Chapter Fifteen

We sat in a back room, old boxes and debris littering the tiny space. My spear lay across my legs, humming with energy. It had refused to follow me into the past, and Finn had luckily grabbed it before the raid. Morven lay stretched out across the floor, his face a dull gray color, a tiny bullet hole in the middle of his long, scarred forehead.

“They came as soon as you left,” Finn said beside me. “Somehow broke through Morven’s wards. He died instantly.”

“How did you escape?” I asked in a soft voice.

Finn nodded at Eamonn, who sat mournfully beside Morven, the Red Druid’s hand in his. “Eamonn shot a blast of Druid fire at them, and we managed to get away. But the device…”

“Is gone,” I whispered.

“How did you know?” Finn asked.

“I saw Thornton with it. In a dream.”

We sat there in stony silence, and after a while I pulled out the canteen with the Morrígan essence. “I did get the blood, though.” I glanced at Eamonn. “Do you think you could find a way to…”

I trailed off as Eamonn shook his head. “I don’t know. Like Finn said, the attack came as soon as you left. We didn’t have time to delve into the spell.” His voiced cracked, and he took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he studied Morven. “All that knowledge. Gone.”

“I know, Eamonn, but we have to fix this. That black hole isn’t going away.”

“What does it matter when we don’t have the device?” he said in a low voice.

“We need to get it back.” I slammed my hand into my fist. “And we need to act quickly.”

I stood up and Finn grabbed my hand. “Where are you going?”

“To talk to Torc.” Grabbing my spear, I marched out of the room with Finn in my wake. A haggard-looking púca pointed me to Torc’s office, and I burst inside, interrupting a meeting. Amber-eyed púcas glared at me as I forced my way to face him. Blood splattered across his grimy cheeks, and despite the lines of exhaustion on his face, his eyes glittered with mischief.

I ground my knuckles on the surface of his desk. “I need your help,” I said in a firm voice.

He shook his head. “No, Princess. I told you. I have problems of my own. I want no part in your bloody civil war.”

“I can make it worth your while, Torc.” I crossed my arms over my chest.

The púca smirked, glancing up at Finn. “You gonna let him watch?”

Finn stomped across the room, but I stretched out my arm, blocking his path.

I gazed at Torc. “You talk to me like that again, and I’ll cut your balls off. And yes, I’ll be sure to let Finn watch as I castrate you.”

Torc gave me a hard stare and then threw his head back in laughter. “Very nice, Princess. I always did admire your pluck.” He lifted his legs and crossed them on the desk. “So what do you propose?”

“Fight with me against the Fir Bolgs. Give us your weapons—”

He let out a belting laugh.

I raised my hand. “And in return, I will help you defeat these soldiers and give you a portion of the arsenal we confiscate from the Fir Bolgs.”

He lifted an eyebrow. “How much?”

“It’s difficult to say, but I can provide you with aid.”

Torc snorted. “The Fir Bolgs are heavily armed. They’ve taken control of Tír na nÓg. We have weapons, but it’s not enough to defeat them.”

“I am enough to defeat them,” I said in a firm voice.

Torc studied me for a long time, his head cocked to the side. I let the coldness take over me, hardening my heart so I could focus on his wide amber eyes, his grizzled beard, his turned-up nose.

I straightened my shoulders. “I once asked you to join our cause and you said no.”

He shook his head. “Like I said, I have problems of my own, Princess. I’m not going to get embroiled in your civil war.”

“The civil war is here.” I pointed to the ceiling. “A black hole is consuming the sky because the universe is out of balance. Meanwhile, men and Fir Bolgs are burning your people alive. How many more of the London Fae have to die until you join the cause?”

Torc sneered, his face turned a violent shade of red. “You find yourself a spear and a couple of M16s, you dress up in your armor, get yourself a tattoo, and you think you’re ready to lead an army? I wouldn’t follow you into a sideshow petting zoo, Princess, much less into battle.”

The sting of his words hit me like a slap, but I forced my face to remain impassive. “Then fight with me. Alongside me. Your people are yours to lead.”

Torc roared and his features melted away, his body transforming. Tusks emerged from his face, auburn bristle covering his entire body. The giant boar filled the room, and he thrashed, smashing the desk against the wall. I backed away, my heart pounding. Finn unsheathed his sword, and I grabbed my spear. I had always wondered about Torc’s animal form, but nothing could have prepared me for this wild boar the size of a baby elephant and then some.

“We are not people,” he said in a guttural voice, his hazel eyes boring into me. “We are púcas. Now get the fuck out of my headquarters and take your Druids with you before I ransom you back to the Fir Bolgs.”

Finn emitted a low growl from deep in his throat, but I grabbed his shoulder and exhaled, all the oxygen leaving my lungs, hollowing me out. I planted my feet, my fists clenched at my sides. “You’re right, Torc. I’m not ready to lead. But how long are you going to hide in the shadows here until the Fir Bolgs and their allies pick you all off? Maybe I am a little girl playing dress up, but at least I’m fighting. What are you doing? Scavenging? How long do you think this will last?”

Torc let out a low grunt, and his face returned to human form, his tusks receding. He walked toward me, his broad shoulders hovering close to mine. Finn bristled with rage beside me, but I stood my ground, my gaze boring into him.

“Why should I?” Torc said, his face so close to mine, his breath brushed my hair from my face.

“Fight with me, and we will return to London and defeat the ones who are massacring your people,” I said. “Fight with me, and I will fight for you. Together, we will win.”

He backed away and waved to his soldiers. “Leave us,” he barked.

The púcas shuffled out of the room and Torc paced, his large hands clasped behind his back.

“They say the black hole in the sky means the Morrígan has returned,” he said. “I cannot help but think she’s behind all this. My people have faced persecution before, but nothing to this degree.”

“The Fir Bolgs have a device,” I said. “A bomb of some sort. It draws from the Morrígan’s power. We need to destroy it. Cut their power off at the source.”

“And how do you intend to do that?” Torc asked.

I smiled. “I’m an Aisling, Torc. There is nowhere forbidden to me.”

Torc snorted. “Here is what I propose. I fight in your war, help you destroy this device, take back Tír na nÓg. For that, you give me a third of your confiscated weapons and all the might of your kingdom to destroy this human scum slaughtering my people.”

I held out my hand. “It’s a deal.”

Torc grabbed my palm and gave it a firm shake.

“Get your people and your guns together,” I said. “And be ready for when I return.”