Someone cleared their throat. “Well, I see you found him,” Fianna said, though she seemed, to me, to be quite far away.
I could barely open my eyes, the languor of Bres’ kiss stealing any ability I had to move fast. “What happened?”
Bres smiled down at me, his eyes full of a hunger that we’d re-lit with one kiss. Good gods, what would happen if Luke saw us like this?
The cold from the swamp seeped back into me, but my left hand, the one with the Cauldron’s mark, was still pleasantly warm.
“We have to hurry,” I said, stepping back from Bres and untangling my arms from him, knowing I couldn’t untangle my heart so easily, but then, I didn’t really want to untangle my heart from him or Luke.
“Come, I will lead the way back,” Fianna said. I finally looked over at her and frowned. The light around us was not anywhere near where it had been when I’d gone through the gateway. It was morning now, daybreak, and I’d gone through as the moon rose.
“How long were we in there?” I asked, hurrying to catch up with the queen.
“Almost all night. But I felt I should stay until dawn, in the hopes that you would be the one person to break the rules of the Cauldron. I’m glad I waited. You would have been lost in the swamp without me,” she said, her skirts swirling through the water around her.
Bres caught up to me and snagged my fingers. I gave them a squeeze. “Bres, I don’t know what to do. I need you both.” It was as much a gut feeling as the strings they’d each tied to my heart that made me feel that way. They were important to me on so many levels.
“I’ll stand by you, no matter what, Quinn. Even if you choose Luke, I’ll stand by you,” he said, his voice soft, just for me.
Unable to speak, I nodded, squeezed his hand and let go. I didn’t deserve these two men in my life. Maybe Fianna was right, maybe having two men love you was a curse rather than a blessing.
We moved as fast as we could, coming out of the swamp along the edge of Cameron lake. For a moment I paused, stared out at the open water. There was no sign of Morty, the multi-tentacled, bad-attitude-filled monster that had nearly eaten me not once, but twice. Nor was there any sign of Lir, my father. He’d gone to rouse the old gods that were left, because he was certain there was going to be a battle with Chaos. Everyone was.
I had my doubts. I didn’t think that Chaos was going to let me get close enough to raise a weapon against her. Not knowing that she believed the prophecy, not knowing that she believed that I would kill her.
“Quinn?” Fianna’s voice drew me back to the present. “We have to hurry.”
We were jogging to keep up with her gliding pace along the lake’s edge, even though the Banshee queen didn’t run.
“How much further?” I asked, hopping into the crushed hull of a small rowboat as we rounded a point.
Fianna didn’t answer, only picked up her speed again.
A ripple in the water and a soft splash caught my attention. Rising out of the lake, directly in front of us was Lir, his body covered in a dark blue robe.
“Lir! Over here!” I yelled, waving my arm. I could only hope he had good news, that he’d been able to wake the other gods.
He ran towards us. My breath caught in my throat. Something was wrong. What could have happened?
“Quinn, get out of ta way!” Bres shouted, shoving me to one side as Lir’s blade came hurtling through the air at me. A flash of silver and the brush of the air it disturbed was all I felt before I hit the ground, the soggy bank absorbing my fall.
Bres stepped in front of me, his sword raised as Lir engaged him. “So, you’ve switched sides again, eh Bres?”
That wasn’t Lir’s voice.
It was Card’s.
6
The two men squared off, swords slamming into one another with a speed I couldn’t follow except for the blur of metal. Fianna was on the far side of them, her eyes wide and concerned even at that distance.
“Quinn, go. Save Luke,” Bres said through gritted teeth.
“Yes sister, go save the other one. I’d like to kill him myself.” Card winked at me then, with a twist of his right hand, unarming Bres, and slamming the butt of his sword into Bres’ temple.
Bres slid to the ground, unconscious.
“Cora,” I whispered.
You don’t have a choice, Quinn. You can’t outrun this battle.
I nodded, and pulled my dagger out, gripping it with my right hand. Bres was an amazing swordsman, if he couldn’t beat Card, I didn’t have a hope in hell.
“That? You’re going to face me with that puny little dagger?” Card snorted. “All right then sister, if you insist. Are you ready to die?”
“Not today, Card,” I said with false bravado.
He circled around me and I followed him, not letting him get behind me. Card moved like the sharks he could command, smooth and easy with a predatory grace that was completely unnerving me.
I stepped back and he followed, his blue eyes glinting. He lunged at me, his sword swiping towards my middle. I leapt backwards, just deflecting the tip of the sword, keeping it from tearing into my stomach—barely.
Again and again Card came at me, the speed and power behind his attacks pushing me deeper into the swamp, back the way we’d come. It took everything I had to keep his blade from cutting into me, and I could tell he wasn’t even trying; he was just playing with me. This was not working. I had to outsmart him. I couldn’t outfight him.
I lifted my left hand ever so slightly, preparing to use a bolt of power.
“I wouldn’t do that if I were you, little sister. You don’t want me to challenge me for control over my natural element.” He said, as calmly as if we were discussing a Sunday crossword over tea. The bastard wasn’t even out of breath. I was breathing hard and using everything I had to keep him off me.
“Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t going to do anything with the water,” I said, and unleashed the bolt. He dived to the left, but the bolt caught him in one shoulder and spun him around. He disappeared beneath the shallow murky surface.
Before he could get up, I leapt towards him, flinging my dagger, propelling it with a second power bolt. I had no idea if it nailed him or not; I couldn’t see through the dirt we’d stirred up. Calling my dagger back to my hand, I stood there at the edge of the swamp, panting.
The water around me stilled and I held my breath. His body didn’t float to the surface, mortally wounded or otherwise. I scanned the area, desperately searching for a sign that I’d finished him off. No, it wasn’t to be that easy.
Hands gripped my ankles, yanking me into the water. I kicked out, catching Card in the head. He let go and we both scrambled to our feet, water dripping off us. I swiped at my face, clearing the drips from my vision.
“You little bitch! I’m going to steal your power.” He rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles. “And then I’m going to kill you and feed you to Morty.”
Card slid his sword back into its scabbard and came at me with his bare hands. It shouldn’t have been more terrifying than having him coming at me with a weapon, but it was.
Stumbling backwards, I fought to stay away from him while his laughter chased me. Fianna stood silent on the edge of the swamp. I slammed into a Barrier, bouncing off it and hitting the ground hard. Card had trapped me with him within a Barrier, effectively blocking any attempt either Fianna or Bres might make to help me.
Son of a bitch!
Fingers tangled in my hair and Card yanked me tight against him, my back flush against his chest. “Don’t worry,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll kill you fast. You see, I can be merciful; our father would want that.”
One of his hands gripped my jaw and the other rested lightly on my left breast, over my heart. A pulse of energy swirled around us.
His fingers dug into me, biting at my flesh as my powers slowly began to slip away from me. This was what Luke had warned me about. I struggled, but it was no use, not against both Card’s physical strength and his innate powers. He was stronger than me on both fronts.
Fight him, Quinn! You can turn ta tables on him! Bres’ voice inside my head steadied me. He stood at the edge of the Barrier, his eyes pleading with me. There was nothing he could do on that side of the Barrier that Card had made. I was on my own.
Bres is right, if you take Card’s power, you may be strong enough to break Chaos' hold on Ashling, Cora said.
A swell of sudden hope that maybe I could save Ashling after all was what I needed to fight back. With a cry, I flung myself backwards into Card, throwing us both to the ground. Yanking hard, I freed myself from his hand on my jaw and turned to face him, slamming my hand over his heart.
“Card, stand with me against Chaos,” I said, hoping he would see that it was the smart thing to do.
“Or?”
“We end this now.”
With a roar he tried to buck me off. Feeling the connection he’d established between us, I drew on it, stealing his power. He tried to block me, the power stuttering. I thought of Ashling, trapped by Chaos. Everything depended on me doing this. I wouldn’t fail my little sister again.
As fast as I could, I pulled Card’s power into me, blowing through his every effort to stop me. But he was so strong that even as I took his power, he fought me. We rolled across the ground, Card pummeling me with his fists. I didn’t lift my hands to protect myself. If I didn’t take his power now, it wouldn’t matter. I wouldn’t be able to save myself or Ashling.
My lip and cheek were split, one eyelid was swollen shut, but I wouldn’t release my hand over his heart. He twisted my arm and I screamed as it cracked, but my fingers never left his skin.
He sat on top of me, my right hand curled into the flesh of his chest, blood oozing out from under my fingertips. The connection between us didn’t flicker, not once.
He took a deep gasping breath. “Ah, I should have known you’d be the death of me. Chosen one.” He began to sag under my hand.
Pausing, I asked him again. “Stand with me. Please. Don’t make me do this.”