I cocked my head. “Maybe. Or maybe you can just let mego.”
Wraith Lugh might want to kill me, but the real Lugh would fight against that urge. It meant that I might have just enough time to get out of here alive. And save the rest of the world while I was atit.
“Hand it over,” hegrowled.
I arched my brows and lifted the spear just a tad higher. “You mean, this old thing? Why would this even matter toyou?”
“It is a powerful weapon,” hecountered.
Yeah, right. I could feel the spear just fine, and all the magic that had once resided within it was gone. It was still stabby, of course, but it no longer pulsed withpower.
“It’sbroken.”
He scowled. “A broken five-pointed spear is still a better weapon than one you’ll everwield.”
I arched my brows and danced backward, waving the spear before me. “Last I checked, Iamwielding thisthing.”
“Hand it over,” hedemanded.
“Why?” I shot back. “Tell me what you want withit.”
He launched a hand toward me, but I was too quick on my feet. Darting to the side, I ducked low, out of his reach. He roared and rushed down the corridor, his cloak flapping behind him. Heart racing, I whirled on my feet and ran. Up ahead, a door shone, daylight slipping through the cracks. All I had to do was getoutside.
He was fast, but I was faster. I reached the door within an instant and pushed outside into the bright morning sun. The grass was soft beneath my feet as I raced across the lawn. I glanced around, getting my bearings. Hopefully, I could keep up my pace and make it back to the portalunscathed.
“Moira!” Lugh bellowed after me. “Stop! Give me the spear, or I’ll kill yourmate.”
My feet faltered beneath me, and I tripped on the damp grass. Falling face-first toward the ground, I caught myself with the edge of the spear. Footsteps padded toward me. I whirled onto my back and scrabbled away from Wraith Lugh, who stalked toward me with a deadly glint in hiseye.
“I thought you said Lugh was already dead,” I puffed, jumping to my feet. “You said he was gone.Forever.”
“I lied,” hesneered.
Wetting my lips, I took another step back and pointed the spear at his chest. “Where is he? What have you done withhim?”
“He lurks inside my mind.” Wraith Lugh winced, but continued his slow stalk toward me. “Quentin broke the spear, giving me control of the body. But still, Lugh remains inside. That’s why I needed the cauldron. As soon as the Queen is destroyed, I will use it to exorcise Lugh from thisform.”
“How will the cauldron even drive him out?” I asked, keeping him talking. I took another step back, stumbling a bit on a hidden treeroot.
“The cauldron is the only thing powerful enough to destroy him completely. I intend to melt the spear until it is nothing more than a sea of gold and silver. That should be the thing that gets him out of myhead.”
“Interesting.” Another step back. “Unfortunately, I have no intention of giving the spear toyou.”
He matched my step with one of his own. “Put it down,Moira.”
“What’s wrong with those wraiths back there?” Another step back, and another step from Lugh. How long could I keep up this dance before he went on the attack? “They’re just...standingaround.”
“It’s daytime,” he growled. “Wraiths can do little when the sun is in thesky.”
Ah. Things were beginning to make a bit more sensenow.
“But you don’t seem to have any trouble at all with the sun.” I darted back when Lugh took a swing at me. “In fact, you seem pretty lively tome.”
Did that have anything to do with his connection to Lugh? Perhaps Lugh’s existence inside of the wraith’s body kept him a little more fae. He could walk in daylight, he had enhanced intelligence, and he had goals, plans,dreams.
“Are you sure you really want to get rid of Lugh?” I asked, pausing a moment in my retreat away from him. I’d reached the edge of the lawn. “If he’s keeping you so...alert, maybe you’d be better off keeping him around for a longtime.”
The flicker in his soulless eyes told me everything I needed to know. Wraith Lugh had already considered this. He enjoyed the extra intelligence, the enhanced powers. With the fae inside of him, he was far stronger than he waswithout.
