Rituals (Cainsville 5)

Ricky gave a start, but Gabriel only said, "Helia. Good. We've found you."

The dryad stepped from the tree, her skin still brown bark. Alexios followed from the other side.

"Are you all right?" Ricky asked. "Liv was worried."

"Yes," Gabriel said. "She was very worried. But you are apparently fine, so we may leave." He turned to Meic. "Could you tell that raven to fetch Ioan? We have the dryads. It's time to go."

"I think Liv still wants to find out what happened to your mother," Ricky said.

"With any luck, the dryads can tell us. Yes?"

Helia nodded. "She's alive. They--"

"Excellent. Now fetch Ioan. Or, better yet, if that raven can lead me to him, I'll tell him myself and we'll be off."

"Your mother is alive," Meic said.

"And he really doesn't give a shit," Ricky said. "But, yeah, Gabriel, let's slow down a little here. Alexios? Tell us what's going on. Helia. Sit and rest."

"Yes, sir," she said, and promptly slumped at the base of the tree, her skin starting to meld with it.

Alexios watched her, frowning.

"I'm obeying orders," she said.

"Yes, that's why I'm concerned."

She stuck out her tongue, and Alexios smiled for her, but Ricky sensed genuine worry strumming from the dryad. When Helia moved her arm, she found it fused to the tree and seemed surprised. Alexios glanced over sharply, and Helia pulled away fast--Ricky had a feeling that spontaneously merging with flora wasn't a good sign for a dryad.

"Just tell us what you know," Ricky said. "And then you can go back to Cainsville. In fact, we'll insist on it. We have the Cwn Annwn, as you can see. Hounds, ravens, horses--the full Hunt. Not to be rude, but..."

"We don't need you," Gabriel said. "Ricky is right. Tell us what you know and then leave. That is an order. From me." He paused, then added, "From Gwynn."

Alexios mouthed a silent thanks. Then he explained that the sluagh were here. A group of lesser sluagh in service to one elder--the one who took the form of Imogen Seale.

Ricky suspected this was a base camp, which would explain why Liv kept being drawn back. That suggested that Tristan hadn't been acting quite as independently as he'd claimed. Or not as independently as he'd believed.

According to the dryads, Walter had brought Seanna here to the sluagh, who were, frankly, pissed about that. He'd had one job: make sure Seanna died. If the plot with Pamela failed--which they were also kinda pissed about--then the very least he could have done was kill her and frame Pamela.

Walter's excuse? He wasn't a murderer, and he hadn't signed up for any actual killing. So he'd brought Seanna to them.

"And inadvertently brought us to them," Ricky said.

"Do they realize that?" Gabriel asked the dryads. "Walter knows you're here. He must presume that's a link directly back to us."

"Actually, he didn't know we came along."

"We were tricksy," Helia piped up.

"Very tricksy," Alexios said, with an affectionate smile for his mate. "We played spy to find out what he was up to. Then we planned to call and see what Liv wanted us to do. But the phone?" He took it from his pocket. "As useful as a rock."

"Technology," Helia said. "Humans are so fascinated by it, but when you need it, what happens? Beep-beep-beep. Your call cannot be completed."

"It was working well enough to get us here," Ricky said. "If the sluagh don't know Walter was followed, then I'm going to agree with Gabriel--it's time to grab Liv and retreat. I'm sorry about Seanna, but I'm guessing she's not going to survive long enough to be rescued."

"Was she still alive when you left?" Meic asked.

Helia nodded. "They'd put her in a room. She hasn't woken."