In the next second, she dove into his mind with a rush of emotions.What’re you doing here? I miss you. If you interfere, you’ll die. You shouldn’t be here . . . you betray me?
Her mind steadied and toughened as quickly as he tried to raise his mental shields against her.
Too late.
She was inside his mind, the last place he’d allow anyone.
And she was Medb.
Larsen laughed and howled.Fools, all of you.
Quinn called his spirit home, backing out of the mind lock with lightning speed. He gritted his teeth against the hot streaking pain that burst through his head and body.
The pressure built in Quinn’s head and expanded, ready to explode. Ferocious pain stabbed the inside of his eyes at a blinding pace.
Conlan groaned and cried out.
Someone yelled at Quinn, but he couldn’t make sense of the words. His head screamed for relief. Red hues burst behind his eyes . . . or was that blood?
At a distance, he heard Conlan howling like an animal trying to rip his leg from a steel trap.
Something hit him hard in the face . . . again . . . he put a hand up to stop the attack. Opened his eyes.
Tzader stood in front of him with sick worry in his face. “What happened, Quinn? Can you hear me?”
“I’m . . . I . . .” He crashed to his knees, unable to stand up. Warm liquid ran from his nose and ears. His vision had turned bloody.
Tzader was there with him. “Tell me what to do.”
“Conlan . . . alive?”
“Yeah, but he’s bad off. He’ll need a healer.”
“Gimme . . . minute.” Bile rushed up Quinn’s throat. Something drove a wedge down the center of his head. He gritted his teeth harder.
“Want lights?”
“No.”
“Quinn, your nose, ears and eyes are bleeding. Tell me you aren’t going to die from this.”
“Don’t . . . think so.” Quinn held up his hand that he needed a minute, but it would take longer to quiet the hellacious pain in his head. He couldn’t be sure Conlan wouldn’t hear, so he spoke to Tzader telepathically though it doubled his misery.Medb have a plan . . . to breach Brina’s castle. They mentioned . . . Evalle.
When Quinn squinted his eyes open, Tzader’s blurry face was slack with shock, then his jaw flexed with anger. Tzader said,They aren’t touching Brina or Evalle.
Quinn stopped short of saying Evalle would willingly help the Medb. He didn’t give a rat’s ass about a fucking vision. No bloody way she’d do that.
He took a couple of hard-won breaths, struggling to figure out how much to tell Tzader before he passed out.
Tzader was Maistir and had to act upon anything he was told.
Quinn wouldn’t put him in a tighter spot with unconfirmed information.
When?Tzader asked.
Don’t know.Quinn swallowed down the nasty taste in his throat.Could be now or months from now . . . just don’t know.
What about Conlan being the traitor?Tzader asked.
