Page 119 of Brutal Birthright

Then he heard Brigid’s voice in his head, as clear as if she was standing right beside him.

“Get everyone through the portal. Belle will follow you; I’ll make sure of it.”

Rowan grunted as he bore the brunt of an elbow to the ribs from Lachie.

“Like fuck I’m leaving her.” He bellowed. They’d all heard Brigid’s voice too.

“She’s strong… and can hold Fiadh back for the moment, but you have to move.”

And as they watched on, Rowan could see Brigid begin to shift them both backwards. Still channelling the force that was overpowering Fiadh, but they were clearly beginning to retreat towards the portal.

“We’re taking her with us. But I can’t do it if you’re in fucking pieces, can I?” He latched on to Lachie and began to drag his howling brother by force. Niall was doing the same and yelling for Ruby as they moved.

“We’re here. Hurry.” Rowan heard Ruby’s shout from behind them.

“Get them all through.” That was Finnic’s voice now. Issuing commands over the thunderous noise of dark magic against dark magic.

The dust was so thick it coated their eyelashes and made it hard to see. But he realised they were on the edge of the portal now. Lachie’s voice was hoarse with bellowing for his woman, and he nearly wrenched his shoulder from its socket, trying to escape their hold.

Belle was close to them now, her back towards them and still facing Fiadh with primordial magic pouring out of her and her skin coated with a spiderweb network of dark veins.

“Now.” They all heard Brigid’s command like a lightning strike inside their minds. One moment, Belle was standing before them; the next, she’d been thrown backwards by the force of Brigid’s magic. Tossing her limp body into Lachie’s arms, and the shockwave pushed them into the portal.

Rowan stumbled as he looked back and saw his two sisters. Brigid had a serene look in her eyes as she raised both hands, and the shimmering edge of the portal began to close. Knitting itself together like a silvery thread hanging in mid-air.

Fuck. She was sealing herself in there and saving them all.

Fiadh’s expression was one of pure malevolence. Hatred and fury spewed out of her as she unleashed a final screaming explosion of black shards in their direction. The entity she controlled hurtled towards them.

He saw Finnic beside him a fraction too late. The idiot had stayed by his side while the others disappeared back to their realm.

Throwing his body over the man to act as a shield, he tumbled them both backwards, deep into the portal, just as he felt the atmosphere around them shift.

And the world went black.

Chapter 38

Seeing Rowan stagger into the room carrying the weight of Finn around his shoulders was the sight Ri had been anxiously waiting for.

She’d nearly chewed her fingernails down to nothing under the watchful eye of Brynne, then had any number of different healing potions and kinds of magic shoved her way. Being prodded and poked to within an inch of her sanity as she was checked over after her ordeal with Fiadh, but she wanted to scream that she was fine. It wasn’t any physical injury doing her harm; it was the bone-deep ache inside her chest that had her soul torn apart not knowing where Rowan was.

Or if he was ok.

If he didn’t return, she’d find a way back to that hellscape somehow. Of that, she was certain.

She couldn’t fucking lose him. Not her fated mate.

But the overwhelming relief at the sight of him was quickly replaced by a pit sinking in her stomach. Like she’d plummeted to the depths of the ocean.

Ri watched on in slow motion as he deposited Finn and gave him a firm grip on the shoulder. As if the dirt coating all of them and lingering shock of what had just occurred was an everyday thing.

Then, Rowan collapsed to the floor.

Nothing could prevent the noise that tore out of her. Ri didn’t give a fuck about anything or anyone or whatever secrets until now might have prevented them from revealing their connection… she was on him in an instant. Shaking his impossibly heavy shoulders and trying to turn his giant frame over.

No. No. No.

He felt so cold. The usual furnace-like heat coming from his muscled frame was extinguished. Seeing his ashen face was torture, as she tried to shove him and get some kind of response. Willing him to rouse from whatever this was.

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