Page 169 of Crown of Darkness
A shudder runs through her.
“Here,” I whisper, reaching out with my magic. “Let me heal you a little.”
“No.” A hand grasps mine, surprisingly strong. “Ain’t enough… left o’ me.”
Healing is a sharp-edged sword. I can use my magic to seal those ragged wounds, but I can’t gift her with strength. All it will do is weaken her further as the magic draws on her body’s reserves.
She’s too far gone for me to bring her back. Too old. Too weak. Healing will kill her. But I hate feeling so helpless.
“Just find my sweet Amaya,” she grates out. “Find my little girl and bring her back.” Grabbing hold of a set of keys hanging around her throat, she gestures for me to take them. “Give ’em… to Larina. House… belongs… to her now.”
I take the keys and help her tip the flask to her lips, cradling her scalp as she tries to drink. My vision blurs. “How long ago?”
“Three… hours.”
Three hours. We were so close.
She slumps into the snow, and the fight slowly leaches from her eyes. Too much. Too much blood, too much pain.
“Blessed be,” I whisper, squeezing her hand.
Thank you for taking care of my daughter.
“Find… them.” The pressure of her hand begins to falter. “Find my… my babies….”
“I’ll find them,” I promise her as her hand falls to the side and her head slowly lolls back. “I promise I’ll find them all and I’ll protect them. As you have.”
And then her lungs give one last rattle.
Silence falls.
The only thing that breaks it is footsteps crunching through the snow behind me.
I tug my cloak up over the old hag’s face, dashing the tears from my eyes. There is no time to mourn. No time to regret.
I will burn that fucking bitch alive, and all her fetches too.
“Vi?” There’s a look of horror on Thiago’s face as I shove to my feet, taking the keys with me.
“They took Amaya.” My fingers unerringly find the bracelet that keeps me safe from the fetch’s eyes, and I start to slip it from my wrist. “The fetch will have taken her back to Angharad, and they’ll be preparing her for the ritual.”
My voice sounds so cool and so far away.
“They’ll be at the Black Keep.” Eris stands behind him, and I realize they’re all there.
“There’ll be guards,” Finn says, and for once his face is serious. “Angharad has packs of fetches and banes who serve her. The Black Keep…. The defenses alone…. I don’t know how we’ll get in. Or even if we can.”
It was different when it was me they were after. I was merely prey trying desperately to escape my bloody end.
But they took my daughter.
Theytookmy daughter.
This time, I’m not prey. This time, I’m the hunter.
I drop the bracelet into the snow, feeling a little tingle run down my spine, as if my magic gives a breath of relief to be unsmothered. There’s no longer any fear left within me. Realizing the truth has scoured me down to my bones, and all I feel is empty.
Though there’s a little spark of rage there, just waiting to be kindled.
