Meanwhile the Crom made no move to leave and go after the ones Brogan had named earlier. “Why can’t I kill you?”
“You’re not tasked with it.” Brogan approached him slowly. “The Black Crom can only take the lives I decree. No others.”
He started to charge her.
The horse threw him to the ground before it snorted fire and shook its head to let him know it would have no part in what he’d intended. Maddor rolled and landed in an undignified heap.
Brogan scoffed as Maddor rose up in front of her and again recoiled off an invisible wall that prevented him from assaulting her. “You can’t harm me inthisrealm. At least not physically. It’s why I wanted out of the other one so badly. You can only do me harm in our home. I’m your voice, though how it is that you can now speak on your own is beyond me. No Crom should have that power, inanyworld.”
Lombrey solidified in front of them. “When you broke the seal, you mingled their lives. He’s neither a mandrake nor a true Dullahan now.”
“He’sother… like me.” Urian sighed.
Nodding, Lombrey bit his lip. “So it would seem.”
Maddor cursed. “I wantmybody back so that I can kick your ass, old man!”
“And people in hell want ice water.” Brandor smirked at him. “Guess we’re all screwed.”
Maddor lunged at him.
Snorting, Brandor sidestepped his attack and tripped him since he couldn’t harm Brandor either. “Though I can’t say as I blame you. ’Cause no offense, Maddie, you looked a lot better with a head on your shoulders than you do like this. You were always a freak, but never more so than what you are right now as you search about for that little head on a whip.”
Falcyn grabbed Maddor to stop his advance as he moved for Brandor’s throat. “I’ll get this straightened out.”
“How? You’re the one who screwed it up!”
“I am, but I’m the best chance you have.”
With a fierce scoff, Maddor shoved him away. “And why would you help me? Why didn’t you just kill me?”
Medea wasn’t sure which of them was the most stunned by his question.
Falcyn snapped his head back as if he’d been physically slapped. “You’re my son. Why wouldn’t I?”
Now it was Maddor’s turn to act stunned—at least that was what she assumed. Though to be honest, it was hard to tell when he had no head or facial expressions to judge by. Rather, he stood there, stock-still. “What? Bullshit! You’re not my father! You’re lying!”
Falcyn was completely baffled. “You said Morgen told you everything.”
“Aye! She said that you murdered my mother for protecting me, and left me to die!”
Falcyn’s jaw went slack. Those words cold-cocked him. “I killed your mother when she came to gloat to me about selling you,ourchild,myson, to Morgen to torture me over what she’d done to you! Think about it. How else would I’ve had access to her, since I’ve been banned from this realm since before you were born?”
Deflating before their very eyes, Maddor stepped back in uncertainty. “I-I don’t understand.”
“It’s true, Maddor. At least I think you’re Maddor. Falcyn sent me here to watch over you. I’m the one who goaded her into going to Falcyn, hoping he’d be able to get to you and help you out of here. I didn’t count on his overreaction that would result in her death. Guess I should have.”
That unexpected, sweet, lilting voice went through Falcyn like a knife.
No.
It couldn’t be.…
His heard pounding, he turned to see Sarraxyn. Pale and standing on unsteady feet, she had one arm braced against the wall nearest her.
“Xyn? Is it really you?”
She gave him a wan smile. “Greetings, brother.”
