Page 55 of My Salvation

The sound of a chair crashing to the floor had her turning to face the table. Darian stood, all color drained from his skin. “No,” he whispered.

Oron flew across the room and forced his mother to sit.

“No,” he repeated.

“What! Dammit! Someone tell me what the hell is going on,” Meryn demanded, looking spooked.

The queen smiling, looked at Meryn. “I’m fading.”

“No, you’re not!” Darian shouted, then joined his brother at the queen’s side.

The queen shook her head. “I held on to the hope that it was the spell centers, but Cassandra has confirmed it. I am fading, which means my magic is also fading, leaving Éire Danu getting colder and darker.”

Brennus ran a trembling hand over his mouth, then exhaled. Moving to stand behind the queen, he took her hand then kissed it. “Where you go, I will follow.”

“No! I just found you! It’s not fair!” Meryn cried out, standing, gripping the edge of the table tightly.

Behind her, Ryuu placed a hand on the back of her neck. “Meryn, you have to calm down.”

“No! I won’t lose anyone else! I won’t let it happen.”

“Oh, my dearest heart, I am so sorry.” The queen sighed. “It was losing so many of my children. My heart and soul feel weighed down with grief. There have been so many I have lost in the past ten-thousand years, I do not think I can take anymore,” she admitted.

“Then we’ll save the rest. You won’t lose anyone else!” Meryn promised and began to glow a deep azure blue. “I’ll kill all the ferals myself.”

“Abraxas!” Ryuu shouted.

The door to the courtyard burst open, and the Elder Tree Guardian appeared, his face like a thundercloud. “What has happened?”

“She needs to calm down, but the magic is too unstable to quell.”

Aiden was on his knees on the floor. “Baby, I will take care of everything. Just calm down,” he begged.

The queen shook off the calm acceptance of her own plight and turned to her struggling niece. “Meryn, darling, please calm down.” She walked over to stand next to Abraxas.

“No. No more losing family,” Meryn whispered, her voice surprisingly even and quiet.

“I am right here. Fading does not mean I will die right away. It could take years,” the queen said, in soothing tones.

Abraxas strode over to Meryn’s side and took her wrist. “Gods above, she’s mastering your magic,” he whispered, holding up her arm for all to see.

Cas stared as an agitated blue dragon twirled around Meryn’s wrist. She realized the dragon was a sight to behold, but what had her riveted in place was the blooming darkness in Meryn’s chest.

Gasping, she ran to the table and grabbed one of the many salt shakers. “Stand back!” she ordered, as she unscrewed the top.

She gently pushed Meryn away from the table and looked at Ryuu. “Step back.”

He shook his head. “Never.”

Heedless of her own safety, she poured a solid line of salt around the three of them. When she turned back, the black was writhing and pulsing, fighting to escape its prison. Never did she think the fairy tales taught by her father would help her in facing demons. It did, however, make her wonder how much of what she had been taught had been fiction.

She watched Meryn carefully, who was frightfully serene in her anger. “Meryn, who has the better ass, Broden or Ramsey?”

Meryn blinked. “Huh?”

“Personally, I think Ramsey has the better shape, but Broden has more junk in his trunk, you know,” she teased, keeping her voice light.

Meryn blinked slowly. “Ramsey has the better ass of the two,” she said, sounding distracted.