Essence of Quinn Parts 3 & 4: Papa IV Era & The Main Event - Fate Breaker (MxM)

Darkness and Light

⚠️ I'm putting a trigger warning on this chapter, and the warning itself is a spoiler, but it needed to be done. The trigger is BABY/INFANT LOSS ⚠️

As someone who has experienced this personally to a certain degree, it's not a chapter I went into writing lightly.

I understand there will be readers who do not want to read this, and I offer them gentle hugs 🫂

I hope I handled this okay 🖤

They waited, and Quinn could feel Amon was anxious. He shifted from foot to foot, growling when there was some kind of interference as Shay requested the summoning.

Air was trembling again, and Quinn sent him soothing energy. He smelled blood, and realised with their rude interruption, the mark he'd left on Air's neck still oozed blood. He gently stroked his palm over it and sent some healing energy.

Air sighed and sagged against him, reaching up and taking his hand. Amon's gaze tracked the movements and Quinn scowled at him when he met his eyes. Amon quickly looked away.

Finally, they accepted the summons. Shay ushered Quinn and Air into the circle.

"Svarog will be waiting for you on the other side. He'll update you on the situation and take you to Boreas," Amon said.

Quinn sighed and nodded, dreading coming face to face with the Prime Ghoul again after all this time. At their last meeting, Quinn had lashed out at him, and Boreas had almost taken his head for it.

He felt the familiar crackle of magic across his skin a few seconds before the two of them appeared in a small summoning chapel at the Council chambers that Quinn didn't recognise.

"Finally!" Svarog said, gesturing for them to move out of the circle. "Follow me."

Quinn stayed where he was.

"What does Boreas want from me?"

The massive fire ghoul growled and grabbed Quinn's arm.

"I do not know. He just told us to fetch you immediately, so we need to run. They've tried everything. I fear it could be too late for them already. The healers are saying there's nothing else they can do," he said, an edge of panic in his voice.

Quinn forgave being manhandled, as he could feel the stress the other ghoul was under. Couple that with Air's own building panic, and Quinn realised he was going to have to protect himself against the emotions he'd no doubt be bombarded with when he reached Lyra and Boreas.

Svarog threw open a series of doors until they reached a short corridor that was permeated with Boreas and Lyra's scent. Quinn realised he and Air had just been transported to the Prime Ghoul's panic room. His personal summoning room where, if things here went to shit, he and his family could escape the Council buildings. That must have been what the delay was; reconfiguring the summoning magic.

Air's panic reminded him he needed to protect himself, so he put up his shields and followed Svarog into the Prime Ghoul's apartments.

As soon as they crossed the threshold, he sensed many ghouls and ghulehs. Air and Boreas' extended family, some of whom Quinn only barely recognised, along with some of Lyra's were milling around in the main room. All eyes swung to them when they entered, but Quinn ignored them. Air's sister Aella sat huddled together with their parents and Grammie Ayla, but they jumped up and ran to Air, throwing their arms around him. He hugged them back briefly, but didn't linger.