Page 99 of Realm of Nightmares
But Casimir wasn’t finished. “She’s had control of the Sluagh for some time now, but with thevirdis lepatite, it’s almost like…”
“Like what?” Ceridwen prompted, her skin losing most of its pallor.
“It’s like Carman all over again.” Casimir’s lips pressed into a hard line. “Worse, if such a thing is possible.”
“Anything is possible,” Dorian murmured, his voice low and frosted with an edge.
“She uses thevirdis lepatiteto bend the Sluagh to her will and when one of them dies, another simply takes its place.” A scowl creased Casimir’s brow, along with a shadow of something else. Remorse. For Parisa was no longer the faerie princess he once loved. He’d lost her to darkness, to power and greed. Tiernan almost pitied him. Almost. “It’s as though she has a never-ending supply of dark fae at her disposal.”
Lir drummed his fingers on the wooden table, considering. “This sounds much like the situation when she fought us at the Black Lake.”
Murmurs of assent spread through the ballroom.
Despite remaining calm, Tiernan couldn’t seem to loosen his grip on his glass of whiskey. He’d rather it shatter in his hands than set it down. “Anything else, Casimir?”
“Unfortunately, yes.” All eyes focused on the drakon, and he tugged on the collar of his shirt. Tiernan had never seen him so uncomfortable, so unnerved. “It would appear the dark venom used to incapacitate Maeve has been…improved.”
“Improved?” Fury clouded Aran’s face. “What do you mean,improved?”
From his right, Tiernan could sense Ceridwen staring at him. But he couldn’t meet her gaze. Not yet.
“Originally,” Casimir began, meeting each of their stony stares, “the formula was only strong enough to cause someone to lose control of their body, to impair them, if you will.”
Merrick crossed one ankle over the other, cracking his knuckles. “And now?”
“And now the venom is more like a drug.” Casimir raked his hands through his hair, turning his gaze to the darkened skies above. “It turns the victim’s mind, letting Parisa take complete control of them at will.”
Ceridwen gasped. “How?”
Tiernan knew his twin’s thoughts without having to slip into her mind. Parisa had found a way to mimic his magic. To control the minds of others.
Casimir picked up his glass, eyed the empty contents, then set it back down. “There’s more.”
Merrick scrubbed a hand over his face. “Of course there is.”
“The effects don’t last forever.”
Aran blew out a low breath. “That’s a good thing, right?”
“Wrong,” Casimir corrected. “It’s an addiction. The body of the injected fae craves it.”
“Sun and sky,” Dorian said, following it with a stream of swears. He sent a briefly apologetic look to Ceridwen.
Trepidation clawed at Tiernan, threatening to unravel the final thread of his control. “You mean—”
“I mean that in Suvarese’s dungeon there are hundreds of fae addicted to this substance. That Parisa has gotten in over her head in terms of what she can and cannot dominate. The fae injected with this venom have gone mad. They have no self-control and are incapable of retaining any cohesive thought. Parisa can’t produce enough venom to satisfy their cravings.” Casimir paused, allowing the weight of his words to settle between the group. Tension was like a wire, stretched so taut, it was only a matter of time before it snapped completely. “If unleashed, these fae will kill everyone in their path to get to Maeve.”
At that, Tiernan jolted forward in his seat. “Why Maeve?”
“Because she is creation incarnate.” Casimir spread his hands wide and his dark eyes reflected a deep well of sorrow. “Either way, she’ll be their undoing.”
“Meaning?” Lir asked.
“Meaning,” Casimir stated, addressing them all. “Maeve can either create more of this venom, or she can create whatever is necessary to stop them.”
“And by stop them,” Ceridwen said, her voice soft, “you mean…”
“Kill.” Tiernan spoke the word with harsh clarity. Casimir stared at him, resolute. “She will have to kill them. To end them. There is no other way. Their minds are too far gone, past the sake of recovery.”
