Page 40 of Beltane

Fuck. We’re so fucked.

I shook my head harder, grimacing against the magic, taking long, deep inhales to try to clear it. None of it helped. The spell permeated the air, electrifying everything in its path. We were stuck in its web, and it looked like Diana was only feeding whatever psycho trip had ensnared the town.

We need to get out of here.

If the king stumbled upon us like this, we would be screwed.

Fighting the euphoria threatening to pull me under again, I grabbed Ivy and yanked her away from the group by her shirt.

“Nooooo,” she whined, trying to get back.

“Weeds,” I said, clapping two inches from her face in a desperate attempt to get her attention.

She started crying, tears streaking down her face as she physically fought me to get back to Siobhan. Miri and Donnelly grabbed her arms, tugging her down into the pile. But my disruption had gotten Finn’s attention, and he turned toward me, his emerald eyes glittering with anger, his brows furrowed at my insolence.

He stuck a hand out and tried to wrap his fingers around the back of my neck, but I lunged away from him, ducking out of his hold.

“Chicago,” Lex moaned. “Join us.”

“Join us, Romeo,” Miri said, holding a hand out to me. “Come back to me.”

Their siren calls hit me low in the gut, nearly bending me at the knees, but I had to stay strong. For whatever reason, luck or disgust or terror, I’d broken the fairy trance. I’d come to my senses and remembered why the hell we were here. We had no time to lose, and certainly not enough to get wasted and fuck an entire town in the woods.

And I definitely didn’t want to be here when the fairies decided we tasted good enough to consume or…whatever the fuck was going on over there.

Finn reached for me again, his massive palm nearly colliding with my face, but I spun away and picked up a nearby silver stein that had been forgotten on a log. I didn’t want to make contact with him again, since that was what seemingly pulled me under the last time, but I needed him to get a hint. I needed them to come back to themselves now, even Diana.

Instinct had my fairy gift taking over, and I swung the tankard at his face, slamming it hard against his cheek. He whipped his head to the side, grabbing at the assault before freezing.

“Finn!” I shouted. “Commander of theFianna!Wake up!”

He rolled his jaw and shook his head before straightening to look back at me, shifting his shoulders as the muscles near his ears twitched. My heart throbbed while I waited to see what he would do next. If it didn’t work, he’d probably grab that big-ass hunting knife in his boot and ram the business-end into my heart. I took a step back, inhaling a long, deep breath and waiting for his reaction.

Finn narrowed his gaze on me before looking around, gaping when he realized where we were and what was happening around us. When he refocused on me, his eyes sparkled with relief. “Carter?”

I sighed, my shoulders deflating.Finally.“Finn. Help me. Please.”

He looked down at our entranced spouses, now in various states of nakedness as they grappled for each other.

“Fuck, I was worried this would happen.” He ran his hands back through his hair before swiping them down his face. “The king and queen stabilize the magic here. Without both of them, it’s gone off-balance.” He looked around, his grimace deepening when he saw the townspeople gone to violent madness.

“How do we fix it?”

He growled when his focus landed on Diana. “I’ll be right back.”

I watched as he walked over to the queen, dodging out of her touch when she tried to pull him into whatever magic she was creating. He pointed to us and her gaze caught mine, holding it for a moment while recognition dawned. But she only shook her head and said something that had him ducking his chin in defeat. They continued arguing, but I could tell the conversation wasn’t going the way he wanted.

I had broken out of this trance on my own. Perhaps we didn’t need the queen. Perhaps I could reach my lovers without having to hit them in the face. I kneeled next to Lex, grabbing his wrists when he brought his hands to my cheeks, trying to lean in to kiss me.

“DC,” I said, twisting out of the way. “Remember when I first met you.”

“You were so fucking hot,” he moaned, attempting to connect our mouths again, “and I wanted to fuck you so goddamned bad.”

I ignored his compliment and held him still while I continued. “I need you to come back to me now.”

He didn’t seem to know what I was talking about, and instead, leaned in to lick my neck, sliding his tongue down my windpipe before nibbling on that spot he could always find, the one that made my toes curl.

Trying again, I shifted his hands in mine, wrapping my fingers around the backs of them, my thumbs swiping over his palms.

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