I turn to Rainey. “Hell, no. I won’t be used.”
“But if you don’t use her, you die.”
“Then I die.”
“Why not drink from her and just get it over with?”
“Because if he does, she’ll leave town.” As has been typical over the last couple of months, Delaney sees right through to my motives.
“I’m not entirely sure she’ll stick around as it is,” I tell them. “She’s pretty damn intent on being left alone.”
“Because she’s being corrupted by the shadow magic.” Fearghas shakes his head. “It’s going to completely alter her personality, corrupting the way she thinks, acts—it’ll destroy her. Apparently, taking you down with her.”
“Then we need to get it out of her.”
“Easier said than done,” I tell Delaney.
“Not if we trap her.” Walker unfolds his arms and shoves both hands into his pockets. “She obviously wants something with Tarnley, so we use him as bait and lock her ass in some iron until we can pull the shadow magic out.”
“Which will only work if she hasn’t killed an innocent,” Fearghas reminds us.
“You want to trap a dark witch and force her to give up magic that makes her damn near invincible?” Rainey snorts. “What could go wrong?”
“It’s Bronywyn,” Delaney retorts. Then, she looks at her mate. “We’ve faced worse.” I know she’s thinking of when she’d been forced to kill him, and while that day definitely goes down as one of my shittier ones—broken neck and all—it still doesn’t compare to the fight we’re facing with Bronywyn. Mainly because we care what happens to her.
It would be easier if she were someone we didn’t know, if we could just kill her and move on with our lives.
But dark witch or not, there’s no scenario where I could willingly kill Bronywyn. I’ve been in love with her for centuries, and I’ll do anything to get her back. Even if it means sacrificing myself to do so.
My vision swims, something that happens to a vampire with low blood intake, so I lean against the wall. “Fine. We trap her, call that other fae, and then move forward with forcibly removing the magic.”
Everyone nods.
“Let’s just hope she doesn’t kill us first,” Rainey adds.