Page 380 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

Kade waits until Riley leaves and then goes inside to find Lachlan is already in the clear water of a half-filled bath.

Lee glances behind him. ‘He’s gone?’

‘Look, I know you said you needed two Wildwanes, but maybe—’

‘I can do it alone,’ she counters, pulling off her gloves. ‘I just wanted him to push past his fear and embrace himself. You have no idea how powerful he could be, how useful to us, especially with what is coming.’

‘You lied?’

She gives a small, unapologetic shrug. ‘I am one of the few people who can lie to him undetected. Time is short. We must do this now.’

‘Why is Lachlan in the water?’

‘It will boost his fear.’

Before Kade can object, Lachlan says, ‘I want this out of me, no matter what. Do whatever you have to.’

The bathroom is dark with no natural light, illuminated only by the low lights above. Céliane strips down to a plain black vest and removes her silver chains.

‘Kade,’ she says seriously. ‘Do not be afraid of what you see.’

‘In him?’

‘In me. I will morph to produce the catalyst. It will be frightening.’

‘Heard.’ Kade rolls his sleeves up, reaches into the water and presses down on Lachlan’s chest. ‘How long can you hold your breath?’

‘I’ll be fine.’

Kade bends to kiss him. ‘And I’ll be here the whole time.’

The air tastes of metal, a lightning strike caught in the inertia of an oncoming sneeze. His ears ring, begging to pop.

Lee puts both hands upon Lachlan’s bare shoulders in the water.

She pushes him down.

The lights flicker.

The shadows on her face stretch and move.

‘Hold fast, darling boy,’ she tells Kade. ‘The only way out is through.’

✴

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

The change begins beneath her hands.

Her fingers lock around Lachlan’s shoulders and then they seem to split. Thousands of microscopic seams open through the pale flesh, dividing it into glistening fibres that peel apart and weave themselves back together too quickly for the eye to follow.

Kade hears it.

A soft, continuous tearing.

He’s seen a version of it before. It’s the way Lachlan’s body heals itself. Tiny fibres of flesh reaching up like feelers to latch on and stitch together, except this is the reverse.

Lee’s knuckles collapse.