Hellfire

Chapter Fifty-Seven

'How much longer do you need?'

Iris gazed at me balefully. 'Weeks, and that's being generous. This isn't an easy thing to make, Susan.'

I needed it now though. Charles and Sara had both joined Theresa in their permanent sleep within the safety of Alistair's room. Oliver was watching over them all, ensuring they all slept dreamlessly and nothing got into their heads to puppeteer their sleeping bodies. Morrigan was just sliding into their souls one by one, encouraging them to try enter Lucius' room and do God knows what to him so she could wake. It was fucking unsettling and the remaining youngsters were terrified, even if they tried to be brave about it. They had no clue what was happening, only that I'd randomly point at one of them and order Oliver to put them into coma. Thankfully they trusted me and didn't fight me over it – but they knew something bad was happening.

Worse was Lucius. My groom hadn't stirred once to steal some precious kisses and bury his teeth in me to renew his strength. He hadn't even spoken to me in his sleep like usual or stepped in when trouble stirred up. He remained in Morrigan's Well, dangerously still and bleeding rivers to keep her caged, not once speaking to me or waking. He hadn't fed in a fortnight, and Doc could only do so much by pumping him full of my blood daily. Either his addiction would worsen, his control, and then we'd have two archons to face, not just one, or Lucius would burn himself out.

'We can't rush this. It's dangerous to.' Iris hissed sharply. 'You said this threat was dangerous for even Lord Vortigern, so it means its already powerful. I'm not going to make it stronger.'

I couldn't deny that, but I still wanted to fight her. I wanted to burn and hunt, the things I was good at and my go-to means to solve any problem. I couldn't though. I couldn't burn this problem away.

And Lucius hadn't opened his eyes in so long.

Hadn't held me or kissed me.

It was terrifying.

I left Iris then, determined not to point my boiling anger at the one person who could probably help me, and fled home. I intended to hole up in Lucius' room and sleep with my head against his chest, but, as I entered the house Mo appeared. She looked at me expectantly and tugged her cigarette out of her mouth.

'I was just coming to get you.'

I stared blankly, until I remembered I'd vowed to go with Mo down to Ella's flat. Partly to give a hand, partly to give me a break from Morrigan, partly because Ella wanted to see me. She'd technically left back in September but had hung around while she organised her living arrangements; I.E selling her very light pent-house apartment, and buying a cheaper basement one. No windows meant Alistair could stay with her without risking his health; a nice little nest for them.

That thought made my body tense and hellfire puff. I glanced down the hall, spying that battered door down in the depths, almost mockingly standing there, reminding me what was behind it and the death it was going to bring to Alistair and Ella the moment it sniffed them out.

'You coming still?' Mo said. 'Or are you doing Something Else?'

Something Else was what everyone in the house called Lucius' current battle against Morrigan and my job to support him with it. They had nothing else to call it.

'I can't.' I muttered.

Lucius needed me. My rummaging in Morrigan's dreamscapes had given me nothing so far, and that book would remain shut until I could poison the bitch.

'Please go.' Oliver begged. 'Your temper has been so high that the bats are melting and the house is too hot that the youngsters can barely follow their lessons.'