Raintree Read online

  “I don’t think that will be necessary,” Judah said. “Look at her. She seems to be returning to normal.”

  Eve floated down to the floor, landing easily on her feet. Her hair fell about her shoulders, and the light on her fingertips disappeared. She glanced from Judah to Mercy, her eyes once again completely Raintree green.

  “Eve? Eve, are you all right?” Mercy asked, choking back tears.

  Eve ran to Mercy, her arms outstretched. Mercy lifted her daughter into her arms and held her possessively. Resting her head on Mercy’s shoulder, Eve clung to her mother. When Judah approached, Mercy gave him a warning glare, all but snarling in her protective mother mode.

  Suddenly Eve lifted her head and gasped. “Oh, shit!”

  “What?” Mercy and Judah asked in unison.

  “Where did you ever hear such an ugly word?” Sidonia, ever the grandmotherly nanny, scolded.

  Eve looked at Sidonia. “I heard Uncle Dante say it. And Uncle Gideon.”

  Mercy grasped Eve’s chin to gain her attention. “When did you hear your uncles—”

  “Just a minute ago,” Eve said. “I heard them both say it. Uncle Dante said it when he found out that the bad Ansara caused the fire at his casino. And Uncle Gideon said it when he found out that the person who killed Echo’s friend was a very bad Ansara.”

  “How do you know about the fire?” Mercy asked. “And Echo’s roommate?” She hadn’t told Eve anything about either incident.

  “I heard what Uncle Dante and Uncle Gideon were thinking when they said ‘oh, shit’ right before I said it.”

  If Eve had heard her uncles’ thoughts correctly, then that meant only one thing. “They’re trying to kill us.” Mercy realized the horrible truth. “The Ansara went after each of us—Dante and Gideon and me and…oh, God—Echo!” Holding Eve tightly, she started moving backward, away from Judah. “You knew what was happening, didn’t you? Has it all been a lie? Are you and your brother really allies?”

  “Don’t jump to conclusions,” Judah said. “Everything I’ve told you about Cael is the truth.”

  “Just like everything you told me about you was the truth?”

  Judah took several steps toward her.

  “Stop!” Mercy shouted. “I mean it. Don’t come near me or Eve.”

  “Mommy, don’t be mad at my daddy.” Eve gazed into Mercy’s eyes.

  Suddenly the telephone rang.

  “Answer it, Sidonia,” Mercy said.

  Sidonia scurried across the room and picked up the portable phone from the charger base. “Hello.” She sighed. “Thank God, it’s you. Yes, she’s here.” Sidonia brought the telephone to Mercy, all the while glaring at Judah as if she thought her evil stare could keep him at bay. “It’s Dante.”

  “Dante?” Mercy said as she took the phone.

  “Don’t talk, just listen,” he told her. “We’re under attack from the Ansara. They were behind the fire here at the casino, and behind the attempt on Echo’s life. Don’t ask me any particulars. Just believe me when I say that I know it’s only a matter of time before they strike the sanctuary. It’ll be soon. Today would be my guess since—”

  “Today is Alban Heruin.” Light of the Shore, the summer solstice, lying between Light of the Earth and Light of the Water, the equinoctial celebrations. “The height of the sun’s power.”

  “I’ve just boarded the jet, and we’re leaving Reno. I’m on my way home. Gideon has already left Wilmington. We should both be there by late this afternoon.”

  “Dante, there’s something I need to tell you.” How could she explain to him that this was all her fault?

  “Whatever it is, it’ll have to wait.”

  “Please—”

  “Just hold things together until we get there. Understand?”

  “I understand.”

  “And if a woman named Lorna tries to contact you—she’s mine.”

  The dial tone hummed in Mercy’s ear. “Dante?” She flung the phone down on the kitchen counter, then turned to confront Judah.

  “Daddy’s gone,” Eve said.

  Mercy visually scanned the room. Judah was gone. When had he left, and where was he now?

  A couple of seconds after Dante called Mercy, Judah heard Claude’s telepathic message. You’re not answering your cell phone again. Damn it, Judah, all hell’s broken loose and you’ve left me no choice but to—

  All hell’s broken loose here, too, Judah told his cousin. Mercy knows that I’m the Dranir.

  That’s the least of our problems right now.

  Judah ran up the back stairs. Look, if you’re about to tell me that Cael not only sent someone after Mercy but after her brothers and her cousin Echo, too, don’t bother. Dante just called Mercy, and I listened in on their conversation.

  Then they figured it out just about the same time the council did, Claude said.

  Don’t say anything else. Give me a minute. My phone’s upstairs.

  We don’t have a minute to waste.

  Judah rushed into Mercy’s bedroom and searched for his cell phone. He finally found it lying on the floor next to his shirt, covered with one of his socks. He picked it up and called Claude.

  “What do you know that I don’t?” Judah asked.

  “We received information that Cael is somewhere in North Carolina,” Claude said.

  “That’s no surprise.”

  “We suspect that he has up to a hundred warriors with him, and they’re somewhere between Asheville and the Raintree sanctuary.”

  “A hundred! How the hell did he—crap! He’s been recruiting these people for quite some time, hasn’t he? Which isn’t really a surprise.”

  “Well, this will surprise you—according to our informant, Cael is planning an all-out attack on the sanctuary sometime within the next twelve hours.”

  “Damn! What does Sidra say? Why didn’t she see this coming?”

  “She’s not sure, but she suspects that Cael has somehow cloaked the details of his plan so that none of our Ansara seers were able to clearly foresee it. And he’s probably put some kind of spell on all the Raintree seers, as well.”

  “We can’t let this happen,” Judah said.

  “We can’t stop it.”

  “We can try. Call in the Select Guard. Have as many as will fit on the jet come with you immediately. Have the rest follow as soon as possible. Bring them here to North Carolina. Fly into Asheville. Civilian dress for everyone. Understand?”

  “Yes, my lord. We need to be as inconspicuous as possible. They can change into uniform on the way to the sanctuary.”

  “I’ll arrange ground transportation for you, and when you arrive outside the sanctuary boundary, I’ll be waiting for you,” Judah said. “Contact me when you’re close. In the meantime, once I’m certain Mercy can safeguard Eve during the battle, I’ll make plans of my own.”

  “I know your first priority is to protect Princess Eve. But once she’s no longer in harm’s way, it will be too late to turn back. It will be all-out war between the Ansara and the Raintree. Cael has left us no choice but to fight now.”

  “Then we’ll fight,” Judah said.

  “Where’s my daddy?” Eve asked as Mercy knelt in front of her daughter. “Where did he go?”

  “I don’t know,” Mercy lied. She suspected Judah had either left to join Cael or was making plans to do so. “But you mustn’t worry about your father.” She cupped Eve’s beautiful little face with her open palms. “Listen to me, sweetheart, and do exactly what I tell you to do.”

  “All right,” Eve said, her voice shaky. “Something really bad is wrong, isn’t it?”

  ‘Yes, something really bad is wrong. Your father’s brother is going to come here and bring some other very bad men with him. So I’m going to send you with Sidonia to the Caves of Awenasa, and I’m going to invoke a cloaking spell to keep you and Sidonia safe.”

  “I need to be here,” Eve said. “With you and Daddy. You’ll need me.”

  Mercy choked with emo