Okay, that part was weird. It was probably how the queen felt when her faery prince hubby talked to the ancient god who lived inside him. I moved back and let Gray get close to The Path, worry still playing through me since I couldn’t feel her intentions. I really wished I’d had Gladys. Gladys could try to kick the book’s… She didn’t have an ass, so we’d have to go for her spine or something if she did anything wrong. It could be an Earth plane sentient weapon versus a witch plane sentient weapon thing.
Two seemingly inanimate objects enter the ring. One leaves.
Gray turned his head my way. “She’s not going to hurt anyone. She merely wants to share some magic, and she’s been patient. She sensed me the moment I entered the Under, but she also felt I wasn’t ready to be approached.”
So she wasn’t a cock blocker. Good for her. “And you are now?”
“Yes. I’m calmer and much more open to what she needs to tell me,” Gray agreed. “From the information she’s sending me, she’s Arete’s version of what we would call a true prophet. Instead of placing all the burden on one being, the witches spread the power around, and The Path collects prophecies for the plane. When you think about it, it’s much kinder. She doesn’t get headaches the way I do, and she does not try to figure out her own destiny. But she does give papercuts to beings she doesn’t like. All in all, a pretty nice life for her.”
“Can you ask her why she hates men?” Fen asked.
“Because the men of Arete were such barbarians, the only way the women could protect themselves was to develop their magic,” Gray intoned in a voice that almost didn’t seem to be his. “They killed and raped and tortured with glee. Men took women’s sons from their arms moments after birth and taught them to do the same, to see women as objects. The women of Arete lived millennia in pain and fear, each generation learning a bit more until they were able to overthrow their captors and build a new world where their daughters could live freely.”
“Okay. Well, I understand then.” Fen took a step back. My wolfy son had gone pale. “The truth is I’m not much of a reader, so I won’t bother you further. Sorry about the torture and stuff.”
“She understands it’s different on this plane, but she was created in a certain way and cannot break those bindings. Men on her plane are allowed no magic for fear that they would turn it on the women, and they are not allowed prophecy. The witches of Arete will not submit to the bonds of their slavery again.” Gray turned back and placed a hand on the book. “I’m different because of the magic we share. I’m going to let her know she can trust me. I sent my wife to find you, you know.”
The book pulsed, and the glow became a warm amber color that encased Gray fully.
I worried that he would freak out, but he simply took a long breath and his whole body seemed to relax.
“Are you okay, babe?”
“She’s simply sharing her knowledge with me.” Gray’s eyes remained closed. “There is no reason to worry. We have the same goals. She recognizes me as kin, and while she wishes the inner planes had more female prophets, she won’t keep us in ignorance. She likes the idea that the women of this plane are warriors in their own right, that they have the ability to choose magic or to find their own strengths. What we do here will affect all the planes, and her brethren’s fear might lead all to ruin. So she will do what she needs to, including leave them behind for a little while.”
There was a warmth to the glow that I could feel even from where I was standing. This was a friendly experience for my demon husband.
And hopefully an informative one for me. “She knows Dean Malone. You know Lee Donovan-Quinn. Can she confirm they’re the two in the prophecy?”
It was a long shot, but a girl had to try.
“What she knows is irrelevant,” Gray said from his bubble of golden light. “What you believe is more important.”
“Why?” Fenrir asked the question from his safe distance. “I would think properly interpreting the prophecy is the important thing.”
“Yeah. What if we get it wrong?” Evan agreed.
But he couldn’t simply tell me if something was right or wrong. I was sure his rules didn’t get put aside even if The Path was speaking through him.
He’d gotten better about finding ways around his rules.
“What I believe is important.” I needed to make sure it wasn’t some off-the-cuff remark.
His head turned, and his eyes held the amber glow of the book. “One crown. One wand. One light. Seek her in the light. She left a map behind, the true gem saved by another mother’s love. Only a combination of three can save three. The darkness, the earth, the light together or all will end. The spawn doesn’t understand what he is trying to do. He doesn’t understand what his will may bring to all the planes.”
“Her.” I was caught on that word. “Is the weapon a person?”
The amber light faded, and Gray stood before me once more. “You know I can’t answer that, but you should follow your instincts. Find the map. Like all good maps, there’s a clear marker to guide you to the treasure.”
“Okay, so is the map actually a map?” I knew all the tricks by now.
Gray’s deep prophet eyes made an appearance again, and he stayed connected to the book. “The Path cannot see on the inner planes, but together we can give you warning. A hidden place. A sacred space. Familiar and yet changed forever. All will feel lost, but there are other ways to follow her. The weapon was hidden out of love, taken from this plane through one door, but you can find another. The planes are connected in more ways than you can imagine. She is a door. She does not know it, believes her only power is chaos and death, but it is transformation, it is a bridge to new life. She can take you there, but only if she can find her faith. Faith in spring. Faith in herself.”
Fucking seasons. I’d just dealt with summer. Now he was talking about spring?
The power seemed sucked out of the room, and Gray was back to normal. He smiled down at The Path. “Thank you. You can trust my wife. She will not let you down, but she might curse you a bit.” He chuckled.
“What?” Sometimes you can tell when the joke is about you.