Dark Isle(18)

“Do not attempt to rescue me, Quinn.” His eyes softened. “I can see your heart wants to have your family whole. I see it in you as clear as any picture. But sometimes we cannot have what our heart wants.”

I clenched my hands into fists. “Then, what? I just let Balor and Card and the Banshee Queen win?”

Lir’s eyes widened. “The Banshee Queen? I would have thought Aednat would strike out on her own before taking up with Balor.”

His words rattled through me. The cold seemed to be stealing what thought process I had left. “Aednat was the Queen?”

Reaching out he touched my face again. “It is too much for you here, daughter mine, you must leave, now. I will block you from Calling on me again; it is best, I think.” He cupped my chin and gave it a gentle squeeze. The light began to fade.

“Wait! Do you know why Balor is doing this? Its madness what he’s attempting, to make a Dark Isle, to seek out Chaos.” I hoped he would tell me we were wrong, that Luke hadn’t guessed at Balor’s intentions.

Lir’s voice reached me, like distant waves crashing over the shoreline. “Let your instincts guide you, Quinn.”





7

I woke up with a start, my body shaking with cold. Luke wrapped his arms around me, and pulled me into his lap.

“We didn’t dare move you,” he said. Cora lay sanguine on a rock, being heated by the sun.

Her tongue flicked out tasting the air. “You’re body was too cold for me to stay with you.”

“Did you speak to Lir?” Aednat asked. Her eyes sought mine, the blue one darkening with intensity while the green one seemed to lighten in colour.

“Why didn’t you tell us you were the Queen?” I asked. Luke stiffened behind me, his hands stilling on my arms.

She shrugged her tiny shoulders. “Might not help Aednat if you knew she had been Queen. Bested by an upstart.” Sniffing she sat, and, then scooted towards us.

“You know now that Aednat was speaking truth?” Her face was hopeful, but her body was tensed.

“Yeah. But, let me guess. In order for you to help us, and tell us all the things we need to know, you want us to help you get your crown back,” I said, weariness dragging me. It sure didn’t feel like I’d napped. It felt as though I’d run a double marathon with a side order of the flu, my body ached so badly.

Aednat squealed with joy and relaxed. “You smart one, Quinn. Aednat likes you. Yes, you help Aednat get back crown. Aednat help you stop Balor.”

“But why? You came here to escape, to start your own world with Balor,” Luke said, asking the very question I wanted the answer to.

She threw her hands into the air, her long tresses floating for a moment on a sudden breeze. “Because, you Tuatha, always controlling, killing bean sidhe. Aednat wants her people to be safe. Like a good Queen. So if Quinn promises safety, Aednat believes. She is honest. Aednat sees her heart. She is prophecy spoken come to life.”

Cora slid off the rock and over to my side. “We don’t have much choice. We need help if we are to find a way to topple Balor and Card before they reach what they are seeking.”

The ousted Banshee Queen smiled at us, teeth sparkling. She opened her mouth to speak and then her jaw clicked shut. Leaping to her feet, she stared around us.

“We are not alone. Bad Queen has sent hunters after us,” she said, her voice softening almost to a whisper.

Flipping myself to my knees, I pushed to my feet as the first Banshee hunter came into view. Sharp beauty filled my vision. Her body glimmered with light; everything about her had an opalescent sheen from her skin and hair down to the clothes she wore.

The only things that stood out were her weapons. They were a dull black that seemed to throb with a life of their own. As I stared, two more hunters ghosted into view. They didn’t even seem to be touching the ground with their feet. Just like the queen when she’d downed our helicopter.

“Hunters, you are not needed here,” Aednat said. Calm seemed to flow along with her words, the soothing helped even my nerves.

They spoke in tandem, their voices rising and falling as they wove a hypnotic tune. “We do not bow to you anymore little bean sidhe. We follow the true Queen’s orders.” They pointed to us. “Stand down, we have no quarrel with you.”

They began to advance on Aednat who screamed and ran behind me. “Please help Aednat, she no longer has strength to fight them alone.”

That did not sound good. I pulled my dagger out and felt my power rise as I reached for it, welling inside me so much so that I thought my skin might stretch with the volume of it.

I glanced over at Luke who nodded. “We need her,” I said.