He nodded. Had they tried to heal themselves from arcenciel poisoning by drinking from agwyllgi? Was that why Tomás had been chasing devil dogs? I sent my sister a sense of comfort, but all I felt in return was a blazing hot anger.
To the tree and the earth, I said aloud, “More water in the trees. Hurry.”
Yummy had cut both vampires free. She carried them by their sword belts, stepping over the wolf, and dropped them near Rick and Rettell. In the vision, she dropped them right at Mud’s and my feet. I knew Yummy couldn’t see me in the visionscape, but somehow she knew where I was, even if only instinctively.
In real life, my cell phone rang. I released one of Mud’s limp, icy hands and opened my eyes in my house. I glanced at my cell, saw Esther’s name, decided it could wait a few rings.
Mud was deeply under the land, eyes closed, leaning against the couch at my feet. Cherry was curled at her side and thumped her tail when she saw me moving. The puppy whined, a high-pitched sound of fear.
I soothed her as best I could and said, “It’s okay, girl. Good girl. Stay.”
I rearranged Mud, laying her flat and putting her head on a sofa pillow. She murmured something when I covered her and her puppy with a crocheted afghan. I made it to my feet like an old woman with arthritic knees, and went to the kitchen for water.
I answered my cell and put it on speaker, but my mouth was too dry forhello. I managed to say, “Yeah?”
“Your’un woods is on fire, sister mine.”
“I see that. You okay?”
“I got me a woman, a crazy fanghead, sitting in my front room. You’un tell me. She tried to stick her fangs in me, so I stabbed her.”
In the background I heard Ming of Glass laugh. The tone had a ring to it that sent faint chills across my flesh. Vampires could mesmerize. They could make humans afraid. Make them fall in love, make them do and be all sorts of things. This laugh sounded nothing like that.
Thoughts flashed through my mind. Ming had never been totally sane. The vampires here had been bitten by arcenciels. We had never figured out if Ming had been bitten too at some time. Was that the real reason why Ming was crazier than other vamps who had gotten back their souls?
Without a pause, sounding as calm as I could, I asked, “Are the babies okay?”
“They’s got vine cages all around their bassinet with foot-long thorns pointing up.You’un tell me.This house is like a fairy tale and a insane asylum all mixed up together.”
I chuckled. Now wouldnotbe a good time to tell my sister that she was unconsciously directing the fairy-tale insane asylum protections.
“I’ll call back,” I said. “I’ll send one of the werecats to staywith you and to keep Ming in her place. Keep the knife out and handy.”
“I ain’t stupid, sister mine. But I am growin’ leaves and vines outta my fingers, and thorns in weird places.”
“Good. Use all that as weapons. If the vampire has any sense at all, she knows you can use the thorns. Stake her in the belly with them if you get the chance.” Vampires also had preternaturally good hearing, so Ming could hear my part of this conversation.
Esther thought about that for a moment and said, “Humph.” The call ended.
I finished the water, poured another glass, and walked barefoot onto the front porch, leaving Cherry and Mud and the cats inside. Bare soles on the wood, I reached through the land and made sure the were-creatures on Soulwood were okay. Or at least not dead.
They were all moving and no longer in cages. So they seemed fine. Sorta.
Rick and Rettell had taken off together and were otherwise engaged on the far side of the property. I quickly withdrew with a soft “Sorry,” though it was unlikely they heard me, what with their caterwauling.
I searched for Occam and discovered him in the backyard. He’d been scouting. From the land, I knew he had been all over the front area, sniffing the bodies; he’d gone onto the porch, where he had no thumbs to get inside, and raced back down, all around the house and garden and grounds. In and out through the cat door in the back. Not panicked but not a happy cat.
I reached out to him and thought,Can you hear me, cat-man?
I can hear you, Nell, sugar.Surprise filled his emotional tone, but no doubt, no questions.
Ming’s at Esther’s. Tried to bite her. Can you go help? I’m good here. Yummy is here and I’m’a put her to work too.If Yummy hadn’t been bitten.
Why is Tomás here and why fire?Occam thought at me.
Tomás is probably still after the Blood Tarot and the only place he can think to find it is here. And with Ming at Esther’s, he probably thinks we’re all in one place at one time. As to fire, I think an arcenciel that had been trapped in Tomás de Torquemada’s crystal got free. I think she set the fires trying to burnTomás. The vampires out front have been bitten by the dragons. I need to know if Ming has been bitten. And though you ain’t asked, I think the devil dogs was dinner to angry arcenciels.
That’s what I’m smelling on Tomás and this other fanghead,he thought at me.Arcenciel venom.
