I called them the instant I left Morgan, but one look at my phone tells me they haven’t replied. We never should have separated. I never should have left her. “I want you and Sue to stay downstairs, understand?”
“Yes, Master Dylan.” The old man looks at me. “Be careful.”
I make sure he’s down the stairs before I enter Bunny’s room. I feel the dark magic lingering in the room. How did we miss it?
Walking through the room I take a moment to look at the intricate paintings of the Otherside. My body reacts instinctively to the images, sheer terror. Nothing good happens in that place. The Morrigan has ultimate control over the living and dead—we’d barely made it out alive the last time. I’m not sure any of us would again.
An odd pop, followed by a blast of cold air occurs behind me, and I spin, blade already in my hand. My grip tightens when Bunny fully emerges from one of the paintings.
“Dylan,” he says, shaking the dust off his boots. With his hair sticking up in matted spikes and dark circles under his eyes, he looks more frazzled than usual.
“I see you learned a new painting technique.”
Bunny glances at the painting. “It’s come in handy.”
“Why?” I ask him. I shouldn’t. He’s a traitor to our mission and nothing but a criminal now, but I still want to know. “Why are you working with her?”
“We’ve always worked with the Morrigan,” he says. “That’s what we do—you’re the one that changed sides and picked the new young thing.”
“We work for the forces of good, Bunny. We keep the Morrigan in check and balance the powers. When the split occurred there was no choice which way we’d go.” I study him. “At least, I didn’t think so.”
“We freed Morgan from the Darkness. That was the goal and I was behind getting her out of the danger zone. She should have gone on and lived her life in peace. She could have done that.”
“While people were dying up here from the spread of the virus? Do you really think she could have lived with that?” I shake my head. “You don’t know her very well.”
Bunny reacts with laughter, disturbed giggles that he stifles behind a paint stained hand. “You’re right, I don’t know her well. Not like you. Not like the others. I haven’t fucked her, you know.”
“That was your choice.”
“Was it? Or maybe I just repulse her. Maybe she’s only with me because she feels the guilt from that day.”
“That’s the Darkness speaking, Bunny, not Morgan.”
He shrugs and runs his hands through his hair, making it even more wild. “It’s too late Dylan. The wheels are set in motion. The virus is spreading—”
“Morgan has captured Anita. That stops today.”
He scoffs. “People are already infected—dozens of them. They’re walking the city now. Flying on planes. There’s no stopping the plague this time, Dylan.”
“There’s always a solution. Always.”
“Not this time.” Bunny walks past me and gathers a few things on his worktable, slipping them into a bag.
“Morgan may be weakened without you sealing your relationship, but she’s still strong.”
Bunny’s eyes flick up to mine, curious amusement tugs at his mouth. “You don’t know, do you?”
“I know that you’re crazy.”
“No, seriously, you don’t know.” His forehead creases. “I knew I could trick the others, but you? You’re slipping, my friend. Probably too much pussy fogging that brain of yours.”
Tired of the riddles and games, I lunge at him, pushing past the bottles and jars on the table. They shatter to the floor, smashing in pieces. I land hard on broken glass, the small pieces embedding in my skin. Bunny uses the commotion to avoid my grasp, racing toward the door.
I’m up in a flash, kicking his feet from beneath him. He falls and I lash at him with the blade, nicking him on the ear when I slam the tip into the hardwood floor. I’m on top of him.
“Watch your mouth, brother,” I tell him. “And turn this around before it goes a step further. I don’t want to hurt you, Bunny. But I will, and the gods will approve.”
“It’s too late,” he says, squirming beneath me. “She has them all. You won’t win this one, Dylan, but it’s not too late to join us.”