"Oh boy, I wish I hadn't seen that," Chase muttered. Delilah slipped up next to him, and he instinctively curled his arm around her waist.
I grinned. "Wait until you see Delilah go after a mouse. You're going to just love that."
"So what do we do with his body—and that of the Psycho Babbler?" Morio asked.
"I'd say take them through the portal with us to the Elfin Queen. If Lethesanar is too busy to pay attention to the OIA's sacred duty in guarding the portals, then we have to convince somebody else in Otherworld that things here are heating up."
"But we killed the demons and found the seal," Chase said.
"One out of nine." A stab of fear shot through me, but I brushed it away. We'd survived this battle; it was time for celebration. "Chase, we aren't done yet. We may have stopped Shadow Wing from getting the first seal, but there are eight more, and each one can give him a terrible advantage against Earth and OW."
"Okay, who's going to drag him back?" Chase nudged Luke with his toe. "I don't think I can even budge him."
"Oh, Great Mother," Menolly said. "Get out of my way." And with a blink of the eye, she hoisted Luke over her shoulder and silently stalked out of the forest toward the house.
Chase gave me a startled look. "She's strong."
"She's a vampire," I said.
"Are all vampires that strong?" he asked, looking slightly green.
I gave him a slow smile. "Chase, my dear, Menolly's still young and weak. She'll grow in strength as the centuries move on. Right now, she's a neophyte. Which is why you don't ever want to cross a vampire unless you've got garlic in your pocket or silver around your neck."
"What about a cross?" he asked.
"A nice old wives' tale, but that's all it is." And with that, I turned to follow her.
We had a portal to cross, and until we were in the courts of the Elfin Queen, I wouldn't feel secure. By the time we reached the house, Menolly had alerted Iris that all was secure, and the Talon-haltija sat in the rocking chair with Maggie on her lap, wide-eyed and ready to hear about the battle.
We gave her the rundown, and I glanced at the clock. Well past the witching hour. "Menolly, if you travel through the portal, you risk coming back here during the daylight. I don't think it's safe for you to go."
"Not a problem. Just take the floraed with you, or I'll make her my appetizer."
"Say, did you ever return Wade's call?" I asked.
"Talk about non sequiturs," she said, but I could see the wheels turning in her head. "I will before I go to bed this morning. He seems a good sort, and I might as well get to know some of the vamps around here."
She leaned against the desk, eyeing the clock. "I have to feed on something a lot more appetizing than that stupid Psycho Babbler. He and his buddy made me sick to my stomach. And I want to drop in at the Wayfarer. Maybe I can salvage the situation there."
"Then you'd better hurry. You only have a few hours till first light. And be careful, there are still a lot of unanswered questions."
She nodded and slipped out the door, as silent as the grave. After she left, I turned to Delilah. "We'll have to figure out some way to transport these demons with us. We can't carry them like Menolly can."
"No, but I can," Smoky spoke up. I gave him a questioning look. "I've never seen Otherworld," he said. "Though of course I know about it. I think I'll come along. I can carry both of the dead demons without a problem, if you can take care of the floraed."
I could see by the look on his face that the matter was settled. "Okay, I guess that takes care of that. Chase, you and Iris stay here until Menolly returns. Morio, I'd like you to come with us to Grandmother Coyote's and then return home to keep watch on the house. Delilah, Smoky, and I will deliver Tom and the seal."
The last thing I felt like was another tromp through the woods, but the longer we kept Tom with us, the more likely someone from the Sub Realms would come gunning for him.
Iris scurried off to fetch him, while Delilah and I went upstairs to make ourselves presentable enough for a Queen's court. As I pulled on a dress of spun silver and a peacock-colored cloak, I reflected that this was going to be a far different trip than I'd hoped.
I'd been looking forward to seeing Father, but with everything in chaos, we'd better avoid Y'Elestrial like the plague. Instead, we'd head directly for Elqaneve, the city of the Elves. It was simply too dangerous to return home now. And if Lethesanar found out what we were doing, we'd end up in her dungeons, a fate worse than death.
Delilah's expression told me she was thinking along the same line. She dressed in her best silken leggings with a glittering gold tunic over the top and slung a turquoise belt around her hips. "I'd better leave my gun at home," she said as she fastened on her silver sword.
"Are you ready?" I asked. She nodded, and we hurried downstairs. Along with Smoky, who carried the dead demons, and Morio, who helped us keep Wisteria in check, we slipped back into the night and into the woods.
* * *