Fianna stepped up to the mirror. “Why have you called us Chaos?”
Ashling, Chaos now, began to pace in front of the mirror with that odd jerking movement. “I want you to do something for me, Banshee Queen.” Her eyes flickered over to mine, those dark shadows behind them made my skin crawl.
“What is that you would ask of us, but more important, what would you give us in return?” Fianna said, clasping her hands in front of her body.
Chaos flung one hand towards me and I flinched. “That one is prophesied to end my life. I doubt she has it in her to complete the task.” She laughed, her mouth opening so wide the skin at the edge of her lips stretched to the point of splitting.
My spine stiffened and I squared my shoulders. No point in denying that, at least, a portion of what she said was true. As soon as we got Luke healed, I refused to believe there was any other option. I was going after Chaos.
Fianna turned and lifted an eyebrow at me. “Yes, I can see that she has already decided to end your life.”
The air around us shifted, becoming far cooler than any summer air should be. Bres stepped up beside me and bent to my ear. “This is about to get bad.”
Chaos snapped her fingers and the entire screen filled with half her face, that strange shifting eye mesmerizing me. “You, Banshee Queen, will receive everything you always wanted if you do one small thing for me. You will rule this Dark Isle with no interference. I will leave you and your people in peace.”
The only sound was Fianna’s skirts, swishing as she walked towards the mirror. “For what task will I receive these honours?”
Chaos smiled, a half smile on the mirror, and a parody of Ashling’s beauty rippling her skin. “You will kill that one.” She dipped her head towards me. No surprise there. But what shocked me was that Fianna didn’t say she wouldn’t. My gut tightened and my muscles tensed. Chaos went on. “A little task, easy for you and your Banshees. Already one of her protectors is dying and the other, well, he could prove a fun aside for your . . . ladies.”
Bowing her head, chin to her chest, Fianna seemed to be thinking over the request.
“You can’t!” I burst out, unable to contain the words. “You can’t possibly trust this creature!” Even as the words escaped my mouth, I cringed. Creature. Was that all Ashling was to me now?
“SILENCE!” Fianna roared. Then, “Restrain her.”
Ah, shit.
The Banshees swarmed around us, before I could do more than draw my dagger, never mind cast a Barrier. Bres pushed me ahead of him and we started to run, barely making it out of the bower before Banshees surrounded us, far too many to fight and survive.
“Hold!” Fianna commanded and we all froze, outside the bower, away from the mirror. I could still see the single eye, a small speck in the corner of what had once been Ashling’s brilliant green orbs was all that was left. It was already hard to think of her as Ashling. This was what the prophecy was about: I wouldn’t truly be killing Ashling, I’d be killing Chaos, that is, if we were able to get out of this current bind.
Bres bumped up against me. “Call to Ashling.”
I tipped my head up to look at him. “What?”
“Call her, see if you can get her to respond. There’s a small chance she’s still in there.” He made a slight motion with one hand and the Banshees around us growled.
My heart thumped, pain coursing through it instead of blood, of that I was certain. “And if she can’t hear me?”
Bres lowered his head, a single tear dripping from one eye. “Then I’ll help you kill her.”
3
My throat tightened to the point of closing off the words that wanted to spill up and out. My fingers curled around mine and Bres tried to pull me into a half hug, but I jerked away.
“I tried to stop them, Quinn. But I wasn’t strong enough on my own.” Bres’ voice broke on the last word.
I didn’t bother to hide the tears that slid down my cheeks. He’d tried to protect her, even from me, and I couldn’t fault him for that, much as I wanted to. His actions towards me didn’t mean he didn’t love Ashling. Taking a deep breath, I nodded acknowledgement.
With the Banshees following in a loose semi-circle, we made our way back into the bower. Chaos had pulled back from the mirror. Hand on her hips, she tapped her foot while glowering at Fianna. “Answer me Banshee.”
Fianna lifted her head, but it was me who spoke first. “Ashling! If you’re still in there, you’ve got to fight with everything you have, you’ve got to fight!” I wanted to lay my hands on the mirror and pull her through, shake her ‘till Chaos was thrown out.