She turned up her hand, held a small ball of flame. “We need light. Can you find the way?”
“Something’s close. You should go back. It’s the dark that’s close.”
“I won’t go back.” She touched her amulet, closed her eyes. “I feel it.”
When she started forward, he tightened his hold on her hand. He would find a way to shield her, if needed. But the urgency to move on pulled him.
Thick trees, deep shadows that seemed to glow with the dark. No moon, no stars, only that wind that sent the night screaming.
In it, something howled, and the howl was hungry.
Fin wished for a weapon, dug deep for power, drew a blade, and set the blade on fire.
“Dark magicks,” Branna murmured. She, too, seemed to glow, alight with her own power. “All around. This is not home.”
“Not home, but near enough. Not now, but long ago.”
“Yes, ago. His lair? Could it be? Can you tell?”
“It’s not the same. It’s... other than that.”
She nodded as though she’d felt the same. “We should call the others. We should have our circle in full. If this is his place.”
“There.” He saw it, dark against dark, the mouth of a cave hunched in a hillside.
He would not take her in, Fin thought. Would not take her there, for within was death. And worse.
Even as he thought it, the old man stepped out. He wore rough robes, worn hide boots. Both his hair and beard were a long tangle of gray. Both madness and magick lived in his eyes.
“You are too soon. You are too late.” As he spoke he held up a hand. Blood dripped from it, blood spread over his rough robes.
“It’s done. Done, as I am done. You are too soon to see it, too late to stop it.”
“What is done?” Fin demanded. “Who are you?”
“I am the sacrifice. I am the sire of the dark. I am betrayed.”
“I can help you.” But as Branna started forward, power roared out of the cave. It swept her back, Fin with her, sent the old man falling to the ground where his blood pooled black on the earth.
“Dark Witch to be,” he said. “Cabhan’s whelp to come. There is no help here. He has eaten the dark. We are all damned.”
Fin pushed to his feet, tried to shove Branna back. “He’s in there. He’s in there. I can feel him.”
But as he made to leap toward the cave, she grabbed at him. “Not alone. It isn’t for you alone.”
He whirled toward her, all but mad himself. “He is mine; I am his. Your blood made it so. It’s your curse I carry, and Iwilltake my vengeance.”
“Not for vengeance.” She wrapped herself around him. “For that would damn you. Not for vengeance. And not alone.”
But he woke alone, covered with sweat, the mark on his arm burning like a fresh brand.
And could still smell her on the sheets, on his skin. In the air.
The dog quivered against him, whining.
“It’s all right now.” Absently, he stroked. “It’s done for now.”
He showered off the sweat, grabbed pants, an old sweater, pulling the sweater on as he went downstairs. He let the dog out, barely noticed the rain had stopped and weak winter sunlight trickled down.
