Lugh let out an unholy shriek and pulled with all his power.
It wasn’t enough.
With a heave of effort, I tossed Lugh through the portal and watched him slam against jagged, jutting stones. And when he turned and tried to stand, I waved and slammed the doorshut, mentally severing his link to the bridge. The sound of his agonized scream echoed in the nothingness.
All the power I’d summoned drained away in an instant, and I found myself plummeting through nothingness.
Chapter
Thirty-Nine
Ihave no idea how long I fell. A minute, an hour, a week, a year, but eventually I fell back into my body or my body fell back to earth. I couldn’t tell. Exhaustion leached into my bones, and I groaned as I tried and failed to stand. Strong, warm, familiar hands reached to steady me, and I rested against a leanly muscled back.
“Is it over?” I slurred.
Dad stood in front of me, pride shining in his eyes. “It’s over. Lugh is…” He shook his head.
“Gone,” Mom said. “Wherever you put him, he can’t be found.” She studied me. “Is he alive?”
I lifted a trembling shoulder. “He was when I left him.”
“Interesting,” Mom said, a second before her eyes widened in realization. “Holy gods. It worked! You severed his link.”
I nodded.
“Good girl,” Mom said, pride shimmering in her voice. “We’ll discuss in more detail later.”
“Moira,” I wheezed. “Is she okay?”
“She’s perfect. Moira had a feeling Caelan would show up and thought her best vantage point would be the rooftop. She’s beenfollowing him all night.” Dad chuckled. “I thought you should know Rachel never made it to the airport.”
I blinked in surprise. “Did Moira kill her?”
Mom slowly shook her head. “No. Caelan did the honors.”
I let out a low whistle. Pins and needles made my feet and hands numb, and I could barely focus on the conversation.
A sharp inhale of breath at my back. I patted Garrett’s hand. “It’s fine. We’ll figure something out later. She deserved it.”
But the voice spoke, and it wasn’t Garrett. “I’m sure she did,” Rowan drawled.
I jerked and craned my neck back to peer up at him.
“Hi.” His hazel eyes held nothing but concern for me.
“Hi,” I breathed.
“We should get you out of here soon.”
At that moment, my eyes took in the massive crowd we had standing around us. Everyone was staring at me. Very few of those stares were friendly.
“Yes,” Dad said. “About that. Word spread rapidly about your other form.”
Barrett stepped up beside my father, clothed in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt. “If I were you, I’d lie low for a little while. It’s going to take some time for people to get used to Chimeras being back.”
I swayed again, the blood draining from my face. People I knew stood in that crowd, staring at me with hostility and distrust.
“What about my shop?” I whispered.
