“Oh, don’t worry. I wasn’t going to do anything with the water,” I said, and unleashed the bolt. He dived to the left, but the bolt caught him in one shoulder and spun him around. He disappeared beneath the shallow murky surface.
Before he could get up, I leapt towards him, flinging my dagger, propelling it with a second power bolt. I had no idea if it nailed him or not; I couldn’t see through the dirt we’d stirred up. Calling my dagger back to my hand, I stood there at the edge of the swamp, panting.
The water around me stilled and I held my breath. His body didn’t float to the surface, mortally wounded or otherwise. I scanned the area, desperately searching for a sign that I’d finished him off. No, it wasn’t to be that easy.
Hands gripped my ankles, yanking me into the water. I kicked out, catching Card in the head. He let go and we both scrambled to our feet, water dripping off us. I swiped at my face, clearing the drips from my vision.
“You little bitch! I’m going to steal your power.” He rolled his shoulders, cracked his knuckles. “And then I’m going to kill you and feed you to Morty.”
Card slid his sword back into its scabbard and came at me with his bare hands. It shouldn’t have been more terrifying than having him coming at me with a weapon, but it was.
Stumbling backwards, I fought to stay away from him while his laughter chased me. Fianna stood silent on the edge of the swamp. I slammed into a Barrier, bouncing off it and hitting the ground hard. Card had trapped me with him within a Barrier, effectively blocking any attempt either Fianna or Bres might make to help me.
Son of a bitch!
Fingers tangled in my hair and Card yanked me tight against him, my back flush against his chest. “Don’t worry,” he whispered into my ear. “I’ll kill you fast. You see, I can be merciful; our father would want that.”
One of his hands gripped my jaw and the other rested lightly on my left breast, over my heart. A pulse of energy swirled around us.
His fingers dug into me, biting at my flesh as my powers slowly began to slip away from me. This was what Luke had warned me about. I struggled, but it was no use, not against both Card’s physical strength and his innate powers. He was stronger than me on both fronts.
Fight him, Quinn! You can turn ta tables on him! Bres’ voice inside my head steadied me. He stood at the edge of the Barrier, his eyes pleading with me. There was nothing he could do on that side of the Barrier that Card had made. I was on my own.
Bres is right, if you take Card’s power, you may be strong enough to break Chaos' hold on Ashling, Cora said.
A swell of sudden hope that maybe I could save Ashling after all was what I needed to fight back. With a cry, I flung myself backwards into Card, throwing us both to the ground. Yanking hard, I freed myself from his hand on my jaw and turned to face him, slamming my hand over his heart.
“Card, stand with me against Chaos,” I said, hoping he would see that it was the smart thing to do.
“Or?”
“We end this now.”
With a roar he tried to buck me off. Feeling the connection he’d established between us, I drew on it, stealing his power. He tried to block me, the power stuttering. I thought of Ashling, trapped by Chaos. Everything depended on me doing this. I wouldn’t fail my little sister again.
As fast as I could, I pulled Card’s power into me, blowing through his every effort to stop me. But he was so strong that even as I took his power, he fought me. We rolled across the ground, Card pummeling me with his fists. I didn’t lift my hands to protect myself. If I didn’t take his power now, it wouldn’t matter. I wouldn’t be able to save myself or Ashling.
My lip and cheek were split, one eyelid was swollen shut, but I wouldn’t release my hand over his heart. He twisted my arm and I screamed as it cracked, but my fingers never left his skin.
He sat on top of me, my right hand curled into the flesh of his chest, blood oozing out from under my fingertips. The connection between us didn’t flicker, not once.
He took a deep gasping breath. “Ah, I should have known you’d be the death of me. Chosen one.” He began to sag under my hand.
Pausing, I asked him again. “Stand with me. Please. Don’t make me do this.”
“Never. You should never have been born. I was to be his heir.” He spat the words at me, his eyes sunk into his head, full of hatred and fury. “There can be only one of us.”
Tears pricked my eyes. “Then this is it.”
He grimaced, took one last swing at me, his fist bouncing feebly off my forehead. I closed my eyes, prayed that this would be the last death on my hands, and took the last drops of his power, and, with it, his life.