by LJ Rivers
“So, once I give you my blood, will you kill me then?”
He grimaced. “I don’t believe that will be necessary.”
Eyeing the chalice, I stepped closer. “I have your word you will let Charlie go?”
“On my honour.”
I gave a short laugh. “No, swear on something that matters to you.”
“Very well, I swear on my life and my magic that I will let Charlie live.”
Frowning, I paused for a beat. “You’ll let her live freely, not enslaved, tortured, or hunted.”
“I will let her live. Freely.”
I nodded. Charlie’s eyes widened, and a tear escaped the brim of her eye, but she was unable to move out of Gemma’s iron grip.
Auberon picked up the chalice. He smiled with his eyes, unsheathed Excalibur, and closed the distance between us. “Your hand. Please.”
I showed him my palm.
He retreated far enough for the tip of Excalibur to press against my skin. The sharp edge pierced my palm, and a few drops of blood dribbled out. As it came in contact with the blade, a surge of power rushed over me, and tiny bursts of sparkling, dusty particles filled the air. Excalibur glowed in hues of dark blue and scarlet before Auberon sheathed it once more, then extended the chalice to my hand.
“A drop is all I need.”
“Ru! Don’t!” Charlie croaked.
“Quiet,” Gemma hissed.
I took a deep breath, closed my hand into a fist, and squeezed. Three drops escaped my palm and splashed into the chalice, giving my father more than he had bargained for. Not that I thought the amount mattered. Like the sword, the chalice lit up, sending glowing sparks into the air. The contents bubbled and shimmered, and magic transfused the space between my father and me. The power of it slammed into me as strongly as if someone had punched me in the gut.
“Good girl.” Auberon grinned. Something dark clouded his eyes. He stared at the liquid like a ravenous wolf, then brought the chalice to his lips. He closed his mouth around the edge and gulped down the contents.
I cringed. “Now, let her go,” I demanded.
The chalice fell to the sand as Auberon’s head snapped back, and a whip of wind sent me sliding backwards on my feet. A splotch of red lined the inside of the cup, but I quickly averted my attention to the cruel display of my father’s rapid transformation. Shadows expelled from his body, sinking in and out of him, continuing to crawl along the ground. With a sudden gust, he shot into the air. Magic rolled off him in waves, creating a vortex of powerful energy, which slammed into me once again, this time sending me flying through the air.
I fell down in a crouch on the path.
Heaving for breath, I dropped to my knees, and my jaw slackened. Behind Gemma, Brendan stepped out of a dark pocket of air. He put his finger to his lips, his sword aiming for Gemma’s back.
Yes!
I had never been so happy to see him, yet torn about the danger we were in. I started to crawl forward when Gemma’s ears pricked up.
“Brendan!” I shouted.
Before he could react, Gemma pushed Charlie away, then spun around to meet Brendan’s swinging blade. Charlie stumbled forward and straight into Jen’s arms as our third angel came out of the shadows. Hope blossomed in my chest as I spotted Rowan following close behind. The Hopkins wolves roared as one. Jen delivered Charlie to Rowan while her body began to change.
The three wolves smashed together in a mass of fur and teeth as I struggled to get back up.
My brother gave Charlie a quick kiss, then bolted past the wolves, dodging Brendan and Gemma, who were still exchanging blows, and headed for Yeats. Rowan reached for an arrow, nocked it on the string of his bow, and let it fly. Yeats fell to all fours as the arrow sang above his head. There was a distant thunk as it connected with the cave wall. My brother and the Satyr charged at one another, Rowan with a sword this time and Yeats with a spear.
With Charlie currently at a safe distance, and everyone else engaged in their own battles, that left Auberon to me. My quickest route was through the shadows, but every time I tried, it was as if they spat me back out, as though Auberon had them all under his command, preventing me from accessing them. Collecting myself, I sent a barrage of fireballs at my father. They went flying into the magical vortex, spun around, and shot back out, exploding on the walls. I stepped closer, but every step I took sent me back another two. Gathering what strength I had left, I tried to grab hold of Auberon with my telekinesis, with no luck. Nothing I tried could get past his magical shield.
What had my blood done to him?
Shades of darkness entered the vortex, manifesting like entities in their own right, like ghostly demons of power. I shielded my eyes when a wall of fire burst from the ground at Auberon’s feet, enveloping my father without scorching him.
Someone screamed, and I looked for the source. Rowan was on the ground, his sword nowhere to be seen. The Satyr loomed over him, his thin lips spread into a vicious grin. He raised his spear. I hardly had time to blink before Yeats’ hand was severed from his arm. Blood gushed from the open wound and Yeats made a shrill, bleating sound. Rowan backed up on his elbows, avoiding Yeats’ remaining hand as the Satyr tumbled forward. Behind them, Puck had Rowan’s sword in one hand and a rock in the other. He tossed the blade aside and jumped onto the Satyr’s back, pounding the rock into Yeats’ skull. Over and over again. Yeats dropped flat on his stomach while Puck continued his onslaught. The young Goblin boy kicked and punched until his head was reduced to a pulp.
“He’s dead,” Rowan yelled, but the Goblin didn’t stop. “It’s over.” My brother grabbed Puck’s arms and pulled him into an embrace, leading him away from the fight.
I turned my attention to the rest of the group when a midnight black creature lunged itself from a shelf on the wall and pounced on one of the silver wolves.
Nefari!
The Faeguard growled, tearing into her enemy. Meanwhile, Brendan and Jen stood back to back, fending off the remaining silver wolf and the vengeful fox in her human form. They were all breathing heavily. Brendan’s Juniper clothes were streaked with crimson, and he had a gash down his right shin. Jen’s white fur was drenched in red as well, and peppered with shimmering blue sand. She lunged at her enemy, pushing the other wolf further back. Its hind leg kicked against the chalice, which went sailing through the air and plopped into the lake.
As it sank, a single drop escaped the lip, blending with the clear blue water. A red tint coated the surface, rapidly spreading, just like when my blood had mixed with the water in the cave on Bardsey Island. Within another breath, the entire lake had turned scarlet.
No more than ten feet away from the fight, Charlie held her wand out, her hand shaking as if her tiny weapon weighed a ton. She advanced on the others.
“No! Char!” I tried to shout, but the wind caught my voice, crushing the sound.
Gemma’s silent roar made my blood run cold. She drove the pommel of her sword into Brendan’s forehead, sending him to his knees.
Charlie screamed something, making Gemma turn and leave Brendan where he was. At the far wall, Rowan put Puck down, patted his head, then turned to the others. Gemma arched her back like a predator, slowly stepping in Charlie’s direction. The cute girl that had once joined us at a Pink concert and held Duncan’s hand was wiped from existence. All that remained was the hunter. In one fluid motion, her clothes slipped off her, and she turned into the largest fox I had ever seen. She was almost as big as Jen’s wolf.
My brother stared wide-eyed at Charlie, but he was too far away. He kept sliding into the shadows. As with me, however, they continued to refuse him entry, forcing him out on his knees.
I pushed against the magical vortex, sweat dripping down my back. I had to get through. But I couldn’t. My magic was spent, whereas Auberon’s magic was somehow supercharged, keeping me separated from the ongoing fight, unable to help Charlie.
Behind the fox, Jen stood victorious over the Hopkins wolf. I wasn’t
sure which one was Osian and which was Rhod, but they were both dead now, as Nefari was standing over the remaining silver wolf, licking her paw. Jen raised her head and spun in Gemma’s direction.
That’s it, Jen, you beautiful, strong wolf. You can take her.
The abnormally huge fox had already reached Charlie, however. She eyed the wand, frothing at the mouth as Charlie stood her ground. My angel’s face betrayed her as it contorted with fear. The fox bared her teeth and snapped her jaws, then lunged. One paw slammed into Charlie’s back when she tried to escape. She rolled to the side and grimaced. I locked eyes with my friend. She had her palms up, shaking her head.
Where was her wand?
Jen bounded past Brendan, who was lying on his back. She growled as she sailed through the air. She thrust her claws into Gemma and flashed her fangs as the two Shifters rolled across the sand. The fox turned back into a woman in the blink of an eye and grabbed something off the ground. She plunged her fist into Jen’s open mouth. Blue sparks ignited inside the white wolf’s maw. Gemma’s hand retracted, revealing the wand lodged in Jen’s mouth. Her sharp teeth shortened, her fur began to retreat and her body rippled as she too began shifting back to human.
My father had started to descend, and the wind was slowly dying down around him. I scrambled forward as the shield that had held me back evaporated. My muscles burned, but I had no choice, I had to get to Jen.
I was too late.
Gemma raised her sword, slashed it through the air, and buried it in Jen’s back.
Jen yelped, and my fiery blood turned to ice. My breath hitched, and I covered my mouth as tears pressed behind my eyes. Gemma looked at me, the side of her mouth quirking up while she leaned on the sword that penetrated Jen’s back. Something flew through the air behind Gemma, but I couldn’t tell what. As quickly as it had gone cold, my blood heated again. Fire ignited inside me, and despite everything, I conjured an orb in my palm. As I took aim, I halted. Charlie was creeping in on Gemma, clutching one of Rowan’s arrows in her hand, his quiver on her back, while Rowan himself sprinted to reach her. Gemma turned, and Charlie drove the arrow straight into her heart.
Gemma dropped like a stone. Streaming rivers wetted Charlie’s cheeks as she kicked the fox away to kneel beside Jen. Taking her cloak off, she gently folded it over Jen’s body as Rowan fell to his knees beside her. He slid his hands around his girlfriend, rocking her in his arms.
I glanced around, but the only target left was my father. He was standing by the shore now, his face turned to the fountain in the lake. The water was glowing, hues of gold and copper flashing up into spears of light. The shadowy figures swept around Auberon, and I could still feel the power emanating from him. I swallowed a few breaths, anger and grief building inside me, then hurled the fireball at his back.
He spun around, catching the orb in his hand, and closed his fist around it, killing the flames. Silhouetted against the growing light behind him, he looked like nothing more than a shadow himself.
“What have you done?” I cried as pain clamped around my heart. It hurt so much.
“What I intended to do. While I have always had Merlin’s powers, they were never as strong as his. Now, I have them all: Merlin’s, Morgana’s, and Nimue’s powers, all wrapped up in one superior package deep in my essence. They were always inside you, which is why I made you in the first place. The combination of the Chalice, Excalibur, and your blood allowed me to amplify them.”
“At what price?” I screamed, wiping the hot tears from my cheeks.
He glanced in Jen’s direction. “We must all make sacrifices.”
I sniffled and kept moving towards him. “So we must,” I whispered, and something occurred to me then. “By the way, you remember Rowan, right?”
He bared his teeth. “That deceiving little rat. I remember, and don’t think he won’t be punished for his treachery.”
He doesn’t know!
“Are you sure about that?”
He narrowed his eyes at me.
I took a step closer. “All those years he fought for you, did you never once see the resemblance?”
Shaking his head, he stepped back into the edge of the still scarlet-coloured lake, as if trying to escape the suggestion in my words. Behind him, two spikes of water rose from the surface, shifting into the shape of arms. They grew, stretching and reaching out.
I dared another step. “Rowan is your son.”
My father inched a little further into the lake. “That cannot be,” he said under his breath, his gaze shifting to a spot behind me. To where my brother was.
“You might remember his mother, Rosaly?”
“Rosaly of Nidra.” His voice came out in a choked whisper, and a hint of regret flashed in his eyes. “I have a son?”
His eyebrows knitted, and the shades surrounding him started shrieking, an ear-piercing sound that made me cover my ears. The watery arms wrapped around Auberon’s waist, blood-red hands grabbing at his robe. The shades went quiet. One by one, they plunged back into my father until there were none left around him. He looked down, his mouth opening and closing in horror. He clawed at the scarlet liquid arms, desperately trying to pry them away from him. They wouldn’t budge. More water built behind him, melting and reshaping, finally settling in Nimue’s image.
“My son,” she whispered. “It is time for you to come home.”
She folded around Auberon until he was completely submerged in her embrace. I watched my father float away inside the watery, red veil. He fixed his eyes on mine one last time, before Nimue dived underneath the surface, taking my father with her.
Chapter Thirty-Five
My heart stopped for a beat as I stared at the now still water ahead. Nothing moved. It was as if neither Nimue nor Auberon had ever been here.
Was he truly gone?
“Ruby!” Rowan called.
I snapped out of whatever trance I had descended into and spun away from the shore.
Jen!
I sprinted to my fallen angel and skidded to my knees. Charlie was curled up in Rowan’s arms, and Brendan lay on his back beside them. He glanced up, waving a bloodied hand at me.
“I’m fine, Ru.”
I nodded, placing my palms on Jen’s cold body.
“She’s not breathing,” Charlie sobbed. “Gemma—”
“Don’t speak her name,” I snapped.
She curled further into Rowan’s arms.
“I’m sorry,” I said. My heart was sinking in my chest, and I swallowed hard. “I’m so sorry.” Healing light flowed from my hands, webbing across Jen’s body. I willed it into her, pushing with every ounce of energy left in my veins. The magical tendrils dipped in and out, resisting my efforts.
“Come on. Wake up. Jen, wake up!”
“Ru.” Brendan folded his hand on mine, propping himself up on his elbow across from me. “She’s gone, babe.”
My lips parted, and a salty taste washed over my tongue. She couldn’t be gone. “No, don’t you dare, Jeannine. Stay with me.” Digging into every last drop of power I could find, I forced it out. The gleaming strands of magic seeped back out, and streamed over Jen’s pale skin, yet she remained still as the feeble light passed over her. It sputtered and crackled, then sank back inside. I pressed my hands against Jen’s chest, as if I could make my magic move into her heart, but there wasn’t even a whisper left. I couldn’t heal her because there was no longer anything to heal.
She was gone.
“There was nothing you could have done,” Brendan said.
“I could have made her go home,” I choked out.
“No, you couldn’t.” He kissed the back of my hand. “You tried, remember?”
Jen’s eyes stared lifelessly up at me. With trembling fingers, I carefully closed them, then tore my gaze away from her.
“Is everyone else all right?” Cupping my elbows, I looked at the others.
Rowan shook his head. “Carolina took a beating, but she’s not bleeding, just bruised, I think
.”
“Bruised?” I sat up straight. “How?”
He rolled her shirt up, revealing a large, purple lesion on Charlie’s back.
I ground my teeth. “She’s not bleeding. Externally, at least.” Reluctantly, I moved away from Jen, stepped around her lifeless body, and sat next to my brother. I put my hands on Charlie’s back, once again calling on my magic. Nothing happened.
“It’s not responding,” I said under my breath. “Anyone got any food? Drink?”
Rowan’s eyes glazed over, and he shook his head again. I looked at Brendan.
“Sorry, Ru.”
“We’ll find a way.” I bit my bottom lip, staring at my brother. They had come to help, and now Jen was dead. “How did you find me, Rowan?”
He kept his attention on Charlie when he replied. “It took me a while since I had to bring the others with me, but I kind of … sensed you, as if there was this invisible thread linking us together through the shadows. Does that make sense?”
“Blood bound,” I muttered, absently stroking Charlie’s hair.
She turned her face to me. “Don’t worry, Ru,” she croaked. “I’ll be fine. You’ll heal me once your energy is restored.”
I kissed her cheek, then stood and ventured back to the shore where Nefari had settled in the blue sand. Morgana’s Faeguard regarded me and craned her neck. I slid my hand through her soft fur, and the feline purred quietly in response. Outside these walls a battle still raged, but I had to deal with the demons inside me first.
“I don’t know how to go on after this,” I said to the still lake ahead. “How do I deal with another loss? I’ve lost too many already, and now Jen!” I hugged myself while tears pressed behind my eyes. It felt like Dad all over again, like losing my grandmother and later Morgana. Even my deranged father. Out of all the people I had loved and lost, however, the one I wanted the most was the woman who had held me at night when I was scared of the dark, the woman who had sacrificed everything to raise me and protect me from this very moment. Not that she had known this would happen, but she had always been afraid of what my father’s influence might lead to. Like she usually was, she had been right. I stepped past the feline and crouched by the edge of the lake, brushing the tips of my fingers through the surface. “I wish you were here, Mum.”