Just a few moments. Was that all I had?
NYX
It takes a hot minute, but I manage to get out of the bindings. Whoever tied me up did a pretty good job, but getting out of scrapes is part of my job. Orina and Selene are unconscious and bound too.
I scramble over and quickly untie Orina before tapping her cheek to wake her up.
“Fuuck…” She rolls onto her back and glares at me as if I’ve just fucked with her naptime. I arch a brow and wait for it. “Fuck!” She sits up quickly. “Where’s Quinn?”
“No idea.” I quickly wake Selene and untie her.
“This is my fault,” Selene says. “I should have remembered to… No, it is my fault…Dammit.”
“Are you okay?” Orina eyes her warily.
She shakes her head dismissively. “I’m fine. I have a ghost in my head. Long story. Look, the blue moon is powerful. This has to be something to do with the taint.” She stands and begins searching the tent, for a weapon, no doubt. The bastards who drugged us took ours.
I join her, but there’s nothing in here that can be used. I’m not sure what the hell is going on, but my gut tells me we’re running out of time.
“We need the Faoladh,” Orina says. “These carnival people probably know they’ll be distracted by the Faelad. So we need to get them.”
“I’ll go,” Selene says. “You need to find Quinn and get her out if you can, or cause a distraction and fuck up whatever plan they have.”
I duck my head out of the tent, scoping out the dark, empty terrain. Looks like we’re not important enough for a sentry.
Selene exits and makes a break for the pier, keeping to the shadows. I catch the scent of blood on the air and the sound of distant battle.
All we can do is hope the Faoladh who matter to Quinn are close by.
Orina joins me at the tent flap. “Look!” She points to a shadowy bundle beside the tent opposite us. I catch the glint of metal.
My lips curve into a smile. “Looks like we found our weapons.”
“Now let’s go find Quinn.”
QUINN
“Ian, listen to me. The taint has no interest in saving anyone but herself. If you do this, if you let her out, she’ll kill everyone and everything. You’ll be dooming this world to darkness.”
His jaw tensed, the only indication he was hearing me.
“I know you’re not a bad person. You’ve had some shit happen to you, but you’re not the only one who’s lost someone. You’re not the only one who’s been hurt or let down, but inviting evil into your heart is not the way to fix it. Please. Let me go. You have to.”
The first inkling of doubt filled his eyes.
“She manipulated Willow into making me kill an innocent human, and then…Then she forced Willow into killing someone I loved so that I’d kill Willow. She’s bad, Ian. She’s toxic and evil.”
He shook his head. “No. She can heal us.”
“She can’t. All she can do is infect and corrupt.”
His throat bobbed. “The bindings will only release for her…”
“Okay, fine, but you can stop her from getting here, right? Don’t open the door. You just have to—”
The moonlight turned blue.
“It’s too late,” Ian said.
Was that worry on his face?
Oh, shit, I’d finally gotten through to him, but too late.
The air crackled, the pattern shaved into the ground lit up, and blue light spilled outward, stopping at the people standing on the periphery of the circle.
Someone cried out in alarm, and another bellow followed until everyone was talking at once.
“Can’t move.”
“What is this?”
“Ian, what’s happening?”
Ian looked confused. “I don’t…Just calm down. Stay still and—”
The people jerked and went stiff as blue light shot up their bodies.
“What? No! What is this?” Ian ran toward the curly-haired woman, reaching for her only to be thrown on his ass.
The people began to convulse. The air began to tear in front of me. The people dropped to the ground as the world split and a shadow slipped through.
The taint stood on the grass, dark eyes wide with wonder and excitement. She inhaled the air and grinned, showcasing pointy pearly whites.
“What did you do?” Ian asked. “What’s wrong with them?”
The taint glanced at the bodies. “They’re dead.”
“No…No, you promised. You promised to heal them.”
“I did, didn’t I?” She shrugged. “Promises are made to be broken. You should have asked for my word.”
“You lied?” Ian looked devastated.
“A feat such as this needs a sacrifice. Would you rather I’d have taken the lives of the healthy?” She tutted. “Shame on you.”
Ian let out a bellow of rage and flew at her.
He never made it. He stopped a few feet away and simply keeled over.
The taint winced. “Ouch, looks like the tumor finally got him.” Finally, she trained her gaze on me. “Hello, sweetheart. Don’t be afraid. I promise this won’t hurt.”
“Won’t hurt? You’re planning on taking my body!”
“Yes, yes, I am, but you’ll still be there. I’ve got a beautiful vista planned for you in the deep recesses of our mind. We’ll be together, mother and daughter, as it should have been.”
I shook my head. “No. I won’t let you do this.”
“You can’t fight me, Quinn. Not tonight. Not now. I’m too strong.”
Fuck. I had to stop her. I had to try something. “Please. Don’t do this to me. Mother…please don’t do this.”
She blinked and faltered.
I needed to appeal to her emotional attachment to me, because there was no doubt in my mind that she had one. “You loved me once. I know you did. I think you still do. Mothers don’t hurt their daughters. They protect and love them.” My eyes welled. “Please…”
Her expression softened, becoming unsure.
I was getting through to her.
“Quinn!” Nyx appeared outside the circle. “Get away from her!” She hit the periphery of the circle and was propelled away from it.
The taint blinked sharply and the softness left her features, taking my hope with it. “You can’t get in,” she sneered at Nyx and Orina. “No one can. But don’t worry, it will be over soon enough.”
She tipped her head back and then an inky black, viscous goo seeped out of her body, coalescing into a humanoid shape. The taint’s flesh body remained stationary for a long beat before she tucked in her chin.
She blinked slowly. “How…oh…I’m free?”
Oh my God, this was Bryce’s old mate. She was free.
But then her mouth twisted as if in pain. She raised her hands and her fingers disintegrated. An invisible force ate away at her body until there was nothing left but ash.
The inky mass, the taint in its pure form, walked toward me.
I shuffled back. “Get away.”
“I’m sorry, I can’t do that. There is no going back. I need you. I need a host, and you, my child, are the perfect one. A forever host. Together we will live forever.”