Page 49 (1/2)

"No?" asked Maura

As she spoke, Gilda felt the first stab of pain go through her It started at her feet, sharp and intense, like someone had cut off her toes She sucked in a startled breath, unable to hide her pain

"See No one can touch me and live Not even you"

"three"

Nika found a spot near Tori that wasn’t completely infested by Synestryn and aih space

She landed just as hard, only this time, it didn’t make her feel nearly as sick Whether it was because it was a shorter distance or because her stomach was already empty she wasn’t sure

Tynan wasted no tiht there next to Tori, Tynan scooped her up and shouted, "Now!"

Nika was still out of breath, but she ripped as ripped Tynan’s arm, and aimed for the spot behind Madoc

Before she’d finished channeling the power, her body flew back through the air, hitting a rock wall Her head exploded with pain and her vision began to fade The last thing she saas Zillah wrapping his too-long fingers around Tynan’s neck and Tori falling from his arms onto the floor

Chapter 26

So to Gilda She could feel the slow, insidious creep of evil Maura had inflicted upon her She’d never felt or seen anything like it before Pain inched up her body, setting her spine on fire, and yet she refused to let go of her daughter

She had never been h soht spots They’d both been injured and nearly died many times over the centuries, but never before had she felt despair like this If she didn’t find a way to stop the spread of this evil, she would die, taking Angus with her

"Let her go, love," he said to Gilda "We need to find Tynan"

"It’s too late for that," said Maura "He can’t heal what I’ve done to her"

"Maura, undo this," he ordered their daughter

Maura’s black eyesit She’s dead If she’s lucky, it will happen fast"

No Gilda refused to die She and Angus had just reconnected She wasn’t going to let go and give up her chance to us’s power into her body, converting it to a healing light Her skin began to glow froh her body down to her legs, where the pain orst

"You’re killing both of us," said Angus

Maura’s body see time hoould end"

What must it have been like for Maura to see the future, to see herself kill her own parents?

Gilda’s body screamed in pain, but she forced herself to hter in the eye "Is that why you think you have no soul?" asked Gilda "Because you saw this uilt "I knehat I’d becoht it?"

"Because your future is not written in stone You of all people should know that"

"Apparently, you’re wrong Things happened just as I foresaw"

There was a hard throb in Gilda’s legs; then she felt the warher, up to her knees

Gilda sucked in a breath and reached for us had widened further, allowing her to bring ht to co

"You don’t have to do this," said Angus "We can fix this"

"I can’t I’ve tried It always ends the saus stepped forward Grief deepened the lines on his face, twisting Gilda’s heart "No I don’t accept that You have to at least try You don’t want to kill your own mother"

Maura bowed her head "It doesn’t matter what I want or don’t want We all are as ere created to be I was created to kill"

"No," said Gilda, barely able to hold on to Maura’s arms "You were created to love--to love a ht evil as all the generations before you have done"

Maura’s dainty mouth twisted in contempt "That will never happen noill it? You row up"

Angusoff more andthe back of her neck so the parts of the luceria--ring and necklace--locked into place The contact eased the flow of energy into her, and with a sudden, hard push of will, she drove the last of Maura’s infection out of her body

The effort left her panting, but there was no time to rest now She had to show Maura there was still hope She wasn’t a lost cause "It was a "

"It can If you’re willing to forgive, the way I’ive you"