Chapter 100: Last Stop Before New Moon City

Patch POV

Standing in the courtyard of Blackthorn Castle, Patch decided that as castles went, this one beat Faolan Castle and almost topped the Lugdunum royal palace and the orc royal palace in Nauru where his good friend Prince Makhel reigned.

Tall gray stone walls dwarfed everything. Multiple turrets with flat roofs jutted up into the starry sky. The outer wall surrounding the courtyard looked several feet thick, and giant-sized wooden and bronze gates reinforced by magic kept out intruders and other unwelcome guests. Guards stood on a parapet, keeping watch. Hmmm. They could do that at Cresta House. Why hadn't he thought about it? Jiro did it at Sinsworth House, but it was more massive than Cresta House. 

Talon Blackthorn's younger sister Florinda, who had glossy black hair and green eyes, had just come out into the courtyard with her lady's maid and companion, Alicia Van Ells. The family lawyer, Walter Longbridge, was also present. Patch smelled the shifter scent on Walter and Florinda. 

Alicia … hmmm. Human smell, but he sensed a mate bond between her and Florinda.

His eyes widened. Florinda had bonded a HUMAN?

If she was a shifter's mate, then she was allowed. Wasn't she?

He pulled Dane and Lilia aside. "Florinda and Alicia–"

"I know," Dane said. "She's a human, and they're bonded. Which means they're family."

The Blackthorn family and their butler, a middle-aged, dignified mountain of a man named Carson, supervised the bringing of their baggage into the courtyard. William, the young pup, was making a fuss about bringing an adorable white, fluffy bunny. 

"But she'll miss me, Daddy," he said insistently. "And she's our familiar."

"It might be too dangerous for her, sweetheart," Kelara said gently.

Patch growled, insulted. "We wouldn't eat her."

The bunny's ears twitched, and she looked anything but scared. She made a little bunny squeak. Patch sensed a fierce intelligence.

"She knows," Jude chuckled. "She knows we're no threat to her."

Kelara flushed. "I wasn't thinking of any danger from you all–she's not afraid of Talon or Florinda, and she's never far apart from William. I didn't know if the weather or the terrain would be hazardous for her."

Garnet smiled with delight, reaching out to stroke the bunny's ears. "This little one looks delicate, but she's strong, make no mistake."

"Duchess Flufftail is very powerful," William said, hugging the bunny to him.

Ravyn, Lilia, and Anneliese all melted. "Duchess Flufftail?" they all shrieked. Morgana was enchanted, and although Marieke was still recovering, she perked up.

Jude, Dane, and Bram even seemed enchanted with the cute, small bunny. They all reached out to pet her. The only ones not involved in the fuss over the bunny were Daxius and Head Mage Pascalline, who guarded Hades. 

Jiro had a proud smile. "Our new family is quite impressive, aren't they? Including Her Grace, the Duchess Flufftail."

Good-naturedly, Dane grumbled, "And you claim another Crimsontail bragging right."

"Yes, but it's not just mine," Jiro said frankly. "It's an honor that we Crestas can all wear. Including you, Jude."

"Thank you for that," Jude said with a mock bow. "William, your fluffy companion will be quite alright in shifter lands. Lots of green space and forests for her to hop around in. We're used to magical creatures and familiars by now."

"We'll even find her a cute little bunny bed," Patch promised.

Ravyn clapped her hands. "Alright, we can all fuss over the bunny back home. Let's all gather close so we can cast the teleportation spell for the first leg of the journey."

"We could go over land." Talon Blackthorn's midnight blue eyes surveyed the pile of bags and people to be transported. "Our carriages are quite capable of carrying all of us."

"That would take several days to reach shifter lands, Talon," Ravyn told him. "Our packs are literally howling to call us back home. Besides, don't tell me you have never teleported."

Shrugging, with a boyish expression, Talon said, "Guilty as charged. I was just thinking of all the energy teleporting uses up."

"You have several powerful witches and a wizard," Ravyn reminded him. "And, as you know, the shifters bonded with witches have magical powers through the mate bond."

Patch shook his head, grinning roguishly. He exchanged glances with Anneliese, who just shook her head at Talon with a hint of sympathy. It was useless to argue with Ravyn. 

Talon frowned. "I'm Alpha here–this is my estate. My little clan."

Jude just smirked, as if he could already see the ending.

Dane backed Ravyn up, assertively. "Yes, you are Alpha here, Talon–but Ravyn is the master of magic, and she and Jude and Daxius are the leaders of this quest."

Daxius called out, "And do I look stupid? I'm not going against Ravyn."

Jude raised his hands in surrender. "I'd like to get home quickly, if it's all the same to you."

Alicia, a dark-skinned dark-eyed bookish-looking beauty, called out, "Come on, Talon, we can always have Sir Gideon drive the carriage to shifter lands if you want it badly enough."

Anneliese burst out laughing. "Another smart mouth in the family."

"Oh, Talon is the worst," Florinda asserted.

Talon huffed with mock indignation. "I am not."

Ravyn grinned, already forming the teleportation spell. Anneliese raised her arms and channeled her own power through a crystal. Garnet, Morgana, and Lilia added their energy to the glowing coils that spiraled around everyone.

Surrendering, Talon turned to Carson and the estate's steward. Sir Gideon, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Wilson. "I don't know how long we'll be away."

"We'll manage, milord, milady," Carson said. "We'll await your safe return." He emphasized "safe" with the same steely, dignified voice Jiro used. The one that made most right-thinking people tremble.

Patch waved to the staff before the spiral swept them all up.

* * * * * 

Ravyn POV

Edna Chalice ducked Lindrat's enthusiastic dive-bombing as the dragonet greeted her. Instead, Edna went straight for Ravyn, hugging her, burying her nose in Ravyn;s hair. "Welcome home, my friend," she whispered.

Ravyn returned the hug and refused to let go. "I brought myself, Lilia, and your daughter back in one piece," she whispered back. "And we have quite a story."

"Don't you always? But I swear. Ravyn Rolfe Faolan, you had better settle down as Luna of the Silverpaw Pack. My nerves and the magical world can only take so much."

Grinning, Ravyn murmured, "And have you been a wallflower as Head of the Witch Circle?"

"Of course," Edna said, deadpan. "I only had to curse two people last week."

They burst out laughing, and laughed until tears rolled down their cheeks. 

Meanwhile, Ravyn heard Graydon Chalice fussing over his daughter and son-in-law, as well as Lilia and Dane, then greeting Daxius with more reserve.

Edna and Ravyn turned to watch the inevitable clash between the two wizards. But the sight of Daxius keeping a tight grip on a sleeping Melisande made Graydon pause. "Is that … is that Hades in there?" he asked.

Daxius smiled slightly. "Still going right to the heart of the matter in your questioning, I see. I always liked that about you. Yes. Hades is trapped inside this body. There is no more Melisande. Her consciousness has gone on to the Celestial Plane."

"Did you try contacting it?" Graydon queried, with the same scrutiny he'd use on a witness in his courtroom.

"Yes." Daxius took a deep breath. "She's not returning. She says it's her time to move on and see what lies beyond this world."

Daxius, Ravyn, and Lilia had contacted Melisande's consciousness back in the palace. Melisande absolutely had no wish to inhabit her physical body once again. Hades' "transmigration," as she put it, came at an excellent time. Despite the violent manner in which she was forced out of her body, Melisande had accepted her new reality, and even embraced it. Ravyn had to respect her for that.

Graydon and Edna looked to the others, including the shifters, who all nodded.

Graydon absorbed the shocking news. "Well … she was always bold, I'll concede that. Never did anything in the conventional way. It was part of her strange charm. What will we tell the witch community?"

"A version of the truth. Melisande is stepping down to pursue a life of study and research," Lilia suggested. "And she's chosen Galen as her successor."

Looking relieved, and cozy in her night robe, Edna grinned. "He finally gets his due."

"He'll kick everybody's tails," Patch declared proudly. 

Edna lowered her voice. "For now, the circle is more than happy to have you deal with Hades yourselves and work with him. We'll offer any assistance we can–we'll help guard him. Cyran has already shared the prophecy he made. We have our best and most devious minds in our Prophecy Department trying to interpret the meaning."

Ravyn tried not to worry about the words "for now." She knew Hades was a hot potato in their hands. "That's good to hear–I like calmness. And you can reassure them that King Odo and Queen Giselberthe sent their best mages to help. I think you know Head Mage Pascalline."

Edna and Graydon exchanged a nod of respect with Pascalline. 

Jude added, "And Lord and Lady Blackthorn and their family. Odo sent them to seal the pledge of friendship we signed between the shifters and the human royals."

"Brilliant," Graydon cheered. "May I have a copy of that pledge? I collect historical documents, you know. And it's always good to be up to date on treaties."

"This one is off the books," Jiro said, handing him a copy. Jiro always insisted on copies of everything, in triplicate at least.

"All the important agreements often are," Graydon said as he scanned the historic scroll.

Edna reined in Cornelius, who was trampling the garden with his hooves. "Will you all stay the night before your homecoming?"

Ravyn glanced at everyone, who already were forming their thank-yous and excuses. "I have a better idea. Why don't you come with us and celebrate all this good news?"

The Chalices didn't have to be asked twice.

While the swirls of the teleportation spell surrounded them, Ravyn slipped her hand into Jude's. "Are you ready for this?"

"Are YOU?"

She gave him a gentle, sweet kiss in response. "I am."

"Then I am, too. It's going to be a homecoming on a scale we've never seen. Someone alert Kyon and Cyran."

She glanced at Dane, who was just shifting back to human form after sending the message through the mind-link. "Already done."

And minutes later, when they appeared in Cresta House in the Great Hall, the cries of welcome sounded like the entire pack was there.