Page 121 of Feral

“I want ya to see the destruction you’ve wrought before ya tear one another apart!” Ruben shouted.

Angus went to grab him when Lowell restrained him. Imogen dove for her grandfather and pulled up out of the fray and with the rest of us in front of the trellis.

“Fraser, get me that Apple,” I ordered and turned to the others. “I know how to stop this but I need that.”

I pointed to the ribbon and Angus stared at me in shock.

“Yer an agent,” he whispered. ‘

“Yes.”

His eyes narrowed and he opened his mouth, probably to tell me off when Imogen put her hand on his arm.

“We don’t have time for yer anger,” she said, then looked at me. “Go on then.”

“That belongs to my family,” Angus snapped.

“And mine now too, or it will be if we survive this.”

“Let her have it if she can stop this!” Gran yelled.

“Here’s the Apple,” Fraser leapt forward, his forehead bleeding.

“Are you—?”

“Fine lass, now end this.”

I snatched the ribbon and couldn’t help smiling at the peace it radiated. The Apple, on the other hand, made me grimace to touch. My bustier was protecting me from the damn thing, but still, I felt unclean handling it, as if all the discord and strife it had collected over the years was spilling out onto my skin.

Swallowing back a sudden rush of bile, I wrapped the ribbon around the Apple until it was covered completely and held my breath.

But nothing happened.

Not a spark.

Not a waver.

“Well?’ Angus demanded.

“Wait,” Liam said, “this is about the Campbells and MacDonalds right? About strife and hate between those two clans.”

I gasped.

“Oh right! How could I have missed that!”

I unwound the Apple fast and went to hand the ribbon to the priestess when I realized she had disappeared.

“What am I missing?” Fraser demanded.

I opened my mouth to speak when Imogen beat me to it.

“We have to heal the breach by joinin’ our hands with the ribbon. Then ya can use it on that thing.”

‘Yes, exactly. Your act of devotion not just to each other, but for your clans is the exact opposite of what the Apple is using to cause all of this.”

Angus locked eyes with Imogen and I saw it then, the thing I’d almost found when Angus had jumped in front of her.

He’s falling in love with her. That should make this even stronger.

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