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Nick laid on the dancefloor, unable to move. His limbs refused to comply. His head felt like it had been filled with candy floss, making it hard to concentrate, hard to think, hard to breathe.
He spotted Zoe lying a few feet away from him. Whatever force had possessed her had now gone. He tried to reach out for her but couldn’t.
Zo, come on, wake up! I need you. The sluagh hadn’t just taken his strength, it had taken his life force.
Nick had always wanted to go out with a bang, but not like this. Not before he had the chance to tell Zoe how he really felt that her. He couldn’t leave her alone. Hell, they both knew what it was like to be lost and alone.
His eyes flickered as darkness threatened to overwhelm him. No, he wouldn’t go, not yet.
He heard a groan.
“Nick?” Zoe crawled over to him. “Nick? Oh god, tell me what to do.” She touched his face.
There’s nothing you can do, he thought, knowing she’d somehow hear him. The sluagh took too much.
“What? No! You can’t leave me. You can’t!” she cried. “I can’t do this without you.” She ran a hand through her hair. “Silver will know what to do.” Light flashed around them as she opened the lines and transported them to the castle. “Silver!” she yelled.
Nick didn’t feel the transference as his eyes closed and he found himself hovering over his body, looking down at himself and Zoe.
“Silver!”
No, he thought. I’m not going. I’m not dying. She still needs me.
Silver came rushing in. “What’s wrong?”
“A sluagh took his power. Hurry, he needs healing.”
Raf appeared. “Sluagh don’t take power, they take life force from their victims.”
Silver touched Nick then shook her head. “I’m sorry, I can’t heal this. No magic can save him now.”
“What?” Zoe gasped, tears falling down her cheeks. “No, you have to do something. He can’t die.”
Nick’s spirit hovered above her. He sure as hell didn’t want to die either. He’d be damned if he’d leave her.
“I’m so sorry, Zoe.” Silver squeezed her shoulder and tears dripped down her face
“We’ll give you a minute alone,” Raf said, taking Silver’s arm.
Nick frowned at Raf. Why aren’t you more upset? You’re not even trying to save me.
“Nick, come on, you can’t leave me. I won’t let you,” she said. “Nick...”
He felt something tugging at him, trying to pull him away. No!
Zoe cupped his face. “Come on, I’ve revived the dead before. Nick, come on, come back to me.”
You have? Nick frowned down at her. How? No magic he knew of could revive the dead.
“Oh, how did I do it?” Zoe muttered, squeezing her eyes shut.
The tugging sensation grew, trying to yank his spirit away. Zoe!
Her eyes flew up to him, burning amber again. “I decide who lives and dies.” She held her hands over him, the ground beneath her trembling as light shot upwards, pouring into his body.
Nick gasped as his eyes flew open, feeling his life force flow back into him. “Zo, what did you do?”
Behind her a wispy figure stood in the corner, mouth opened in a snarl. “No!” it hissed.
Then it vanished.
Zoe slumped forward, blinked up at him, “Nick, what happened?” She stared at her hands. “What did I do?”
“That’s a damn good question.” Nick sat up, feeling a renewed sense of energy. “Zo?”
She blurred out of the room, vanishing before he could say another word.
“Nick?” Silver came in followed by Raf. “Goddess, you’re alive!”
“What happened?” demanded Raf. “We felt a sudden surge of power and the ground shook.”
“Er - the sluagh came, Zoe killed it, and it released my life force. Gotta go.” He shot out of the room before either of them could reply.
Nick knew he had to reach Zoe before she bailed—something she did when she got scared. She had spent her life moving around, and this would set her off. He couldn’t lose her, not now. He blurred home as fast as he could to find her coming downstairs with a bag. He knew she always kept a packed suitcase at hand.
“What are you doing?” he demanded.
“I’m leaving. I can’t stay here anymore.”
Nick wiped wet hair off his face. “So that’s it? You’re just running off again?” he demanded. “After everything we’ve been through?”
“Bad things happen around me. You saw what I did tonight, the Circle will lock me up for sure.”
“So what? I covered for you.”
“When are you gonna learn I’m not a good person to be around?” Zoe cried. “I’m cursed. I hurt the people I care about, and half the time I don’t even remember what I’ve done.”
Nick crossed his arms. “If you hurt people, then why did you save me?”
“It doesn’t matter.” Zoe shook her head.
“Yes, it does. You run because you’re afraid, but you know what, shit happens. If you want to be normal, then you’ve got to deal with it,” he snapped. “Being alive means being scared and dealing with shit.”
“Why are you yelling at me?” Her eyes flashed with anger.
“Because you’re being stupid! I’m telling you because I care about you,” he said, grabbing her arm. “If you leave, fine, but I’m coming with you.”
“When are you going to understand people can’t be around me?” Zoe snapped. “The Circle were right, I am a threat. There’s something inside me I can’t control – I can’t understand. When will you realise that you’re better off without me?”
“It wasn’t you. I saw something else earlier when you gave me my life force back. It looked pissed off.”
“I revived the dead, why can’t you understand I’m a danger to you and everyone around me?”
“I’m not leaving you. I’m not like the other people who gave up on you, and I’m not scared of whatever cursed you either. I’m in this for the long haul. I don’t care what we have to face, be it the Circle or hell itself. I don’t want to be any further from you than I am right now.”
He shoved the suitcase away and cupped her face. “I know you’re scared. Nightmares, freakish things, even weird amber-eyed Zoe won’t keep ne away from you. I’m not losing you. I’m falling in love, so go ahead, scream, knock me on my arse you want. I’ll just follow you.”
Zoe shook her head. “What if I kill you too?”
“I think we proved we can handle that.”
She wrapped her arms around him, resting her head against his chest. “You’re an idiot.”
Nick chuckled. “Yeah well, love’s a risk, right?” he said. “You don’t have to say you feel the same way, but at least say you’ll think about having a real relationship.”
She pulled away, shaking her head. “How can we? The Circle...”
“We’ll deal with them. Just like we do with everything else. Together.”
Nick and Zoe headed out to Mersea Ireland the next day. The sun was just starting to creep over the horizon as they headed across the beach. Seagulls cried overhead, and waves crashed against the shoreline.
He had finally convinced the others that the sluagh dying had saved him, but they had to take care of it. He sensed Zoe’s unease as they moved across the beach to the hut Nick owned.
“Devlin’s right, that sluagh never once tried to hurt me,” Zoe said. “It wanted to keep me away from you, but it didn’t try to hurt me. Not really.”
“Maybe your curse protected you,” he suggested. “Either way, we’re gonna find out who it’s working for and why.”
“I still don’t think it’s a good idea.” Zoe bit her lip.
“Finding out who is behind the attacks will prove your innocence.” He unlocked the door of the hut. “Being surrounded by water will help. The sluagh won’t be able to leave the island.”
“And what if I did somehow cause them? What if they’re connected to me?” Zoe asked.
“Then I guess I’ll have to banish you,” Nick half joked, and kissed her. “We’ll deal with it.”
They spent the next hour warding the beach and getting the spell circle ready. No one would be able see them on the side of the island even if they tried. Nick put wards in place.
He took Zoe’s hand, both to begin the spell and calm her nerves. “Ready?”
“I guess.” She reached up and gave him a searing kiss. “Thanks.”
“For what?”
“For everything. You know what.”
“That’s what partners are for.”
“We’re more than that, remember? When this is over I want to have a real date – no sluagh involved.”
Nick grinned. “Fine by me.” He leaned down for another kiss.
Zoe pulled away. “We’re supposed to do a summoning.”
“Oh, that.” He sighed. You know how to spoil the fun.
We can have fun later.
Promises. I’ll hold you to that.
Nick said the words of invocation, and the candle flames rose high, igniting with power.
Zoe gripped his hand tighter. The circle flared as the sluagh appeared before them.
“You dare summon me?” it hissed.
“Yeah, time we had a little chat,” Nick said. “You have no power here, so tell us who sent you.”
Zoe glanced at the creature’s unmarred arms. “I could always burn it out of you again.”
The sluagh laughed. “You’re the powerless ones. I serve a far greater power than either of you,” it said. “Soon your precious Circle will fall, and the barrier between the worlds will be no more.”
“You mean the big bad everyone keeps talking about? You know about that?” Nick raised his hand, drawing the sign of compulsion in the air.
It flashed, making the creature wince. “I’ll tell you nothing.”
Again, Nick drew the sigils for compulsion, force and truth.
“My master is beyond anything either of you can conjure,” the creature hissed.
I could burn it, she said.
No, I don’t want to risk you—
Turning into freaky Zoe again? Me either, but it might be the only way to get answers.
Nick paused. “Why didn’t you take her life force?”
“I can’t—she’s protected. Anyone who tries to harm her will die.”
“You tried hurting me a few nights ago,” Zoe snapped. “Why?”
“Not hurt. I was sent to help you remember.”
“Wait, you can help me get my memories back?” She took a step forward, but Nick caught hold of her, preventing her getting any closer.
Spirits lie, especially damned souls, Nick said.
“No, but my master can.”
“Who is your master?” Nick demanded.
The sluagh laughed. “You’ll find out soon enough.”
A violent explosion of energy ripped through the circle, shattering through their wards as it knocked them to the ground.
“What the hell was that?” Zoe muttered.
“That’s a good question.”
