327
Matt
My vision pulsed and flickered, a strobe light of pain blurring the edges of reality. Tony rained blows down on me, slashing with claws. Each hit chipped away at my resolve and my control, leaving behind a raw desperation to end this quickly. My armor protected me from most of the damage, but still.
He was always the stronger of the two of us. I thought it was just because he was the older of the two of us, but this was different. I thought for sure he was going to bite off my head. Then, a flash of golden light arced through the air, and a spear lanced past my shoulder, catching Tony square in the chest. I turned back to see Ginevra hovering in the air. Her golden dress glowed as she passed me with a glowing winge spreading from her back.
What the absolute fuck?
Tony staggered, falling to the ground, and Dad darted forward, encasing Tony in a shimmering web of light. The wave turned to chains. He thrashed and howled, straining against the magical bonds, but they held firm. The tendrils of his spell constricted until Tony’s wolf form melted away, and he gasped for breath. Blood dribbled out of his mouth. Half of his clothes had vanished. The rest was drenched in blood. He was so pale as he fell still.
I heard Selene’s scream in the back of my mind. Then, she appeared. She was furious, glaring at me.
‘You think you can stop me,” she snarled. “I have been a live—”
“Shut up,” I hissed. “Selene, right.”
Her expression pinched tight. “How dare you—”
“Give it up. You’re done,” I said, dropping to the ground and gesturing. “The hunters are going to be subdued or all killed—”
“Tony, just hang on,” Ginevra whispered, drifting over and cradling him against her.
Dad leaned over him, his hands glowing. He grimaced and shook his head.
“What…” My blood ran cold. “What is it?
Selene laughed. "I told you. Without the virus, his wounds will not heal even though the witch has broken the curse of Fenris’ sword. He’ll die within the hour.”
My heart lurched, and I scrambled over, hearing his voice soft and weak, barely a whisper. His once wild eyes were filled with the dull anguish of betrayal and pain.
“Told… run.”
“As if I would leave you to your own devices,” Ginevra said gently. “You have to hold on, okay?” Her voice cracked. “We have a party to go to… You promise Quillan… The sword fight.”
“Sorry…” he said, choking the words. “I’m so sorry…”
I looked at Dad. “There’s nothing?”
He shook his head. “My… gifts aren’t in healing, Matt, and the virus had already done so much damage.”
Selene laughed. “His only hope is to take the bind off. Are you really going to let your precious brother, your protector, die?”
My heart plummeted. Grief, a cold serpent, coiled around my throat. The world tilted, nausea coiling in my gut as Selene's spectral laughter grated on my raw nerves. Her words were poison, ringing in my ears.
“Better hurry and tell him,” Selene said. “How much longer do you think he has, Matt?”
She leaned in close. “Do you think you’ll ever forget the scent of his blood? The way you let him die?”’
“You can’t go yet,” Ginevra said, though the light that floated around her seemed to say something different. Her tears streamed. “You can’t.”
“Can’t you do something?” Dad asked her.
She shook her head. “I know I should be able to, but I… But I can’t. I don’t know why. There’s not exactly a manual!” She sniffled. “You promised me…”
“… love you,” he breathed. His eyes closed. Tears streamed down his face.
I bit my lip and moved forward. Dad stopped me. Our gazes met.
“It could kill you.”
My eyes stung. “I can’t…”
He clenched his jaw. “Together, we can try together…. I can’t…”
I can’t lose you, too.
I nodded and shuffled closer. Tony turned to look at me. His voice was gentle as he reached for me. I took his hand.
"Matt… thanks… everything…” His lips twitched, meeting my gaze. “Proud… So… proud… Accomplished…" His breath hitched, going wide with panic and desperation. “Care… Ginevra… Quillan…? Please."
My chest tightened. If there was ever a time to try, to do, to push, it was now. I swallowed past the fear.
Selene chuckled. “Come on then, Matt. Time is running out.”
I closed my eyes and swallowed my fear, reaching deep to where that small pool of magic was. I clung to his hand and pushed it into him. The air crackled around us. The wind whipped. Ginevra gasped as I opened my eyes. Tony stared back at me, his eyes widened. I felt the communication device heat up. Something broke. I dropped my gaze to the gash across his chest and let the magic rush into it. He went still and jerked.
I could see it, the virus-like a million tiny points of sickly green light.
I wanted it gone.
Every last bit. The lights started to shake before bursting into flame.
“What are you doing?” Selene hissed.
I ignored her, pushing more and more into him until I could feel the magic start to run thin, yet I kept pushing. I wasn’t going to let him die. I wasn’t going to let Selene control him a second more, either, if I could help it. Selene screamed.
“Stop it! Stop!”
Dad’s voice “Matt, you can’t—”
I blocked out his words and the doubt and kept pouring into him. I could see a glowing, snow-swept field beneath a dark sky. I heard a howling in the distance. The snow swirled under my hand and grew warm, taking shape before shooting into the sky. The snow drifted past me, and suddenly, the flow eased, and another source rushed in. I could feel it yielding to my control and channeling through me to do what I wanted. It burned through the green lights even faster than my magic alone had.
“Stop it!” Selene shrieked. “That’s impossible!”
My vision cleared as the wound stitched closed, and the sparkling green lights went out, leaving nothing behind. I slumped forward, panting. Ginevra slumped forward as the golden light of her spear and her wings faded.
My hands trembled, and I pressed my hand to his smooth, unmarred skin. Tony's eyes, wide with dawning wonder, met mine. A shift, almost imperceptible, rippled through his features, and I knew that he could see me. Not the face we had always shared, but my real face.
“What…” He whispered. He frowned, pressing a hand to his chest as the light started to fade, and slowly, his face started to change. I gasped, frozen in place. The light wave of his hair turned curly. His eyes changed to match mine, to match Dad’s. The lines of his face shifted to reflect my face until, just as I had always done before, I was staring back at my own face.
What?
His eyes widened. His brow furrowed. I felt his confusion, his hope, his fear like a surge through me, more powerful than I had ever felt his mind before.
Matt?
My eyes burned as his disbelief washed over me. Our link had come back, so much stronger than before. How? Why? I didn’t know. I wasn’t even sure that I cared. I understood now why Tony had been so freaked out when it vanished, why he seemed almost erratic. A sense of peace settled in me, one that I hadn’t ever realized was missing.
Tony?
“I can hear you…” Tony whispered. “I can… You’re... You’re scared. Why are you…”
My eyes burned. Tears gushed down my cheeks, and I laughed.
“It’s such a long… long story.” I looked over to Dad—our father. He looked at Tony dumbfounded. His eyes were red-rimmed, and he looked away, shaking his head with a soft, misty smile.
“That Eve… Craftier than I ever thought.”
I sniffled. “Save the dramatics for the Halloween party, bro," I said.
Quillan needs someone else to play swords with.
His eyes softened, and he pulled me down into a hug. I squeezed him back, feeling a piece of me breathe a deep sigh of relief. Over his shoulder, Selene faded away, screeching about our mother. I was glad for it, but a sense of foreboding, deep and chilling, snaked around my heart.
For now, it was enough that Tony lived, but the battle was far from over.
I pulled back. “Let’s get you some real clothing?”
He nodded shakily and looked up at Ginevra. “Might… Sleep for at least ten hours. You won’t let us be late, will you?”
Ginevra pressed a soft kiss to his lips. “I think Quillan would let you sleep in a little, so long as we go trick or treating.”
Something chimed. Ginevra pulled out her phone, and Tony chuckled, kissing her hand.
“Happy Birthday, Ginevra.”
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