Fianna paused. “If you wish to go faster we can, but you will not be prepared to face the choice if you are taken there too swiftly.”
Bres walked a few steps behind us, and while he hadn’t said a word, every part of me was aware of him. Damn it, this was the last thing I needed right now.
I grit my teeth. I was meant to be with Luke, that’s what the prophecy said and so far, the bloody thing had been right. Just because I was attracted to Bres did not mean I loved him.
I had to help Luke; there was no other choice. If I couldn’t save even a single person, how would I save the whole world? Admitting I was afraid was not an option anymore, not with the number of people who were depending on me to somehow find a way to kill Chaos. So what choice was there? I felt that Luke was needed. The prophecy said he was to be at my side, or at least one version of the prophecy said he was to be at my side. This was a side journey I had to take, no matter what anyone else thought.
Fianna paused at the edge of a tree line I hadn’t even noticed. “Here begins the swamp. It is deep within this that we will find out if your destiny brings you here, or some foolish desire to save one who is meant to die.”
Before I could come up with any snappy response, she continued to speak, stepping into the swamp and sinking up over her knees.
“What you seek is the Cauldron. It is the one relic of the past that can save your Luke. Within it is the power to heal all wounds, and at one time, it could even bring back the dead.”
I sloshed into the swamp, the tepid water and murk hiding gods only knew what. “If that’s true, why hasn’t it been found already?”
It was Bres who answered me. “Because it is hidden, not only by conventional means, but by your own heart.”
That didn’t make any sense. Fianna half turned to look at us. “Bres speaks truly. You must be honest within your heart for the reasons you seek out the Cauldron. A single lie and you will disappear into the fog of the gateways forever.”
Her words didn’t really make sense, but before I could ask more, something shifted in the water ahead of us. Long, sinuous and fast. Fianna lifted her hand, and made an attempt to command the snake, but it shot past her, right at me. In the brief seconds before it attacked, all I could take in was the sheer size, and the diamond green and black pattern on the two-foot-wide head. This was not a natural predator here on the Island, not even close!
Knee deep, I didn’t have a lot of room to maneuver. Dagger out, I met the open-fanged snake as it struck, lunging up at me, teeth dripping with venom. The dagger caught the edge of its mouth and it hissed, curling back away from me its black eyes glittering. A flash of gold in its irises and I knew what I was dealing with—my brother Card. It wasn’t the first time he’d attacked me via an animal.
“Quinn!” Bres shouted, charging forward. I didn’t have the luxury of waiting for him.
Again the snake struck out at me, and again I managed to dodge the bite that I had no doubt would prove to be far more painful than the sting of Cora’s fangs.
When it lifts its head to strike, the throat is exposed.
Cora’s words distracted me, and I stumbled back, the water sloshing over my body as a coil from the snake wrapped around my legs, jerking me down and under. Even though I knew I wouldn’t drown, something kept me from opening my mouth in the darkness that closed over my head.
Clawing at the coils, I slashed at them with my dagger, feeling the flesh part under the tip of my blade. A hand grabbed my hair and pulled me to my feet. “Already Chaos sends death our way.” Fianna said as she steadied me on my feet.
“Not Chaos.” I grunted. “Card!”
A shout and the heavy thunk of blade meeting flesh spun me around. Bres stood over the now lifeless body of the massive snake. Dripping wet, he turned just his head, sword gripped in his hand. “Are you all right?”
“Yes.” That was about all I could manage. My mouth was dry, my heart pounding.
Fianna tugged on my hand. “Hurry, the creatures here are no longer mine to command. If you are right, your brother is near, and that does not bode well for any of us.”
Bres sloshed through the water to my side, asking the question I wanted to. “Why is it that you cannot control your own forest?”
“Quinn destroyed my staff. It held the key to controlling the forest. Without it, I can only control my Banshees, nothing more.”
Right, there was that minor detail. “I didn’t know that at the time. I was just trying to stay alive.” I said, feeling the need to defend myself.
Fianna shrugged. “It is the path you walk now, taking Bres and me with you.”