Chapter 558: Battle Of Wills
I had about a split second of warning before Quaid's power slammed up in a wall between us, pushing me back from him even as a whip of green Sidhe magic lashed at my feet. I stumbled away, shock winning for about another heartbeat or so before I understood the nature of his thrall.
"You've given him a Sidhe soul." Of course, she had. Made total sense. And now, thanks to his thrall, while she controlled Quaid's human mind, the fallen Sidhe inside him was free to act. "You go too far."
She flickered her fingers at me, still refusing to turn, or even speak.
Expecting me to hurt my friend. Yeah. Classy.
Gram's mind dove into mine as Quaid pulled the sword from his hip and stalked toward me with soft chiming sounds, his fluid metal armor flowing like a second skin. I had to duck under the swish of the blade and back pedal further while Charlotte and Galleytrot growled. But hesitated.
We have to reach Quaid, Gram sent. The only way to do that is to have him shed the Sidhe soul.
Great idea. How? I stopped backing off, pulling on my newly risen maji magic, creating a shield of my own. Wrapped it around one arm as a length of glowing light burst from my other hand. Quaid's next swing bounced from my protected left arm, sparks of rainbow magic flying. He was much stronger than me and I knew without the extra maji boost my arm would be, at the very least, numb if not broken.
It was difficult to focus my magic on his mind while swinging my glowing weapon at him in an effort to just keep him off me. Whoever possessed his body was obviously a fighter.
I wasn't.
Sydlynn, Shaylee rose to the surface of my mind. Let me.
And me. My demon shouldered her way to Shaylee's side.
Right. I wasn't alone in this, not by a long shot. Though it was so hard to step away from my body, a passenger, feeling myself move but knowing I had no control over what I did.
Whatever happens, I shot off to Charlotte and Galleytrot, stay the hell out of it.
Neither answered but their unhappiness told me I'd better wrap up things quickly if I expected them to hold off.
The moment I released my demon and Shaylee to act, I went from clumsy stumbler, barely holding Quaid off, to fluid warrior.
Cool. Just. Cool.
No time for self-appreciation, my vampire sent. It's our job to free him.
Gotcha. Can you suck the soul out of him? Rather a disgusting suggestion, in my opinion. My body dropped to the ground in a split-leg crouch, shield arm taking Quaid across the knees as the glowing sword I held rang against the metal protecting both of his ankles.
Sydlynn. My vampire's disappointment sat heavy in my mind. Really.
Sorry. I had no idea I could do back flips. And though I looked like Shaylee here, would my human body pay for it when I got home?
No time to worry about it while I landed softly, only to spring forward and strike Quaid across the side of his helmet, sending him staggering back.
My pair of egos were really quite good.
We need to break the thrall, my vampire sent while my demon and Shaylee pushed their advantage, sending Quaid back toward the pavilion and the now-observant Aoilainn. Nice of her to sit up and take notice at last. Quaid's mind is much stronger than the Sidhe inhabiting him. Once we return control to him, he can expel the soul himself.
While I dodged to the left, spinning in a circle with my long, blonde hair flying, narrowly avoiding losing the locks to the edge of Quaid's blade, I focused my mind on his, prodding the green shielding around his consciousness, looking for a way in.
I'd give Aoilainn one thing. She was good. Very good. Centuries of experience with making those around her do whatever she wanted clearly paid off, and not to our benefit.
A bit of despair crept in until my vampire jabbed me out of it.
Focus, she sent. She is Sidhe only. You are maji, or will be some day. What others create, you can control, Sydlynn Hayle. That is the true power of the maji.
Anything? Wow, that was a revelation. I mean, I knew I could use the maji power to create, and to siphon power. But control the magic of others?
Holy.
Don't get cocky, Gram sent in a flash. Listen to your vampire. But pay attention. Like she said, you're not maji yet. But you have access to some of the abilities. Use them and hurry up about it. As much as I'm liking this new shape, I want to go home. I'm missing my soaps.
Snort. Leave it to Gram to take the edge from anything.
Focus. Right. Why had I never explored the maji power? I really had to stop being so complacent about the magic I had access to. It seemed like I just sort of fell into routine and a bit of boring normalcy when things were quiet, with no desire to prod any of my magicks for further info. It wasn't until the crap hit the fan I found myself wishing I'd done something about it sooner.
We've all been complacent, my vampire sent. No longer. There is too much at stake. Now free Quaid and let's find Ameline.
I slid inside the maji power, feeling the pull of all my magicks as my body twisted and spun and bent at odd angles, fighting Quaid still. I didn't feel an ounce of weariness or even an ache, which made me worry more. But that was for later. In this moment, as I allowed the maji energy to absorb me, fill my core while my other magicks fed into it, the world
Went.
Away.
Not away, precisely. But the glamour did. The shining, sparkling waters were just ordinary. The flowing white fabric nothing to get excited about. The ultra-green grass needed to be watered. The towering palace could use a good scrubbing. Even Aoilainn's perfect face seemed old, the same drawn and thinning appearance I'd caught the edges of when my maji power pushed her back.
Interesting. I could now see the overlay of the Sidhe soul pressing down on Quaid, his magic eyes closed behind it. It was simplicity itself to slide inside the soul, past it, to my friend. To feel his heartbeat, enter his thoughts.
His dreams. Aoilainn had Quaid convinced we were on our way back to the Gate with Ameline in our possession. He felt proud, happy. Couldn't stop staring at the image the queen created of me, the real me only better. Sidhized. I felt his love and the struggle in his heart even as I reached out with my maji power and woke him up.
The soul clinging to him wailed in agony and fled as Quaid's conscious mind jerked awake. Shaylee and my demon stopped fighting instantly as the young Enforcer froze, eyes locked, not on me, but on someone over my shoulder. I turned to see Gram smiling at him.
"Syd." Quaid staggered, dropping the sword. "What's going on?"
"You've been asleep," I said, as his gaze flickered to me and back to Gram. "Nice dreams?"
Quaid shook his head, turned to glare at the queen. "She did this?"
"Don't you worry," I said, facing off with the now-furious Aoilainn. "This isn't over. But it will be very soon."
"Yes." Aoilainn flowed to her feet, arms raised while Bronagh fell back with a quick shake of her head in warning. "But not in your favor, Sydlynn Hayle."
Sidhe troops rushed from the surrounding trees, ranks upon ranks of them, surrounding us in their shining armor and pulsing with magic.
A quick calculation told me I could probably make a hole in them and try to run for it, but I had no idea if the glamour the queen spun would simply send me in circles or not. Probably. So running was out.
I was tired of running, anyway.
"You are ordered to leave my realm," the queen said in her throbbing voice. "Thalion Prince will lead you to the Gate and ensure you depart. But." She stepped down from her throne, green magic sparking around her. "You will leave my daughter here, with me." One hand swept over the empty space beside her.
The ground rumbled, erupted, vines twining from the upturned earth, sprouting into a tall shape quickly formed to a woman's body.
I was about to protest Shaylee wouldn't be able to stay without a form to inhabit.
Looked like the queen thought of that, too.
"You would imprison your daughter in a fake form just to get your way?" I shook from the intensity of Shaylee's rejection as well as my own. "Selfish queen. Time to grow the hell up."
My Sidhe princess sent her own disdain in a rush of rejecting energy.
Aoilainn's beautiful face twisted, lips thinned, eyes wide in fury. "Then none of you will ever leave." She raised her arms above her head, the ground rumbling again. I spun toward my friends, reaching for Gram just as the earth gaped open and swallowed her up. Fergus, Charlotte, Galleytrot, and yes, Quaid, all drawn into the ground that resealed behind them.
My magic dove after them, but they were already gone.
The bitch.
I turned on her with a snarl, maji magic poised. "I can strip the glamour from this place," I said. "Turn your realm into the ordinary, crumbling truth it is. Return them now."
Aoilainn trembled, but refused to relent. "Try," she said.
Can I do it? I reached for my vampire who sighed.
You and your big threats, she sent. Perhaps if you were full maji. You can possibly affect some things directly, but there is too much magic here for you to destroy all at once.
Crap. Bluff called. I stared at Aoilainn in frustration, hands clenched but unable to do anything but see past the lies she created around her.
Not much good to me.
"I didn't think so." Aoilainn's gentle tremors stilled as she smiled, confidence returning as she gracefully retook her seat. "You will give up my daughter's soul," she said, "or I will kill your precious friends one at a time."
She'll kill them anyway, my vampire sent.
Shaylee choked on a sob, but agreed.
No deal. "If you touch one of them," I said, empty threat burning in my throat, "I'll kill you myself."
Aoilainn didn't look all that worried. "You have only a short time to change your attitude. I will have the first body brought to you shortly." She clapped her hands, a lazy motion as though she'd grown bored of our conversation. "Take her away."
A dozen Sidhe soldiers surrounded me. I could have taken them out, easy. But I had to find the others first. Damn it.
Damn it.
Bronagh's green eyes watched as I was taken away and I wondered if I could still count on her to help. At least the queen hadn't seemed angry about her advisor's latest choice in allies. I'd hate to think I was the cause for her suffering after she'd tried to do what was right.
A short walk while I seethed, through sighing trees and down white-stoned paths and I found myself being shoved into a small opening at the base of a tree. The large oak shuddered as its roots formed bars over the doorway, trapping me just below ground with a clear view across from me.
As the silver-booted feet of my guards marched away, I ground my teeth at the sight of Venner smiling and waving from his own prison directly opposite.
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