And just as quickly as they came, the memories were gone, gone without having altered the rhythmic brush and scrape of our boots against the stone, but it did leave my heart knocking fast against my rib cage. I blinked hard and regulated my breathing, focusing on the tall skyscrapers that edged one side of the park like a mountain range of steel and lights.
My gaze traveled down and left, where the land rose, giving me a glimpse through the trees of the enormous gray monoliths of the nymphs’ stone circle, a Stonehenge in the heart of the city. But unlike that dead, crumbling circle, this one was alive with power. A slow, pulsating beat that resonated so low it wasn’t heard but felt.
Going into the Grove was like stepping back in time. Any minute I expected a naked nymph to go skipping by with her signature dark hair flying out behind her, calling herself Titania, Queen of the Fairies.
But no such creature appeared.
“You ever meet him?” I asked Hank, feeling the need to break the quiet and inject some humanity into the space.
“The Druid?” He shrugged. “Once or twice.”
“And?” Leadership of the Atlanta Kinfolk had changed hands last year just before my little brush with death. I’d yet to meet Pendaran, the new Druid King, in the flesh, but I’d heard stories. Hank, however, was a bit more submersed in the off-world community than I was, so I wasn’t surprised that he’d met the guy before.
“Let’s just put it this way: if you put him and Grigori Tennin in the ring and let them pound each other, no powers involved, I’m not sure who would win.”
“That’s comforting.” Grigori Tennin was the jinn tribe boss here in Atlanta. Think mob boss on steroids and you get the general idea. The jinn were a warrior culture where both males and females were the color of smoke and gunmetal and built like linebackers with glowing violet eyes. Some held positions as bodyguards to the Charbydon nobles.
The nymphs’ temple by Clara Meer had been built with huge oak columns and timber beams, nearly every inch carved with symbols and scenes of battles, heroes, beasts, and idyllic landscapes. It was a sprawling complex, all one level and large enough to support the entire Kinfolk of Atlanta. The buildings meandered through the woods, incorporating the trees into the structure.
Through the columns and courtyards, I could see some of the city lights blinking off the smooth, dark surface of the lake. I’d been here before, and had been just as awed then as I was now. There was a distinct serenity to the place that existed alongside the majestic structures and the trees, which had grown to incredible sizes since the nymphs had taken over the park.
Some sort of enhancement on the nymphs’ part, no doubt.
The entrance to the main temple was a two-story, open-air colonnade of oak poles supporting a peaked roof. It led straight out over the lake, where a dock had been built. In fact, there were several docks and rooms built over the water. Nymphs, like most Elysians, had an affinity for water. A fire burned in the very center of the temple and to the left and right were the two main altars of the Mother and Father, two gigantic wooden carvings with their bases acting as altars, which held fruits and vegetables, votive candles, handmade jewelry, and small, gem-encrusted weapons.
A figure appeared from one of the many halls that spread out from this centralized area.
She was slim, dark haired. The Titania I’d expected a few moments ago, though this one was clothed in a light blue gossamer dress. Her hair had been left down, long and wavy and dark. She had a lovely oval face with large olive-green eyes, pert nose, and pale mouth. In other words, your typical nymph. “This way, please.”
We followed her down several hallways before coming to a massive set of wooden doors. Once they opened, a sense of trepidation gripped me. Everything here made me feel small, like I was in the hall of the gods and humans were trivial in the scheme of the universe.
“This is the Druid’s private hall,” she said. “Come.”
The end of the hall was open to the lake and once we stepped outside again, I realized that it stretched over the water and we were far from the main temple in a secluded spot.
The nymph stopped and waved us toward the long walkway extending out over the lake. Poles supported the dock, rising through the platform about seven feet high and topped with burning torches. We stopped at the end, nothing before us but the mirror-like surface of the lake and the outline of downtown’s skyline hovering over the park.
“So what now?” I scanned the area, resting my right hand on the hilt of my hip weapon, and casting a glance back at the nymph.
“Federal agents!” Hank called out. “We have news about one of your Kinfolk!” He lowered his voice. “There. That should do it.”
A faint splash made us turn. The water rippled.
A figure floated forward from a shadowed area of the lake, arms hugging a small blow-up raft. The torchlight bounced off the edge of the plastic, but the being relaxing in the water remained hidden. The left hand and forearm, however, caught some of the light. Strong. Tan. Covered in inky Celtic-style symbols.
Nymphs had a hierarchy just like most races from both worlds, but their leaders were chosen not by birthright, or council, or vote. Druid was a title earned, taken only by those capable of leadership and judgment. The Druid of the Kinfolk was king and high priest simply because he was the most powerful, biggest, badass nymph in the city.
“You may go, Grainne,” a rumbling voice said.
The nymph lurking behind us bowed her head and moved swiftly down the dock and back through the private temple. I cocked one hip, hand still resting on my weapon and quite frankly a little nervous. Hank and I pulled our badges at the same time.
“What news do you speak of?” Pendaran, the Druid King, asked from the shadows once Grainne was gone.
Why did I have a feeling this was going to be bad? I drew in a deep breath, really not liking this whole pins and needles thing. “I’m sorry to inform you that a female nymph by the name of Daya Machanna was found dead a short time ago.”
His hands slid back over the curve of the raft, disappearing beneath the lake. I stood a little straighter. My grip on the weapon and badge tightened.
“Great,” Hank muttered, releasing an unpleasant sigh. “Should’ve brought a fucking umbrella.”
As the last word came out of his mouth, a plume of water shot up from the lake and, with it, a beast straight out of myth and lore.
“Jesus!” I scrambled back several steps, heart in my throat, wanting desperately to aim my weapon just for some measure of protection. It was halfway up when Hank’s hand pressed it back down.
“No, Charlie.”
Wings the size of a jetliner shot out. The trees around the lake rustled in the sudden wind. A black chest puffed up, and a long, corded neck stretched to the sky. Huge jaws opened and let out a piercing, angry shriek that shook the dock, the temple, every bone in my body, and probably much of downtown Atlanta.
Droplets of water began to fall. Shit. There was only time to turn my shoulder before the deluge fell upon us and flattened my hair to my face.
As the roar died down, I whirled on Hank, threads of water streaming down my face, pulse thumping with adrenaline and disbelief. “Dragon?! He’s a goddamn dragon !”