his eyes almost as dark as the falling night. "We can't just charge up and demand he hand her over."
"Sure we can. Once he sees the two of you, he'll realize he's outnumbered."
Paen shook his head. "He's murdered you, shot Clare, and thrown Finn aside as if he was a feather."
"Well then, I'll... I'll... I don't know. I can scry something. That might help."
Paen just looked at me.
"OK, so maybe it won't help," I said, throwing up my hands in exasperation. "You two are just going to have to be all manly with him. You're big, bad, immortal vampires. Do the creatures-of-the-night thing on him."
"Sweetheart." Paen sighed, releasing my arm. "I might have an exaggerated idea of my own strength, but even I don't believe we can overpower him by ourselves. He is a demon of immense power. It's going to take more than just the three of us and brute force."
"Well, this is just great!" I said, my hands on my hips as I turned to glare at Paen. "Why the hell didn't you mention this before we drove all the way out here?"
"You told me to drive. I assumed you would have a rescue plan. Since you don't, let us create one now."
I looked at Finn. "Is your brother always this annoying?"
"Yes," he said, grinning. "But since he's usually right, we tolerate him."
"Fine," I said, crossing my arms over my chest while giving Paen a glare that would have scorched a mortal man. "What do you suggest?"
Paen looked thoughtful. "It would help if we knew exactly what sort of weaknesses water demons have. Do either of you know?"
Finn and I shook our heads.
"Sorry, they didn't teach demonology at Diviners' school."
A burst of noise from the battlefield momentarily distracted Paen. "Hmm. Then we'll have to use what we have here. Sam, tell us more about this lodestone. Is there anything related to it that we can use to gain the upper hand on Pilar?"
I thought. "Well, it's like I told you - it's a sacred place to Fae folk. Not religious sacred, but one revered because it provides a natural bridge between the beyond and this reality."
"So you're more powerful here than you are anywhere else?" Paen asked.
I shook my head. "The power contained in the lodestone is not one we can tap into and use - it permeates the area, rather than people. That's why the ghosts were able..."
I stopped, my eyes meeting Paen's.
"The ghosts," he said, his eyes narrowing as he looked beyond me.
"You think?" I asked, not surprised that we'd had the same thought at the same time.
"Think what?" Finn asked.
"Are they here?" Paen asked, ignoring his brother.
I scanned the area. "Not sure. I need to open myself up to the location to find them."
"What are you thinking?" Finn asked again. "What do ghosts have to do with anything? What are you looking for?"
"Are you sure they'll have a physical presence?" Paen asked. Finn punched him in the arm. "Ow. We're thinking the ghosts might be able to help us with Pilar. Now, stop beating me before I knock your lights out."
Finn grinned at him as I closed my eyes and cleared my mind, preparing myself to listen to the site.
"Well?" Paen asked, clearly as impatient as I was to get on with things.
"I don't see... oh, wait. I think maybe over there." I opened my eyes and headed around the side of the trailer cluster to a flat area that stretched upward to a rocky cliff. "Hello, Uilleam."
The big Scottish ghost turned from where he and a few of his fellow countrymen were perched on an outcropping of rocks, evidently watching the battle scene being filmed. All the men wore the same disgusted looks on their faces.
I held out my arms for him as if I was welcoming an embrace. Uilleam's face lit up. His body did the shimmering thing as he allowed himself to be grounded, striding forward to me with a calculating look in his eye. I ran for Paen and held up a hand for him to stop before he could pull me into another ghostly kiss. "Up to you, master linguist. Let's see if they're interested in helping us fight for Clare."
Four minutes later we streamed over the rocks that marked the edge of the cliff, behind us an army of ghostly Scottish warriors, all of whom were aching for a good brawl.
"You know what this reminds me of?" Finn asked. "Something out of Tolkien. Paen could be Aragorn with his army of the dead, and you could be Legolas, while I am - "
"You are going to be one sorry Moravian if you continue with that analogy," I said, giving him a look that let him know I meant what I said. "I have no compunction about decking you if I have to."
Finn laughed, but the merriment dried up a few moments later when we reached the base of the cliff.
"Sam?" Paen asked, obviously hoping for some insight on my part.
"They're here," I said, holding my hands out, palms down toward the ground. "We're at the heart of the lodestone. I can feel they're here. There's something disturbing the grounding."
"Disturbing it how?"
I tried to locate the source of the disturbance, but the waves of power coming from the location itself were muddying the feeling. "Disturbing it. Making it not happy. I can only assume it's Pilar. Demons normally avoid places strong in power from the beyond, so it makes sense that such places wouldn't like them any more than the reverse."
"Then why did he bring Clare here?" Finn asked.
"Because it provides access to the statue, naturally," a voice called down from above us.
Uilleam shouted and pointed his sword at the cliff face. Standing on a ledge about halfway up, Pilar held a knife to Clare's throat. Beppo sat chirping on a rock next to them. The ghosts roared something that made the hairs on my neck stand on end, and started swarming up the cliff.
"No!" Pilar yelled down at them, dragging Clare backward into what looked like a shallow cave. "Call them off, or I will kill the faery."
"I am not a faery," Clare snapped, trying to glare at the demon who held her by the throat. "I am a lingerie model. There is a huge difference between the two things! Why does no one else see that?"
Paen shouted something to Uilleam. The ghosts stopped their ascent, but they weren't happy about it, snarling and waving their swords around in a menacing fashion.
"She's a faery, she's immortal," I called up to Pilar. "There's no sense in threatening to kill her - you can't."
"I am so not a faery!"
"She'll be dead enough if I decapitate her," Pilar called back.
"Oh!" Clare yelled, looking even more indignant.
"All right, we've stopped the ghosts," I answered, moving a little to the side so I could have an unobstructed view of Pilar. Paen wrapped an arm around me and pulled me up tight against him. "Now, let's talk. Why do you want Clare? She doesn't have any powers except the ability to talk to flowers - "
"You are such a liar," my cousin gasped.
We all ignored her. " - and the ability to wear sackcloth and make it look good. So why do you want her, of all people?"
Pilar laughed. "I wanted her because I thought you were dead. But as you survived, you will do. I will exchange your cousin for you."
"You've got a deal," I said without hesitation, pulling away from Paen.
"Like hell he does," Paen snarled, pulling me back and stuffing me behind him. "You'll take me instead."
"Hey!" I said, slapping my hand on his back. "Less arrogance, if you please. He wants me."
"He's not getting you." You don't honestly believe I'm going to allow a demon to take you, do you?
He can't hurt me, Paen. I'm immortal now, remember?
He can decapitate you just as easily as he can Clare.
But he won't. He needs me.
It's a moot point. I'm not letting you sacrifice yourself.
"You may have your soul, Dark One, but you cannot enter the beyond on your own," Pilar said, jerking Clare closer. "Nor can your brother."
"I don't have a soul now, so neither can I," I yelled around Paen, up to Pilar.
"No, but you have a cousin who can," he said. "You will be a hostage for her."
"It doesn't matter who can enter what - Sam is here, and I'm not letting her go," Paen said, stubbornness positively rolling off him.
I thumped him on the back again. Paen, truly I appreciate the anguish you feel at the thought of losing me, but I swear to you I'm not going to let him kill me. Again.
No.
We don't have a choice!
"Then we appear to be at an impasse," Pilar said, glancing up at the sky. The clouds that had darkened the sky all day were starting to dissipate, little peeps of a quarter moon shining through the breaks. "It is almost deep night. Do you really wish to continue this stalemate until you run out of time?"
I pulled Paen until he was facing me. "We're out of options, sweetie."
His brow darkened, and I could feel the protests he was about to make. I laid a finger across his lips, gently brushing them away. "I know. I feel the same way. But I will not let Caspar have your mother's soul, not while it's within my ability to stop him."
His Adam's apple bobbed as he fought to keep his emotions under control. I won't lose you again, Sam. I can't. You made me love you, dammit! You made me give up brooding, and sex without love, and happily going about my way without interference from anyone. You owe me!
I laughed, leaning into him to replace my fingers with my lips, offering him everything I had, pouring into him all the love I felt, accepting in return from him the radiant warmth of his soul, crested by a love so powerful it seemed to rock the world back on its axis. I love you, Paen. I love you more than I ever imagined was possible for one person to love another. You are the sun to me, you warm me and give me life, and I could not exist any longer without you. But I have to do this. We have to save Clare and your mother, and if you can think of another way to do it, I'm all ears.
Pain cut sharply through him, pain and regret, and anger at himself for not being able to save me.
But you did save me, I told him, drinking in his warmth as he pulled me up tight to his body. You didn't let me die before, and I know you won't let me go now. No matter what happens, I know you won't let go.
"I'll see to it nothing happens," he said grimly, pulling his mouth from mine. He half turned, calling over his shoulder to Pilar, "Release Clare, and you can have Sam and me as hostages."
Beppo jumped onto Pilar's shoulder. The demon seemed to consider Paen's offer for a moment before shrugging. "If you wish to offer yourself as well, I will not object. You may approach us, but only you two. No one else."
Paen had to have a short talk with Finn, Uilleam, and the ghosts before they would let us climb up to where Pilar and Clare waited. I got the feeling that unlike Finn, the ghosts weren't so much upset with Paen and me putting ourselves in potential danger as they were pissed at being done out of a good fight.
"You can fight later," I told Uilleam as I scrambled up a large rock at the base of the cliff.
"Do we have yer oath on that?" he asked, fingering the edge of his sword.
I looked in surprise at him for a moment. "You speak English?"
"We're dead, not daft," he said with a roll of his eyes. "We've naught else to do around here but listen to the tourists. At least, not until this lot came." He indicated the movie crew with a sweeping gesture.
"Oh. Right. Well, then, if you guys can just hold tight for a bit, I promise you we'll find someone for you to battle later. Pretend battle. No killing or anything."
The ghosts looked disappointed.
"Later," I said, giving Uilleam a warning look as I reached up to where Paen was waiting to haul me up a big rock.
We reached the outcropping where Pilar and Clare stood without any mishaps.
"Let her go," Paen ordered, nodding toward Clare.
Pilar smiled and released Clare, who took two steps to the side, then turned and slapped Pilar as hard as she could.
"That's for shooting my dress, you demonic twit!" she told him to his startled face before storming over to Paen and me.
"Her dress?" Pilar asked us.
I shook my head. "Honestly, you don't want to go there."
"It was a Versace!" came the outraged reply from where Clare was standing behind me.
Pilar closed his eyes for a moment, wearing an expression that was identical to one I'd seen frequently on Paen's face. I thought about pointing that out, but decided it wasn't something Paen needed to know at that moment. "If you don't mind, I'm rather anxious to have the Jilin God. Could we get on with it?"
"We can if you answer a couple of questions first," I said, taking Paen's hand. Just touching him toned down the howl of pain inside me that was my ever-present companion.
Pilar glanced at the sky again and gave another shrug. Beppo gave a little squeak and leaped from Pilar to Paen, quickly scaling his arm, jumping across him to land on my shoulder. I gave the monkey a stern look. "You didn't tell me you belonged to him," I said, nodding toward Pilar.
"He is a familiar - he does not speak," Pilar said, as if I honestly expected the monkey to answer. "What questions do you wish to ask of me?"
"Where is the Jilin God?" Paen asked, his fingers tightening around mine. Beppo wrapped his tail around my throat and began to pick through my hair, looking for mites.
"Within grasp in the beyond."
"Why did you zap me into the place between realities? Were you afraid of what I was going to tell Caspar?"
Pilar looked at me with unemotional black eyes. "I am afraid of nothing. It was not my intent to push you into the web; I simply wanted the statue. I didn't realize you had it until I touched you."
"Are you working for your master, or for yourself?" Paen asked.
You took my question!
There are plenty left for him to answer.
Pilar laughed. I didn't think demons could laugh, but he did, a mirthless, cold laugh, one that sent chills down my back. "I have no master."
"Wait a second - you do, too. Caspar said you were his minion, that he hired you to drag me in to see him, amongst other things. He's a demon lord, you're a demon - that makes him your master."
"Do you not yet understand?" Pilar asked, looking at me with an expression of something that looked a lot like disappointment. "The being you know as Caspar Green is not my master - he is my enemy. He tried to capture me, and failed. He tried to have me thrown down from the heavens, and failed. He has sought my destruction his entire life, and now he seeks to regain his former strength in order to rule this world. I am sworn to allow neither."
"But... you were working for him," I pointed out, wondering just how many surprises I could take in a one-week period.
Pilar gave me another disappointed look. "He did not recognize me in this form."
"Oh."
Paen's fingers tightened even more around mine until the grip was almost painful. "You are the sworn enemy of Yan Luowang, the god of death."
"Yes," Pilar said. I noticed he didn't give Paen a disappointed look.
"He attempted to have you thrown out of heaven."
Paen said, and with his words, something struck a chord in me.
Figured it out yet, sweetheart?
Wait a sec... thrown out of heaven?
That's what he said.
I bit my lip as I looked closely at Pilar. He looked human, absolutely mortal, except for the cold that seemed to roll off him like a dense fog. "Caspar said you were a kung, a Chinese water demon."
"I am many things. That is just one part of what makes me a whole."
The pieces of the puzzle fell together with a snap that I could have sworn was audible. "Were you, by any chance, held prisoner in a stone prison for fifteen hundred years?"
Pilar smiled.
"You're Sun Wukong, aren't you? The monkey god? The subject of the Jilin statue? The one Buddha released, the one who became a champion against demons."
"And their lords. Now I seek to stop Yan Luowang, whatever the cost such an action may demand." Pilar made a polite little bow. "And you, Beloved, will do very nicely as the blood price."