I jogged down the slope of the hillside, aiming my feet toward the water. The ground looked disturbed, the grass flattened, as if something had passed by here veryrecently.
Lugh.
I picked up the pace and launched into the lake before my fear could talk me out of my plan. Not that I had much of a plan, if I were being honest. At the moment, all I knew was that I had to get to Lugh. Somehow, I had to stop him from bringing the wraiths through the portal. Bonus if I could use the cauldron to get himback.
I swam through the dark waters, ignoring the dark pulsing that surrounded my body, warning me to turn back. Bright sparkling lights drifted by me, and strange swirls lit up the deep. Still, I pressed on, swimming until I was certain I could not go another moment longer without a breath. Until finally my face crested thewaters.
With a deep breath, I climbed onto the bank of the lake. This side of the portal looked identical to the mortal realm. The only thing that gave it away was the light pulse in the air, the magic that caressed myskin.
The nightmare wraiths were rumoured to reside in a southern castle along a clifftop, not far from the portal. With the sun drying my hair and my clothes, I trekked through the forest, my feet smooshing in my boots from thedamp.
It didn’t take long for me to find it. Faerie was big, but the nightmare wraiths had chosen a home not too far from mortals. I came to a stop when I spotted the black spires scratching against the darkening sky. A few windows were alight from within, casting orange glows onto the ground outside. My heart twisted, along with my stomach. How many wraiths would I find inside that castle? And how long would I be able to hold myown?
If they decided to attack, I was done for. One wraith was bad enough, but a dozen? A hundred?More?
I shuddered just thinking aboutit.
But I had to saveLugh.
My feet slowed to a stop as I crossed the tree-line. The castle loomed large before me, blotting out the brilliant sky behind. A shiver went down my spine at the sight of it. The dark spires, the glittering steel windows. It looked like the home of terror. No wonder Lugh had chosen this as hishome.
Lugh stood on the grassy courtyard, his long dark cloak rippling behind him in the wind. His gaze was hard; his body was tense. Behind him stood at least ten other wraiths, all bowed towardhim.
“Moira.” His strong voice drifted toward me, harsh and cold. “I suspect I should have seen this coming, but I admit, you have surprisedme.”
“I’m here for Lugh,” I said, my own voice as clear and sharp ashis.
He laughed. “Lugh is gone. He no longer remains in this body. You will never again see the King youlove.”
I fisted my hands, trembling. “Then, proveit.”
He cocked his head, regarding me carefully. “You wish for me to prove that I am not who I say Iam?”
“No,” I said with a dismissive wave of my hand. “I know you aren’t Lugh right now. But you insist that there’s nothing of him left. I don’t believe you. And I’m going to hound your steps for the rest of our very long lives unless you prove it. You want to be rid of me? Show me Lugh isgone.”
A scowl rippled across his sharply-cut face. “Or I could simply kill you and be done with it all. That sounds much easier, don’t youthink?”
Ice slipped down my spine, but I stood my ground. “I’m not the only stubborn one out there. You could kill me, sure. But someone else will comealong.”
“I’ll kill them,too.”
Instead of answering, I merelystared.
“Why have you come here, Moira?” heasked.
“I said that already” I replied. “I came here for mymate.”
Wraith Lugh let out a low chuckle, shaking his head. “You truly believe you can save him. He’s gone. He no longer exists. He was destroyed when I retook thisform.”
“Can youreallydestroy asoul?”
Wraith Lugh tsked. “What do you think it is that happens when onedies?”
“Well, that’s easy.” I crossed my arms over my chest. “The body dies. The soul lives on. Or are you forgetting that it’s possible to bring life back from the dead? That’s why you want the cauldron, isn’t it? You’re going to bring someoneback.”
A strange expression flickered across his face. “You knownothing.”
“I know more than youthink.”
