Dark Fae (6 page)

“How long will it take?” I lifted my eyes to Don’s.

“It’s done
,
”
h
e
said, motioning for me to take my hand out.

Standing up, I pulled
my hand out. There on the palm was etched a cup
, like the world’s most intricate and detailed tattoo. Jewels stood out along the stem
,
and the base pearls and diamonds that even reflected the light around us back to me.

“
Y
ou
can use that
mark
to heal one time
. One time only.
“If you use the Cauldron a second time, you will likely lose your life.”

“Likely?”I asked.

“Well, let’s just say that it will take everything you have and then keep on taking.”
Don shook his head
, a tear slipping from his eye
. “
So
, just don’t try a second time.” L
eaning over he patted my cheek, his lips trembling
. As he pulled away I saw
the faint imprint of
a cup—
the same cup I now had on my hand
—
on his
. A flash of insight hit me hard.

“That’s how you lost your Mary, isn’t it?” I whispered. “She used it twice.”

Don nodded, the tears running freely now. “She was a brave girl, a beauty like you
,
b
ut her heart was too big
. I tried to get to her, but it was too late for her
;
she was gone too long
.” He sniffled and rubbed one big hand across his eyes.
“Go on now
, you don’t need to have the same thing happen to you and
your man
.”

On impulse
,
I gave Don a hug, holding him tight
for a brief moment
before leaping to my feet.
I waved back
to him,
as Bres and I ran down the beach.
There
was one final burning question I had
.

“How do we get back
to Fianna and the swamp
?”

“We don’t. You do
,
”
Bres said.

As if his words were the signal, something pulled on me, like a marionette string
attached to my body that
I’d been unaware of all along.

“No! I’m not leaving without you
,
”
I screamed. Before I could get yanked any further, I leapt towards him, wrapping my arms around his waist. “Hang on to me. I’m not going to leave you behind.”

His
arms wound about
me,
but w
ith every beat of his heart
under my ear
, I felt him fading.

No! Bres, fight for me!
I screamed into his mind.

I’m trying, Quinn.
He whispered back.

I struggled
to hang onto him
, tr
ied
to find a way to bury my hands into him
so
that whatever was trying to spit me back out into the swamp would take him too.

Love
.
Don had said love would save us
. Maybe
now would be a good time to
not only listen to those words, but believe in them too
.

Lifting my head, I pressed my lips to his, the kiss deepening without any effort. Bres’ hands tangled into my hair as I forgot for just a moment why I’d kissed him and only knew that it was everything I wanted. The kiss was a fire that raced through my body, weakened my knees and drew a moan from my lips.
His body seemed to solidify
in more ways than one
, his arms pinning me to his chest. My feet were lifted from the ground as we clung to each other, lips sealed.
I wouldn’t lose him, not again.

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
,
b
ut 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
,
”
s
he
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
,
”
h
e
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
.
M
aybe
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 o
ut 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.”

W
e were jogging to keep up with her gliding pace along the lake
’
s edge
, even
t
hough the Banshee queen didn’t run
.

“How much f
u
rther?” 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 h
ere!” 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
.
M
y 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.

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, unarm
ing
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 follo
wed, 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, b
ack 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 ca
ught
him in one shoulder and sp
un
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 stoo
d 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.