“You look like you’re about to bloody collapse,” Warin argued. “Did you ever fully heal from that vampire attack you endured the othernight?”
Nope. I hadn’t. In fact, I hadn’t even slept since I’d fled the healingward.
“You should get some rest,” Saoirse said, staring at me with her bottomlesseyes.
In any other situation, I would agree with her. But I couldn’t sleep. Not when Lugh was out there, wandering the streets alone. I was still convinced that he was somewhere hidden inside his body, trapped in a cage inside the wraith’s mind. He needed me. I couldn’t let himdown.
“Fine,” I said, lying through my teeth. “I’ll go upstairs and take a power nap. Let’s meet back here in three hours? That’ll give everyone time to get some shut-eye and have somefood.”
An audible sigh went through the room, and soon, everyone had shuffled out of the library to return to their quarters for a bit. I edged toward the stairs, pretending like I would do the same. But as soon as Uisnech disappeared through the door, I raced to the window to watch them wander out of thecourtyard.
Cracking open the door, I ran across the cobblestones and flung myself into the Royal Palace. Inside, I tripped down the hallway and back into Lugh’s quarters. I stopped short as soon as I spotted his familiar sofa and the tiny kitchen only used for housing books. Tears sprang into my eyes, the horror of the situation landing on top of me in a suddenavalanche.
Sobbing, I sank to my knees. I could still smell him in here, I could feel his presence, almost as if he were in the room himself. His arms were around me, at least in my mind. Those wicked eyes flashed with puredesire.
How was I going to do this? I was just a warrior, good with steel. My answer to every problem I’d ever encountered in my life was to swing my blade at anyone who ever crossed me. To charge in with swords. To shove those blades deep into an enemy’sskin.
It had always worked for me. I’d never encountered a single opponent who could bestme.
Until now. I needed to beat the wraith without killing him. I had to stop him from bringing the apocalypse down on this world, but I couldn’t slice hisneck.
And it all had to happen before it was too late. The clock was ticking on the time we had. Soon, Lugh would leave Edinburgh. Saoirse and Uisnech thought it would take a few days, but what if he wenttomorrow?
But beyond all that, I needed him back. The ache I felt was already too much to bear. Lugh was the other half of my soul, the half I’d never known was missing until now. I wanted him by my side. I wanted to wake up in his arms every day. I wanted to see that wicked smile of his curl across hislips.
I wanted him, in every wayimaginable.
Fate was a cruel beast indeed. Just when I’d realised the truth of how I felt, he’d been taken fromme.
Sobs slowing, I pushed myself from the floor and padded into his room. I cast my gaze around, eyes falling on where an indentation of his head still sunk into his pillow. I climbed beneath the covers, snuggling into where he’d lay. With another sob, I breathed him in and imagined how it would feel to have his arms around me onceagain…
* * *
Tap.
Tap. Tap.Tap.
Something sharp and forceful knocked against my forehead, yanking me out of a dreamless sleep. I sucked in a sharp breath and sat up straight, hands curling intofists.
Uisnech danced back and forth on the bed, his large ears flopping as he leapt. “The noble warrior has awakened from herslumber!”
Biting back a smile, I glanced around me. I hadn’t meant to sleep; I’d wanted to spend hours pouring through Lugh’s books. But I must have passed out sometime between crawling into his bed and snuggling into his pillows. I’d crashedhard.
“What’s going on, Uisnech?” I rubbed my eyes and tried to find a clock, but Lugh didn’t keep one in his room. “What time isit?”
“It is the best time!” He crowed,grinning.
“Someone has had too much coffee,” I muttered, but I didn’t feel irritated in the least. In fact, the hobgoblin’s energy fuelled my own. I jumped out of bed and grabbed the first book I saw, ready to get started again. We needed to find a lead. And fast. I glanced outside. The sun was high in the sky, so at least we hadn’t wasted much of theday.
“Uisnech has slept. Uisnech is rejuvenated. And Uisnech read a book.” He shoved a small tome into my hands, his own fingers shaking withanticipation.
Brows arched, I flicked open the cover. The first page showed a drawing of the cauldron, and a language I couldn’t read had been scribbled next to it. “This is just the cauldron, Uisnech. We already know about thisthing.”
“You did not read the information.” He snatched the book out of my hands and began to read aloud in a strange monotonous tone. “Every eye that sees this cauldron will be drawn to it. Every hand that touches it will never wish to let it go. Everysoul—”
“Uisnech,” I said, leaning toward him. “Cut to the chase. We don’t have muchtime.”
“Anyone who sees the cauldron will want to keep it for themselves, even if they are mortal and do not understand what it is.” He snapped the book shut and grinned. “I have found ouranswer.”
