Long Night Moon (The Bradbury Institute Book 2) by Sonya Clark Page B
Authors: Sonya Clark
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sword whispered
to him when he wrapped his hand around the hilt. Glad to feel the touch of his
skin again. He’d defeated its former owner, earning the sword’s allegiance. Not
that Pete had wanted it then, but it had helped him escape. As soon as he’d found
Bradbury he’d stored it in the weapons room, not wanting to hear it murmuring
to him. Now he listened carefully. Testing the edge with his thumb, he gave the
sword a drop of his blood. It soaked into the obsidian and the blade gave a
pleased hiss.
“Sanngrid?”
“Yes?”
“I’m gonna want guns, too.”
“Of course.”
An hour later found them trudging
through the snow to the Sideways gate. Laden with weapons and armor, it was
slow going. The closer they got to the gate, the longer it seemed to take to
get there. Pete wanted to hurry, or perhaps never get there at all.
They paused several feet from the
tree that marked the entrance to Sideways. Pete shivered but not from the
blustery cold. “I can’t ask you to go with me, but the hell of it is I can’t
ask you to go back either. I know I need backup.”
Sanngrid said, “We already settled
this.”
“If you’re going with me then you
have a right to know some things.” He stopped short. It had been three years
since he’d spoken of his past. Judith had demanded the truth from him if he was
to stay at Bradbury, but she’d kept his secrets at his request. “I have a price
on my head in the Valley Below.”
“I figured there was a reason you
didn’t care for Sideways.”
Pete drew Bloodsinger from its
scabbard. The weight of it in his hand helped him get the next words out. “The
Queen of Bone wants my skull. She vowed to drink my blood from it, after she
decorates her throne with my entrails.”
Color drained from Sanngrid’s face.
The sacred vow of a Sidhe, even a self-appointed monarch in the Valley Below,
was nothing to ignore. No matter how much time or trouble it took, the vow
would be fulfilled. Only the Bone Queen’s death would stop it.
“That’s…disturbing.”
“Once I cross over, chances are it
won’t take long for her to be alerted. She’ll send people after me. I’ll be
lucky to be able to cross back. So we’re gonna do this quick and dirty. I can
get us to the Long Night Moon after we cross, then we find Eve. Whoever’s
between us and her dies.”
“I don’t have a problem with that.”
He looked at the tree. The time for
planning and stalling was over. His gut clenched. He gripped Bloodsinger’s hilt
tighter. “Let’s go.”
Pete led the way. As they came
closer the tree shimmered, its form coalescing into a Victorian era street
lamp. He paused again. “Have you travelled much over there?”
“No, never.”
“You can go overland but we don’t
have that kind of time. We’ll have to take the portals.”
“How does that work?”
“Pretty much like the gates on this
side. You just have to know how to find them.”
“Are there maps?”
He shook his head. “They can move
around. You have to know how to recognize the signs.”
Sanngrid looked grim. “Let’s get it
over with then.”
They crossed the gate, energy
humming all around. Pete ran a hand over the lamp, trying to recall good
memories of Sideways. They were there, buried deep, but covered by too much
pain. He sheathed Bloodsinger and checked to make sure Sanngrid stayed close.
They didn’t have to travel far to
reach the first portal. An ice-covered tree shimmered in the darkness,
reflecting tiny diamonds of light. Pete opened his senses. Sanngrid would hear
nothing but to him came the low whistle of wind through an open doorway.
Whether he was able to hear it because of the magic in him or some other reason
was still a mystery after all this time. He just knew he was grateful that the
ability was still there, even though it brought a clammy sweat to his skin.
Pete led the way through the tree,
stepping into it with confidence. Energy fizzed around them, parting like a
curtain of
to him when he wrapped his hand around the hilt. Glad to feel the touch of his
skin again. He’d defeated its former owner, earning the sword’s allegiance. Not
that Pete had wanted it then, but it had helped him escape. As soon as he’d found
Bradbury he’d stored it in the weapons room, not wanting to hear it murmuring
to him. Now he listened carefully. Testing the edge with his thumb, he gave the
sword a drop of his blood. It soaked into the obsidian and the blade gave a
pleased hiss.
“Sanngrid?”
“Yes?”
“I’m gonna want guns, too.”
“Of course.”
An hour later found them trudging
through the snow to the Sideways gate. Laden with weapons and armor, it was
slow going. The closer they got to the gate, the longer it seemed to take to
get there. Pete wanted to hurry, or perhaps never get there at all.
They paused several feet from the
tree that marked the entrance to Sideways. Pete shivered but not from the
blustery cold. “I can’t ask you to go with me, but the hell of it is I can’t
ask you to go back either. I know I need backup.”
Sanngrid said, “We already settled
this.”
“If you’re going with me then you
have a right to know some things.” He stopped short. It had been three years
since he’d spoken of his past. Judith had demanded the truth from him if he was
to stay at Bradbury, but she’d kept his secrets at his request. “I have a price
on my head in the Valley Below.”
“I figured there was a reason you
didn’t care for Sideways.”
Pete drew Bloodsinger from its
scabbard. The weight of it in his hand helped him get the next words out. “The
Queen of Bone wants my skull. She vowed to drink my blood from it, after she
decorates her throne with my entrails.”
Color drained from Sanngrid’s face.
The sacred vow of a Sidhe, even a self-appointed monarch in the Valley Below,
was nothing to ignore. No matter how much time or trouble it took, the vow
would be fulfilled. Only the Bone Queen’s death would stop it.
“That’s…disturbing.”
“Once I cross over, chances are it
won’t take long for her to be alerted. She’ll send people after me. I’ll be
lucky to be able to cross back. So we’re gonna do this quick and dirty. I can
get us to the Long Night Moon after we cross, then we find Eve. Whoever’s
between us and her dies.”
“I don’t have a problem with that.”
He looked at the tree. The time for
planning and stalling was over. His gut clenched. He gripped Bloodsinger’s hilt
tighter. “Let’s go.”
Pete led the way. As they came
closer the tree shimmered, its form coalescing into a Victorian era street
lamp. He paused again. “Have you travelled much over there?”
“No, never.”
“You can go overland but we don’t
have that kind of time. We’ll have to take the portals.”
“How does that work?”
“Pretty much like the gates on this
side. You just have to know how to find them.”
“Are there maps?”
He shook his head. “They can move
around. You have to know how to recognize the signs.”
Sanngrid looked grim. “Let’s get it
over with then.”
They crossed the gate, energy
humming all around. Pete ran a hand over the lamp, trying to recall good
memories of Sideways. They were there, buried deep, but covered by too much
pain. He sheathed Bloodsinger and checked to make sure Sanngrid stayed close.
They didn’t have to travel far to
reach the first portal. An ice-covered tree shimmered in the darkness,
reflecting tiny diamonds of light. Pete opened his senses. Sanngrid would hear
nothing but to him came the low whistle of wind through an open doorway.
Whether he was able to hear it because of the magic in him or some other reason
was still a mystery after all this time. He just knew he was grateful that the
ability was still there, even though it brought a clammy sweat to his skin.
Pete led the way through the tree,
stepping into it with confidence. Energy fizzed around them, parting like a
curtain of
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