Page 122 of Feral

“We don’t have a priestess,” Angus said.

“I’ll do it,” Liam said, stepping into place and taking the ribbon from me.

“Is this what ya want” Angus asked Imogen.

“Ya ask me now?”

“Aye.”

She stopped, considering his words and I wanted to tell them to hurry it up as the sounds of fighting were now becoming unhinged. More than one Were was lying on the ground not moving and I worried that if we didn’t do this fast, there’d be even more blood shed.

“Aye, Angus MacDonald, this is what I want.”

They clasped hands and Liam began what I hoped was a very short version of the binding. As he wound the ribbon around their joined hands a pressure began to build, two forces pushing against one another.

The Apple.

And the Ribbon.

Hate and strife against love and devotion.

It pressed on my chest as I held the Apple, angry voices whispered in my head and I winced. The Apple was stronger than whatever spell was woven into my bustier if it was able to affect me like this.

“Daphne!” Fraser grabbed for me and I put my hand up.

“Don’t touch me,” I gasped as the pressure built. “Just…get it done!”

When the ribbon had at last been completely bound to Angus and Imogen’s hands it was so intricately wound that it would take too long to undo. My hands shook as I raised the Apple to the ribbon. The artifact had become impossibly heavy and I began to sweat from the effort. The moment I touched it to the heirloom, another pulsing wave sprang out from it, knocking me off my feet and onto the hard ground.

My ears rang and zings of power rushed over my skin like electricity. Distantly, I realized that it was from the spell breaking on the bustier and I wondered just how much Sprite was going to kill me when I got back to London.

Fraser picked me up and cradled me against him.

“My love, are ya alright?’

“Yes…did it…?”

“Aye,” Fraser’s eyes roamed over me, looking for injuries. “The fightin’ stopped.”

“I have to get to the Apple.”

He sprang to his family, who were still at the trellis. Liam had just managed to unwind Angus and Imogen’s hands and the Apple lay on the ground, everyone giving it a wide berth.

“Put me down,” I pushed on Fraser’s chest.

He growled, his protective side kicking up to eleven.

“Fraser, I have to get that contained and then you can carry me around all day if you want.”

I thought he was going to fight me but instead he huffed out a sigh and set me on my feet. My legs wobbled and I swear if I hadn’t been so focused on finishing this, I would have bent over and vomited right then and there. But I managed to walk to the Apple and held my hand out for the ribbon. This time, when I wound it around the golden surface, the artifact gave a final glimmer and became a dull yellow color.

“Oh thank god,” I sighed, and slipped it into an empty artifact bag.

I knelt on the grass, trying to catch my breath and still my heart, which was doing its best to beat its way out of my chest.

“No! No!” a voice screeched.

Ruben ran toward us, spittle flying from his mouth, his eyes glowing a harsh yellow that reminded me of the apple a little. The power of the artifact over him had been broken, but the fury, the hurt and selfishness that had let the Apple attach itself to him remained.

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