Bres’ words of warning whipped through my mind, but a light brightened beside me and I could see Bres on the other water horse with Lir swimming between us. Lir wouldn’t let the Aughisky hurt me, of that I had no doubt. My mind eased on that count. I peered around us, trying to see where we were going.
We dove deep, the waters around us black, strange shapes flickering through our scope of light here and there. The water was cold, but it felt good. We started to slow as we came to a rock formation that was more than a little familiar, one that I never thought I’d see again.
It seemed we were coming full circle. Bres dismounted from the Aughisky and I slid from the back of my mount with ease, floating in the water beside him.
Thank you. I mouthed. The water horse nodded, and butted his head against me.
Swimming was easier than walking, and I made my way to the Labyrinth’s entrance. Once more, Bres pulled me from the water and into the cavern that marked the beginning of the maze.
Holding me against his chest, he smiled down at me. “It seems we’ve been here before.”
I held him tight, feeling the strength of him steady me. “I’m not letting go this time.”
Lir cleared his throat. “We don’t have much time to make a plan.” He beckoned to us to follow him. The walls of the Labyrinth parted before him, the twists and turns disappearing as he walked. Bres took my hand, linking his fingers with mine. Neither of us said anything, the memories of our time in the Labyrinth swirling around us, almost like flashes from an old movie reel.
This was where it had all started for him and me, where I’d found out that Ashling was Balor’s daughter, where I’d faced my greatest fear. It seemed fitting to be back here now, at what I was sure was the end of the journey.
“Can I save her?” I asked, the words blurting out of me before I even thought to stop them.
Lir paused and waited for us to catch up. His eyes were sad when he looked down at me. “I don’t know, Quinn. I just don’t know.”
“I have something to tell you,” I said then paused, not sure exactly how to say that I had killed his son and stolen his powers. It turned out that I didn’t have to say anything.
“Card was no longer right in his head. If you hadn’t have killed him, he would have killed you, then me, helping Chaos reign. You did what you had to,” Lir said. His voice was a monotone, flat and emotionless.
“I tried not to,” I said, my voice soft. “I tried to get him to stand with me, against her.”
“I know.”
While the walls still dripped with moisture, there was no other sound. All the booby traps and dangers were wiped clean, now that the Fomorii were gone.
The throne room was as I remembered it, minus the gaping pool of shark-infested water I’d had to swim across. There was a throne with tables beside it set up on a dais, and a side alcove that held the tools and instruments for a scribe. Dark, and full of unpleasant memories, it was not a place I would stay if I had a choice. It was funny to think that I’d seen it all before, yet hadn’t really seen it. My focus had been Ashling.
“We have to find a way to get you close to Chaos,” Lir said. “I believe you can beat her, that you can end this destruction —but not if we can’t get her to engage you.”
Bres walked over to the one table in the room and pulled a map out of a cubbyhole I didn’t even know was there. The two men started to discuss strategy and possibilities. They tried to draw me into the conversation, but I avoided it. My mind was wandering and, with it, my feet. Something drew me across the room and I followed the call of whatever it was.
There, tossed in the corner was an obsidian carved box, the lid half hanging off its hinge. Kneeling, I reached out and gingerly lifted the box up. It was heavy, the weight of the stone making it sturdier than it looked at first. There were no carvings, no markings. Just a plain black box.
That was the box we put her in. It held Chaos for so many years.
I ran my finger over the lid. Cora, please don’t leave me now. I need you.
I won’t leave you now, Quinn. This is the end game and I will stand with you.
Tears trickled down my face. I think I can kill Chaos and save Ashling, but...I’m afraid.
Fear is a tool, one that often tells us that what we are doing is the right path. The easy path is the one of least resistance, the one that is all light and goodness.
I trusted my instincts, trusted that what I was going to do. The boys would forgive me. Rising, with the box in one hand, I went to the scribe’s desk. I sat down and looked over at Bres and Lir, they bowed their heads as they tried to find a way to get me to Chaos.
What they didn’t know was that I already had a way. If I was brave enough to see it through.