Page 130 of An Invocation of Monsters

Toth

“How did you get here?” my mate asked. I picked up a blanket and draped it over her shoulders, tucking it in to hide her blood-splattered body.

Elle clutched the edges as I sat on the couch, and scooted closer until she was pressed firmly against me.

It was strange to be inside the Lodge, the house that I’d carefully avoided prior to her arrival. Kiraxis had gone forth to sniff out any remaining traps, and we’d determined the downstairs to be safe enough.

Drazan and Zirin had remained in the lake, electing to guard the outside of the Lodge.

But my mate had taken her cousin’s hand and practically dragged her inside, wiping tears away.

I looked curiously at the woman who was blood-kin to my Elle.

She wore her long hair in a shade of sky blue that became a soft peach at the ends; she had gray eyes that were a softer shade than Elle’s icy steel.

But aside from physical appearances, she emanated power. I felt it humming in my teeth when I was close to them.

“Well…” Juno gave my mate a sheepish look. “Here’s the thing. I’ve been waiting for this to happen. It was only a matter of time before the Void opened for you. The picture you sent me, with your face blurred out—” She waved her hand in front of her face, and Elle nodded with understanding, although it meant nothing to me. “The same thing happened to me when I arrived on Duskwood Island, and it's happened to all the women in our family who were chosen to enter the Void. I still don’t know why it shows up in photos and paintings, but I hope that as the gene pool grows, I can study it a little more.”

Elle stared at her, then raised her hands to her face, grazing her nails down her cheeks. “You knew I was going to meet monsters? Juno! The whole time I’ve been sitting here planning to totally blow your mind, and you already knew?!”

“Yeah, sorry. I mean, I’ve got a monster’s baby hanging out in my uterus right now, so… consider my mind blown.” She patted her round belly. “I wanted to tell you before, but… I wasn’t entirely sure a door would open for you elsewhere, and if it didn’t, I didn’t want you to be disappointed. But I’m glad it did. Now we have two major gateways to the Void to watch over, and hey, we can visit each other whenever we like.”

“I can’t believe this.” Elle shook her head, reaching out to grasp my claws. “I mean, I can, obviously, but… God, all I had to do was just tell you and I could’ve resolved all of this so much sooner. But I thought if I did, you would think I was completely nuts. I mean… healing hands, come on.” She smiled weakly.

Juno smiled back. “I would’ve just told you that you obviously had V’uthli blood.”

She went on to explain to my mate the differences that blood could make: that the children born of V’uthli could heal with a touch, that those born of Klee walked on water, and the children of Mlul’dra could open a door to the Void—and possibly other worlds—anywhere they pleased.

Elle listened intently, her sharp eyes fixed on her cousin’s face. “So… this whole time that you’ve been seeing ghosts, that means you’ve really, really been seeing them, then.”

Juno glanced around the room and shuddered.

“Oh, yes. I’m still not sure why that is—as far as I can tell from looking at the genealogies kept on Duskwood, I’m a mix of human, Klee, and Mlul’dra for the most part. I do wonder if that particular combination made it possible to see into another world—the realm of the dead—rather than being a direct skill from either bloodline.”

Elle chewed her lower lip, then forced herself to stop. “So… how many ghosts do you see here in Deepwater?”

Juno’s smile grew rather strained for a moment. “Ahh… a lot. But I think I can build an idol here based on the ritual Sarah Marsh left. It will act as a beacon for lost spirits and guide them into the Void.”

Elle paled a little. “I kind of want to ask what ‘a lot’ means, but I’m also not sure I want to know,” she muttered.

“Trust me, you don’t.” Juno patted her hand reassuringly. “But it’s okay. They’re lost and confused, but they’re not angry. They won’t bother you.”

Again I gazed at Juno, wondering what her eyes saw that no one else’s did.

“So,” her cousin said, taking a deep breath. “When you sent me your picture, I knew the time had finally come for you. I sent Rask to find you and make sure you were well. I was fortunate when I came into my inheritance—I had a guide. Elizabeth Marsh,” she explained in response to Elle’s inquiring look. “She passed Duskwood’s guardianship on to me. But I knew you’d be going in blind, unless one of these Wendigo people was willing to help—”

Elle snorted. “The crazy bitch wanted to sacrifice me to bargain for power.”

“I figured. They were mentioned in a few texts at home, and none of it was particularly flattering.” Juno looked around thoughtfully. “But there are unspoken rules to an awakening, or an inheritance. When I came into mine, my mates couldn’t tell me anything at all.”

She smiled up at the V’uthli who lurked behind her like a cloud of dark shadows.

Only on occasion did his white-fire eyes flash from the darkness, but now his clawed hand rested on her shoulder.

“Mine didn’t, either,” Elle said, giving me a sidelong look.

She nudged me in the ribs, and I tightened my arm around her.

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