Immortals After Dark 04 - Wicked Deeds on a Winters Night

”
    “Well, if you know so much, then tell me why Nïx gave the rhyme to me instead of Elianna. Or Jillian.”
    “ Take my hand. ”
    “You’re only going to answer so many questions at a time, aren’t you?” Mari narrowed her eyes with realization. “And like a classic, frustrating oracle, you’re rarely going to give me extrapolation or edification.”
    The reflection grinned coyly. Great. A glassy magick eight ball. Mari began to suspect that this reflection was going to prove to be like that little computer paperclip assistant—at first it helps, but after a while you just want the paperclip to die.
    In any case, Mari had her own suspicions about why it had been Nïx who’d given her the letter. Valkyrie grew stronger as they aged, and some in the Lore had begun to whisper that Nïx had become powerful enough to affect the outcome of an Accession. Nïx had even mentioned it in the letter.
    Mari told the reflection, “If that’s all you have to say, then I’m going to log off.”
    “ Don’t forget the apple. ”
    As Mari accepted it, she mumbled to herself, “Don’t forget the apple, meh, meh, meh,” aware that she was making fun of her own voice.
    Though she craved it, she was nervous, at once tempted to take a bite, but fearing to.
    In fairy tales—which were almost always true—wicked witches proffered apples with evil intent. But apples were held sacred by all witches as symbols of knowledge and foresight. There was no more reason to think it evil than to think it good.
    Holding it in both hands, she glanced around uneasily. Perhaps she shouldn’t be alone in a shadowy cave the first time she made this leap. Yes, she would taste it... later. Decided, she slipped it into her hiking sack.
    When she exited the cave, she found the morning mist was thick, the sky cloudy overhead. She blinked and lowered her face, disappointment settling over her that there was no sun to be felt. Vampires got more sun than she had for the last twenty-one days.
    And she wasn’t likely to get any in the hours to come. In preparing for this trip, she’d read about the jungles in the area and had learned that only a small percentage of the sunlight that hit a rain forest canopy made it to the floor. To catch the light, most of the trees were tall and spindly with an umbrella of leaves at the top. Which made for an odd environment—even as it was gloomy, the forest was open like a warehouse with intermittent pillars to support the roof.
    She saw the others were gathered nearby, though MacRieve stood off to the side. All eyes were on her, with Cade’s focus on her neck. Unnerved by their scrutiny, she wanted to blurt out, “We didn’t do anything!”
    Instead she turned to Rydstrom and casually asked, “Hey, top, what’s the op?”
    MacRieve grated, “Who made him the... top?”
    “Rydstrom’s like a king .” She looked him up and down. “And you’re... not .”
    “I’m third in line... ” He trailed off at Rydstrom’s amused glance.
    Rydstrom answered her, “We’re going to have to push hard to make it into Belize before you’re to call in. But let us know if you need to rest.” When she nodded, he continued, “Cade’s on point. I’ll take the lead, with the females between the males.” To MacRieve, he said, “You bring up the rear.”
    She knew the Lykae’s eyes were on her ass when he huskily rumbled, “ Any day o’ the week .”
    Then MacRieve stood right behind her, his toes to her heels, as if taking his job very seriously. “If you need help climbing, I’ll assist you. And doona touch anything —moving or inanimate. Doona pull on vines—ever—and try to step exactly where the others do. Let them take the risk. There are snakes in this underbrush, some that’ll go out of their way to strike. The fer-de-lance for one.”
    She’d read enough in her research to know that fer-de-lance equaled bad .
    “And doona drink any water that has no’ been boiled. I’ve a canteen in the pack that’s already been processed for you. Just tell me if you need a drink.”
    “Are you done explaining to me things that are not counterintuitive?” she asked, huffily adjusting her knapsack.
    Tierney laughed as he finished one banana and swiftly peeled another. “Looks like the werewolf struck out last night, huh, Scot?” he said between bites, seeming bent on regaining in one morning all the weight he’d lost.
    Reminded that MacRieve preferred another version of her, Mari cast an overly