Clinton’s eyebrows rise to the top of his head. “All of us?”
No!
“Yes.” The feeling grows in my chest. A sharp twist. The flicker of a whisper in my ear. “You each bring me something equally important. But most of all, it’s exactly what we need to fight the Morrigan. At least right now.”
My final statement is accompanied by a sharp stab to the temple. I’d wondered if this would happen, when she would appear. I’d beaten her down but this was too much. I drop my glass, the wine spilling across the white table cloth, and clutch my head.
“Morgan?” Damien cries; he’s closest and gets to me first.
“Pr
epare the spell,” I direct through gritted teeth. “She’s coming.”
Bunny hops from the table—he and Dylan already in motion. The Morrigan screams in my ear.
You fucking idiot. All of them! What are you trying to do? Shatter my heart times five? This won’t work. It won’t keep me away. One. One is all you get. You may not share the power of five. You cannot beat me down with love and lust.
Sam crouches next to me and holds my hand. “Stay with me, babe.”
“With only one of you she can control me. Manipulate me,” I say through the pain. “But not all of you. She can’t penetrate me when I’m bonded to you all. I realized that last night. Ah!” Another stab of pain. It’s like she’s clawing at me from the inside. “Today was much better. Calmer. This is all she’s got and we need to kick her out for good.”
A thunderous crash brings my attention to the table. Clinton has cleared it in one dramatic swoop. Bunny and Damien carry the ingredients for the spell. Dylan, the parchment for the incantation.
“Ready?” I ask, feeling the Morrigan squirm inside. She doesn’t want out—she wants to take over.
If you let this happen, you’ll never get to that castle. You’ll never meet your destiny. You were born to rule worlds! The Otherside and this one! Don’t be a fool.
Sam brings me to my feet and I feel unfamiliar hands on my back, tugging at my skirt. With a pounding headache I spin and find Sue and Davis stripping me of my clothes.
I start to argue but Sam presses his lips to my ear and says, “Stay calm. It’s okay.”
It doesn’t feel okay—yet none of my Guardians stop them. In seconds, I’m naked and lifted from the floor on top of the mahogany table. Flashes from my fever dream return. All five men surrounding me, loving me. It had been a vision—not a dream.
Last chance, the Morrigan hisses, before you lose it all. You need me to access the castle. You need me for power.
“Shut up!” I cry, swiping at the shadows creeping in the edge of my vision.
I feel the hands on me now. I look up and see Dylan speaking in a deep voice, the words a confusing language. I feel Bunny’s paintbrush slide across my breast. I feel Clinton’s hands on my belly. Damien’s calloused fingers on my feet. Sam holds my hand and whispers words of love warring with the Morrigan’s awful barrage.
There’s a battle in my soul, fighting, pushing, punching and I get loose, taking a swing at Bunny. I tag him across the cheek before Clinton can subdue me. I fight. I cry. I scream.
And the Morrigan does the same.
Her face hovers over mine—a mirror image of my own. Her eyes are darker and filled with hate. I break free once again, slapping her across the cheek.
She smiles with pleasure at the pain.
You’re foolish, don’t you know? she asks in a calmer voice. There’s so much more out there, so much I can offer you.
I don’t want your destruction.
You think that’s all it is? We’re the Goddess of War, Morgan. We didn’t create such a thing—we clean up the mess. We conquer the weak. You realize that in many cases, we’re heroes.
No, I tell her. I don’t believe that.
Images flash before my eyes. Kingdoms. Conquerors. Rebellions. The stench of smoke clogs my throat. The symbols are familiar, filled with hate and a history of violence. I want nothing to do with it.
But her pull is strong. Her tentacles deep.