Turning back to them, they tensed the minute I met their eyes. “You’re right, Luke, you need to convince Nuadha of the danger that is coming.” They started to relax and I lifted my hand. “But I can’t come with you. Nuadha . . .he will not welcome me. I will go with Bres to the three Smiths.”
Bres’ eyebrows shot up, and a small smile played along the edge of his lips. Luke frowned. “Do you really think that’s the best course?”
He was starting to trust me; I only hoped that I wasn’t making the wrong decision. “Yes. Go to the camp, and then send word back to Fianna. We will find you from here. Hopefully, with a weapon that has the power to destroy Chaos.”
Luke stepped forward and pulled me into his arms, hugging me tight. “Be safe, Quinn. Please, please be safe.” I tilted my head up for a kiss, but he brought his lips to my forehead in a gesture that was almost brotherly. Was he feeling awkward around Bres? That seemed the most likely cause. Luke stepped away, heading out the far side of the bower towards the lake. “You be safe too. I can’t bring you back from the dead again.” I tried to smile, but my lips were trembling too much. Something had changed between us, and it was more than just Bres being back. It was subtle, but there nonetheless.
Watching him go, I wished I didn’t have to see him walk away from me. It felt too much like a final goodbye. Too much like it wouldn’t ever be the way it was before. Without knowing how, I knew that this was a turning point, whether for good or for ill was all that was left to be decided.
“We should get moving,” Bres touched my arm. We turned to see Fianna waiting behind us, hands clasped in front of her.
“I have no help to give you on this next leg of your journey, Quinn. Only I bid you to take this.” She handed me a brown drawstring bag that was about the size of a golf ball. “Do not open it now. You will know when the time is right.”
Tucking the bag into my back pocket, I smiled. “Thank you for all your help.”
She smiled back and my heart flipped over; it was so like Aednat’s grin. I led the way out of the bower, the pain in my heart driving me with the memories of the little Banshee. It seemed like I was destined to be the one to kill, to end the lives of those around me. Bres caught up to me, matching his pace to mine.
“Do you know where we be headed?”
“No.”
“Then . . .how exactly do you think we are going to be finding ta Smiths?” He asked.
I paused in mid-stride. “I don’t know.”
“What about your pa? Could he help?” Now there was a thought. Of course, Lir was off on his own quest, hopefully having better luck than we were. The only way I knew how to contact him involved taking a nap, and I didn’t think that would happen any time soon.
Bres put his hands on his hips and dropped his chin to his chest. “You took Card’s powers. Can you use them to seek out ta Smiths?”
I opened my mouth to answer him that I didn’t know, then snapped it shut. The birds had gone silent around us, even the air seemed to have stilled. Bres’ head turned slowly, and he pulled his sword free of his scabbard.
Lifting his hand, he pointed for me to stay behind him. Trusting his judgement, I followed a few feet back, far enough that if he swung his sword, I wouldn’t be in the way, but still close enough that I could help if need be.
He pointed at a thick bush, one that was heavy with foliage.
Ever so slowly, he slid his sword into the bush, then stopped. “Come out. Before I slit your throat.”
His sword followed our stalker’s movement. I couldn’t believe who it was on our trail.
Balor.
Bres dropped the tip of his sword and his jaw. “Pa.” Then as if realizing just who it was, his sword snapped back up. “You’ll not be getting past me to her.”
Balor shook his head, his arm clutching his middle. “I’m not here for that. I’m . . .dying.”
He held his hand out and a gush of blood flowed from his side through a wound I couldn’t have spanned with both my hands. He gripped his body once more, barely staunching the flow. But Bres, surprising me, didn’t go to him.
“Chaos,” I whispered, knowing it to be the truth. Balor nodded, and sunk to his knees.
“Yes, she stole Ashling from us. I was so wrong to fear you, Quinn, when it was me who brought Chaos on us all.” His head drooped, yet I still didn’t know if I could trust him, or if it was some sort of sham he was pulling on us.
“Bres, can you do anything to help him?” I asked. Bres shook his head, his jaw tight.
I crouched down so that we were eye to eye. “Can you help us find the three Smiths?” I asked. “That is all you can do now to help us stop her, to right the wrong you loosed on this world.”