He led me over to the sofa and motioned for me to join him. I sat, arse on the edge, too tense to relax into the cushions. “You still looking for that Caer ofyours?”
“No. You were right. She doesn’t want to be found, and I don’t think she’d have answers for me even if I askedher.”
He let out a low whistle, crossing his arms over his chest as he regarded me carefully. “Your tune has changed in such a wee time. Somethinghappen?”
“I mean…where do I even start?” With a bitter laugh, I launched into the story of the past few days, careful not to leave even the smallest detail out. His expression ranged from incredulity to dread, and he alternated between leaning forward and sitting back every time my tale twisted yetagain.
“This is why you kill him then, right?” He shook his head. “Looks like the future caught up to you faster than you’dhoped.”
“No.” Voice firm, I narrowed my eyes. “I’m not killing him. That’s not theanswer.”
Eyebrows winging upward, he frowned. “No offence, Moira, but it doesn’t sound like you have much of a choice, unless you were exaggerating about his powers. The bloke is dangerous. You said so yourself. If he gets what he wants, this whole realm isfucked.”
Tears burned my eyes. I wanted Axel to be wrong, but I knew he wasn’t. In saving Lugh’s life, I was sacrificing everyone else to a fate worse than death. “I’m not killinghim.”
Sighing, he shook his head. “Well, then someone else is going to have to. ‘Cause he can’t be let loose on this world. I know this whole thing is one big pile of shite, but you know I’mright.”
“I know that I’m going to try to save him. And keep trying to save him, as long as I can,” Iwhispered.
“Why’d you come here, Moira? It clearly wasn’t for myadvice.”
“I need you to track him,” I said, voice still quiet. “I need you to find out where heis.”
He grunted, crossing his arms over his chest. “So that you can what? Try to talk him out of it again? He’s a nightmare wraith, love. He’s no longer your Lugh. He doesn’t understand reason, not like you and me. That male out there, feeding on fear, he’s a shell. Lugh once lived inside that shell, but he’s not there anymore. You’ve got to let himgo.”
“I’m not ready to give up. Not yet.” I pushed up from the sofa, glaring down at the sorcerer. “Are you going to help me ornot?”
Axel let out a heavy sigh. “Aye, I’ll help. But on onecondition.”
“What’sthat?”
“You can try to do whatever it is you’re planning to do. But if that doesn’t work…you need to killhim.”
* * *
Axel insistedI return to the castle to get some rest. He needed to gather some supplies for his tracking spell: he’d used up the rest of his herbs during our mission to Faerie. It wouldn’t be until the next morning that he’d be able totrack.
I hated returning to the castle empty-handed. I knew the crew would be waiting for me, hoping for information. Even after everything we’d tried, we still had next to nothing. Lugh was still out there somewhere, terrorising innocents. A part of me wanted to stay out in the city, racing through the streets, making sure he didn’t harm anyone else. But I knew it would do far more harm than good at this point. He’d taken the cauldron somewhere. If we scared him off, he might leave with the cauldron, never to be seenagain.
Until he returned with his army of nightmarewraiths.
Sighing, I trudged through the gates and into the palace. Checking the clock in the square, I found it was well past two in the morning. The entire Court was in bed, clueless about the madness going on outside these walls. We still hadn’t told them what had happened to Lugh. Soon, they would begin to wonder. He hadn’t been to any dinners in the Great Hall for days. Neither had any of the rest ofus.
I’d never been a fan of keeping secrets like this. The fae of Castle Wraith deserved to know. If this plot to find Lugh didn’t work, if we didn’t track him down tomorrow, we’d tell themthen.
Sighing, I drifted into the palace, not even thinking about where I was going. My guest room still technically lived on the first floor of the library. But I couldn’t bear to sleep alone in there again. I ached for the comfort of Lugh’s bed, desperate to sense him surrounding me, even if he wasn’tthere.
A tall figure blocked myroute.
My sword was in my hands within seconds, without even thinking. Quentin’s shadows pulsed around his form, twisting and turning like writhing snakes. He met my gaze andgrinned.
“What the hell are you doing here?” I barked at him, edging closer, adrenaline buzzing away my exhaustion. “Haven’t you done enoughdamage?”
“I’m here for the cauldron. What have you done withit?”
I blinked, confusion rippling through me. “What do you want with the cauldron? Haven’t you already gotten everything youwanted?”
“Never you mind that. Just hand itover.”
