Chapter Thirty-Nine
Morgan
I’m drowning in a lake made of black oil. The surface is on fire. Liquid clogs my throat. I gasp for air, for the edge, but there’s nothing there but Darkness. Dank, foul, darkness.
I fall…slipping into nothing until my feet touch solid ground. I blink, thinking my eyes are closed but no, just black. So much black. I open my mouth and scream. This time it works. I hear my voice. The sound of my fear. What happened to my Guardians? The castle and the Morrigan?
I still taste her and the filth I consumed in my mouth.
Taking a step I move across the void, my feet echoing in the nothingness. I knew it was a risk—a sacrifice I was willing to make. But this? This is what her soul looks like?
I scream again. “Hello!”
My voice mocks me in return. I hold my hands to my ears and scream. Scream for the loss of my mates. The loss of my realm. Scream for wanting it back—the feeling—the love.
Hands grip my arms and pull them away from my ears. White teeth shine in the dark. Long braided hair hangs over a broad shoulder. “Why are you screaming, child?” the Shaman asks.
“Did you bring me here? Drag me to this place?”
“You consumed the poison. That was not my doing.”
“How do I get out of here?”
“I don’t know.” He clasps his hands together. I count three rings on each hand.
“I took the darkness and gave her my light.”
He frowns. “That doesn’t sound right.”
Wings flap overhead. I look up and spot five ravens, all flying in a row. One carries a charm in his beak. My mind breaks and I grip it with my hands.
“Dig deep,” the Shaman says. “You can’t give away what isn’t yours.”
I feel in my belly. I reach in my heart. I feel a pebble—round and perfect. I pull it out and see it is a shiny pearl—white and bold. I hold it to the sky. A raven, the biggest of them all, swoops down and takes it in his beak and flies away. The pearl leaves a trail, glossy like a satin ribbon, and I glance at the Shaman. “Follow it, child. That’s your way home.”
I pick up my feet, sticky from the black goo, and chase after the raven.
*
“Morgan.”
“How much longer?”
“How the fuck should I know?”
“Shut up. She’s moving.”
“I can’t handle this.”
“I can’t handle your mouth.”
“Seriously, is this what you want her to wake up to? The five of you acting like assholes?”
The final voice cuts through my mind like a knife.
“Hildi?” I rasp. My voice feels like sandpaper mixed with tar.
“Babe.” It’s her voice but I feel five other sets of hands. Strong, capable hands. Familiar hands. I blink and spot my guardians. Hildi elbows Dylan out of the way and brings a glass of water to my lips. The liquid is cool and I gulp it down faster than I should. She wipes my chin and says. “Nevis sent it to help you heal.”
The wicked feeling in my throat vanishes, soothed by the water. It settles in my belly and I feel the magic working. I look at Hildi and the first thing I think of to say is, “I’m so sorry about Andi.”
“You tried.” She brushes back my hair. “You should have killed her.”
“Death would have been too good for her. This way, she has to live with the consequences and redeem herself to the people in her kingdom.” I search for a pair of copper eyes. I find them near my feet. “Redemption is good.”
I wiggle to a sitting position, feeling almost back to normal. I’m on the bed in my room. I look around at my things, my books and journals. The trinkets I’ve collected during my time in New York. It truly feels like home.
Again I focus on Bunny. “Did you close the gate?”
“Yes.”
“And the Darkness? I know I carried it with me.”
Dylan takes my hand. “The Shaman was waiting for us when we came through. He cured you.”
“What was the cost?”
“He took the Darkness with him,” Damien says. “Locked up tight. I made the box myself.”
That news doesn’t sit well with me and from a glance around the bed, not with anyone else either. Clinton stands, arms crossed, to my left.
“We didn’t have a choice,” Sam says. He leans over and I brush his hair out of his eyes. Gods, I’ve missed him. All of them.
“Okay, it’s time to give Morgan a little rest, everyone out.” The directive comes from Sue and I smile thankfully at her. I love my men. I adore my mates, but choking down an unhealthy dose of evil wore me out.
Everyone leaves, but I grab Dylan’s hand before he leaves the room.
“Hey,” I say quietly. “Do me a favor.”
He touches my hair and runs his fingers down my cheek. “Anything.”
I nod at Bunny, who is leaving the room. “Be nice to him. Things got complicated.”
He smirks. “He’s one of us. Don’t worry.”
“That’s exactly why I am worried. It’s not like you guys are easy on one another.”
He leans down and kisses me on the forehead. “You got it, Your Highness.”
“Don’t call me that.”
He nods and heads for the door, but the glint in his eyes says this is just the beginning.
Of so many amazing things.