Drop me in the trees before we get to the nest.
Absolutely the fuck not. You’re not facing that thing alone.
I have to. If it touches any of you, it will steal everything the way it did with Seth and you won’t survive. At least if it’s taking through me, it’ll be slower, and there’ll be a better chance we make it through this.
Haru grumbled in my head.If you die right after I’ve let myself love you, I’m going to be very upset.
I rubbed my cheek on their fur.Loving you is why I have to do this. Please help me do that.
With another burst of speed, they raced through the forest and came to a skidding stop outside the gates, letting me slide to the ground. I hadn’t bothered with shoes when we’d run out here, and the simple connection with the earth was like a shot of caffeine straight to my bloodstream.
Yes, help me.The energy of the forest snaked around me and I used it as an anchor so I didn’t turn and bolt when the creature came into view.
One glance back toward the nest showed me my pack, hand in hand. Please, gods, let me make it back to them.
I drew in an unsteady breath, turned back, and braced myself for the impact, but just like the first time it had touched me, I wasn’t prepared. Plunging through the ice was still the closest comparison I could make. Stabbing cold, the loss of breath, itstendrils of smoke and ash wrapping around me, filling my lungs with its poison.
I couldn’t even scream.
Was it working? I let it take me. What else did I have to do?
The world faded to black on the edges of my vision, sucking me down into the peaceful darkness.
When I opened my eyes again, I was in the familiar moss-drenched forest, stars filling the heavens above me like diamond dust on velvet.
Welcome, little star.
Hecate waited for me, as beautiful as ever. When she stepped aside, it was to reveal a man in glittering chains—shackled at his wrists, ankles, and throat—his spirit body emaciated, his eyes like orbs of obsidian.
This is Godric MacCadáin. He’s been waiting for you for a long time.
The monster was a person? Shit. Ofcoursehe was. He had been so before Fiona took everything from him.
My thoughts were fuzzy. I couldn’t feel my body, but I knew it was failing.
I’m afraid we do not have the luxury of time. You must act before you suffocate.
When I stepped closer, Godric jolted toward me with a snarl. “Evil witch,” he hissed.
I tumbled forward, wedging myself tight against his chest, my shoulder under his chin so he couldn’t bite me. “I’m not her.”
“I know her blood when I smell it.” Godric struggled hard against the bindings, hissing and growling in my arms.
I closed my eyes, reaching for the chains, the icy chill of them snaking up my arm. That wasn’t right. I wasn’t meant to be cold, and neither was he.
Fire.
Even without the ability to breathe in here, the scent of my pack was thick in my nose, and I summoned up the memory of their touch. The golden marks on my skin sizzled and winked out one by one, my magic draining out too fast.
Godric bellowed in my ear as the first chain turned cherry red and collapsed, smoking to the earth. His hand snapped up, shoving me back and wrapping around my throat. “Vengeful bitch. You bring nothing but torment. You tookeverythingfrom me.”
Before panic could choke me as thoroughly as he did, my mind prompted me with knowledge. He was already suffocating my body with his monstrous form; he couldn’t do any worse here.
I slammed my hands to the chain around his throat so I could curl both along the frozen metal, pouring my magic into it. The last mark on my skin sizzled away, the magic I had stored vanishing into the chain.
No.
There were too many left.
