Dark Isle(43)

I stared down at Aednat who squirmed under the tight Barrier. “I made a mistake in trusting her. I needed to make that right.”

“Then kill her,” Fianna said. “That will make it right and I will give you your man back.”

Aednat snarled up at me. “Aednat will break this Barrier, Quinn, and the first person she kills will not be you, but your precious little sister.”

Mistake number one was surely mine, but mistake number two was Aednat’s. A gasp rippled through the gathered Banshees as I removed the Barrier. Even Aednat blinked in surprise.

A bolt of power left my fingers before she had a chance to get out of the way, lifting her into the air and throwing her fifteen feet away. “No one threatens Ashling, bitch.”

Aednat lay on the ground for only a split second before she pulled herself to her feet. “Then this will end now, with one of us dead.”

Regret, pain and guilt flashed through me, but they were overridden by my desire to protect Ashling, to help Luke, and to end this mess that I’d created.

The staff flew towards me, straight as an arrow. I dropped to the ground but the wooden weapon followed me, curling around my upper body, pinning my arms to my sides.

“You think you beat Aednat?” She stalked towards me, her eyes narrowed. “You are too young, too weak. You do not have the power that Aednat has. So, now, Aednat just kills you.”

The staff tightened around me, like a boa constrictor with its prey. The lower half of it pressed against one of my hands and I took the opening. Calling up my Fire, I unleashed it on the staff, knowing that the flame wouldn’t touch me.

Aednat screamed as the fire whooshed along the weapon, the shells and quartz dropping as the flame ate the arbutus wood. Like paper in a blaze, the wood crinkled, blackened and turned to ash around me.

That shouldn’t have happened, Cora said, her voice disbelieving. That is a weapon as old as Excalibur and as powerful.

“Not a good time for discussing the impossible,” I said, dodging a wicked slash from Aednat. Her fingernails had turned into razor sharp claws.

I had to find a way to end this, and fast. Giving up my power to Lir was necessary, but then, I’d thought that Aednat was done. The longer this fight stretched out, the better chance I had at getting killed. Backing off, I put some space between the two of us. “I wondered why Balor didn’t help you keep your throne, but I guess we all know why now.”

She cocked her head, her hands stilling. “You don’t know.”

I nodded. “It makes sense. Balor wants an ally who is strong enough, smart enough to work with him. When you lost your throne to Fianna, no doubt he saw the benefit to him in potentially wooing a new ally, one who was strong enough to retain her throne.” I shrugged. “Of course, it could be that he thought you were a stupid little girl, and just couldn’t be bothered to babysit you anymore. God knows, I am so tired of it.”

Her mouth dropped open; her hands lowered. I took my chance, using up every last reserve I had. Firing a bolt of power at her, I hit her square in the gut. The bolt slammed her against one of the massive trees, the trunk shuddering, the leaves dancing down around her. But I didn’t release the bolt, I held the Power that rushed through me, breathed it in and out, shoved it at her as hard as I could. I wouldn’t let her hurt anyone, not Ashling, not Luke and not me. She screamed, her voice ripping into me as she begged for mercy. I didn’t stop. Hot tears slid down my face. Though I did this to protect us all, I didn’t want to end her life. I didn’t want to be a killer.

Fianna stepped up beside me; I could just see her out the corner of my eye. “She is dead. Release your power now, Quinn.” Indeed, Aednat was finally silent.

I dropped my hand and with it my strength left me. Knees shaking, lungs heaving for air, I turned to see the Banshees around us, bending their heads towards their Queen.

“No, they honour you for freeing them from her. Something that, even, I could not completely do. She was very powerful, very old. Though I am the older sister, she always outmatched me. She had the instinct for it, like you,” Fianna said. She beckoned me forward and I followed, my skin going cold with her words. I didn’t want to be like Aednat.

The queen took a deep breath. “She wanted to be the carrier of Chaos. Do you understand how incredibly powerful Chaos would have been if Aednat had gotten her wish?”

I thought to the way Aednat had spoken of Chaos, what seemed like forever ago, yet was only yesterday. How Chaos would look for a young, pretty girl, just like Aednat.

“I was so blind,” I whispered.

A hand brushed against my cheek and I looked up into Fianna’s eyes. “She was right only about one thing. You are young; you will learn who to trust, and who not to trust.”