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When we reappear in Ryodan’s office, she says nothing at first, just stands and spins, her face lighting up as she observes Barrons, Jada, and Fade. She exhales gustily and seems to relax, like she’s taking her first deep breath in a long time.
Then she locks gazes with Barrons and says nothing for several long moments, and I somehow know they’re having an entire conversation without speaking.
Christ. The emotion I see, hell, can almost feel in the molecules of air between them—it convinces me like nothing else could that this is really Mac. I observe Barrons curiously. Does he feel? Is he capable of it? I can’t get a solid read on him but the abyss that I felt within him previously is abruptly no longer empty.
She fills it somehow. And in the filling, redefines it. And him.
Her face changes then, and she scowls. “I said, who did I kill, Barrons? Don’t lie to me.”
“It doesn’t matter,” he says.
“Every life matters.”
“You killed only Unseelie and a single sidhe-seer.”
“Who?” she snaps.
Barrons shrugs. “I don’t know.”
“Describe her,” Jada demands.
When he does, Jada murmurs, “Margery,” to Mac.
Mac drops her head and deflates.
Barrons moves toward her and she stiffens and draws back. “Don’t touch me. You have to contain me with the stones. I think it’s asleep but I suspect it won’t be long and I have no idea what will happen then.”
“Mac,” he says softly, “I need to touch you so I can get inside—”
“No!” she snaps. “Lock me down first, then touch me if you want to.”
“I might not be able to reach you then,” he snaps back.
“You’re going to have to risk it. I know what the thing is capable of. I feel it inside me. Not right now, but I felt it when it took me. It’s…amused by suffering. It feeds on it, thrives on it, draws energy from it. It’s beyond sadistic and sick but it’s floundering right now. It’s not at its strongest. But it will be soon.” Her head whipped to Jada. “The cuff is what was keeping the ZEWs from being able to find you. Never take it off. I don’t know what the Book did to the Sweeper. It could be out there still.”
“It sent it back in time,” Jada says quickly.
“Fuck! So that part of the legend was true, it can manipulate time.” Mac explodes: “Lock me down now!”
Barrons is on her. He simply vanishes then reappears with his hands on her shoulders, as if he, too, can sift. What the fuck are the Nine? Rather, ten, now. Great, Dageus was a handful before. Now he’s out there somewhere and able to move like the Nine. If he hunts, nothing will see him coming.
They both freeze for a long moment, Mac looking up, Barrons looking down. Then she says softly, “You’ll figure something out. This won’t be permanent. Or maybe I’ll figure something out. But you have to do it. I can’t guarantee that if I kill myself, it won’t simply jump to another body. Please, Jericho, don’t let me kill anyone else. I don’t want to live with the death of people I love on my conscience. I don’t want to live with the fate of the world on it. I can’t. This is the only way and you know it.”
“Hush,” he says softly and closes his eyes.
“Jericho, don’t,” she says. “I don’t know what it might do to you. Don’t go inside me after it.”
“Fucking trust me to be able to survive.”
“I can’t carry your death,” Mac says. “It would turn me into the same kind of monster that inhabits me. Once before I was willing to destroy the world just to get you back!”
He opens his eyes and a faint smile curves his lips. “I know,” he says, dark eyes glittering.
“That is not a good thing,” she hisses.
“In my book it is.”
“Well it’s bloody well not in mine,” I growl. “You heard her. Barrons, give us the stones.” If he doesn’t, I’ll be on him in seconds, take them from him.
