Violet nodded, remembering the night when she endured pain, as well as the increasing agony she was going through now. It was a question of time, a short amount of it before her body failed for good.
“Already happened when I made a mouse and a bird come to life.”
“That’s what I expected. If you had been alone in this, not grounded by the bond, your heart would have exploded by the shift and the pain.”
“Lovely thought. And what makes you think that trying this on Finn won’t kill me?”
Brennan stood and offered his hand. “Because you gave your heart to my brother, and the warrior in him will keep it safe.”
Was he telling the truth? Everything was happening so fast, and with the pain expanding inside her, it was becoming hard to focus. Her time was running out, so she took his hand to stand. She stole a quick look beyond the barrier, and saw her friends looking stern. They didn’t say a word, but it was clear that her choices were limited, and there was too much unknown to make a clear decision. In fact, there was only one decision.
“What’s the plan? Any indication from Romus or what was written on those documents?”
Brennan shook his head. “That was one of the reasons why he’d been adamant about using a witch for the experiment. Any other creature wouldn’t have the instinct to deal with the unknown flow of magic. There are no instructions. When the mouse and bird came back to life, I figure it was mostly instinctual. Wasn’t it?”
Violet nodded. The burn inside her made her sweat, a fire being stoked as if the power knew it would soon get out. Sweating and restless, Violet drew all the calm and steadiness she could and knelt by Finn’s side. Brennan placed himself on the other side, close to his head and shoulders.
“When I pull the blade out, that should wake him, and in full vampire mode, he may not recognize you. I will keep him down the best I can, while you do your thing.”
Violet looked back again, one last look at her mentor, who could only look back in cat form.
It was time to see if she could save them both and if what Brennan had hoped to get for himself, would be the end.
Straddling Finn’s waist, Violet put her palms flat on his unmoving chest. The moment she made contact it was as if the overflow of energy had found its tipping point. Caught in a firestorm, her thoughts spun fast. She tried to hold on to two thoughts—the way the energy felt when she’d revived the little creatures in the palm of her hands, and how much she loved Finn.
The combined powers inside her wanted out, fast and hard, but she held on until Brennan put his hand on the end of the blade and pulled.
Finn’s body jerked, and the scream that came out of him was the roar of a predator fighting to be free. It was like riding a bucking horse, and Brennan struggled to keep him on the floor. He started speaking to him, but Violet couldn’t understand a word, meaning he was probably speaking an ancient Celtic dialect.
It was now or never, and with the little control she had, Violet started to open up the pathway.
It was like containing a torrent with a dam made of toothpicks, almost impossible to control, but with half-closed eyes, it was clear Finn had started to feel it too.
Her vision blurred when a wave of power burned right through her as it poured out until there was a sudden burst, and it was like she’d dissolved. Every cell, every inch of skin, every strand of hair became heavy, so heavy she believed that the weight of the world was on her shoulders.
Her brain still saw herself straddling Finn, her hands on his chest coated with his blood, his beautiful face dazed while looking up at her. She sensed him trying to reach her, both with his body and through their bond, but he felt so far away.
It was like being lost at the bottom of the sea, where everything went slower and was eerily quiet. In that instant, she realized that it was her body trying to protect her from the immense pain it was going through.
Inside the bubble, a tornado was raging. Brennan was launched into the air while she and Finn remained grounded at the center.
The first sensation she felt was the stuttering of her heart. In her disconnection, it was clear her body was faltering. The powers were still swirling and fighting but were held back.
Panic filled her as she looked at Finn, connecting through their gaze. All of her being went to him, silently asking for guidance and forgiveness. She was failing him as whatever she was trying wasn’t working, the light and dark magic sources were swirling and attacking each other, but not transferring.
Violet tried to open her mouth to tell him or to cry for help, but she was pulled away. In a tunnel, her heart started to hurt, and her head pounded.
From a distance, through the storm, Violet discerned her body’s final agony. Her magic must have shifted as Finn sat up and kissed her. The connection strengthened, and she communicated how much she loved him and begged his forgiveness for failing him, failing them.
Slowly, through the disconnection and the distress, she felt his strong arms around her waist, the familiar taste and texture of his lips.
“You could never fail me, my beloved. I love you, and I will always be by
