Logan’s heart, after all, belonged to his Queen, to his Breena? No matter who Logan ended up with, wouldn’t his heart always belong first and foremost to the woman who could never be his? No matter what – even if Rose managed to convince him, even if…it would never, she knew, be enough.
They were distracted by the furious roar of Queen Panthea. The spell had worn off, and now Panthea’s mouth was free once more.
“Come on, then, fool!” Panthea cried. “Come take your punishment at the hands of your commander. You should be used to doing the bidding of Queens by now!”
“No, Logan!” Rose cried. “Listen to me – you have to fight back! Don’t listen to anything that that… creature says to you! You’re listening to the Dark Forces themselves, a magic that can’t be reasoned with. You can only defeat her by refusing her power. Tear her out with your mind. With your heart. Don’t listen to her, Logan.”
“Insolent fool!” Panthea cried.
“We’re behind you…all of us. Rodney, Shasta, Alistair. Me!” Rose squeezed Logan’s hand. “Breena’s Champion. Feyland’s Champion. Close your ears – just fight.”
Logan raised his sword high in the air, a new passion burning in his eyes. He slashed the shadow again and again, his jaw set as he focused on defeating the darkness within him. Soon Panthea herself had vanished: Logan was fighting instead a dark, spreading shadow.
But as he was poised to strike the killing blow, the shadow took a new form – one that made Rose gasp in terror.
The shadow was Logan himself.
A voice rose from the depths. “Nobody is stronger than himself,” it said, speaking with Logan’s voice. “Especially a man so ruled by his animal side as you are, Logan. Mark my words, I will return as before.”
Logan closed his eyes as he slashed down one more time, and the shadow vanished.
Logan looked up cautiously at Rose, breathless with exhaustion. Rose instinctively tried to read his thoughts, as she had done before, but this time she heard nothing. It was as if she were trying to read a blank parchment. Had Logan put up some sort of guard against her? She flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Curses , Rose couldn’t help muttering. Of course she had to go and tell the man who made her weak at the knees that she had the power to read his mind. If he didn’t think she was some sort of crazed stalker before, he certainly would do now! But to Rose’s surprise and relief, Logan didn’t seem particularly fazed by Rose, nor did he look as if he thought anything of the kind about her. He walked over and put a friendly – just friendly ! Rose thought bitterly – hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, revelling in his closeness, in the bittersweet smell of his musk. She ached for his closeness. She looked up into his dark, brooding eyes – how tall and strong he was! Certainly half a head above Rodney or Alistair! – and wished that the longing she saw reflected in them could be, if just for a moment, for her.
“Looks like we won this battle,” said Logan with a jovial grin. “Now there will be plenty more like that where that one came from.” He tried to laugh off his tears. “Now we’ll be ready for the next one. Don’t get lazy, eh, Rose?” He looked around. “Where are the others?” He squeezed Rose’s hand. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
Rose led Logan back through the corridor to the others. Rodney and Shasta were curled up together, comforting each other. Both Rodney and Shasta had tears running down their cheeks; Rose knew that it would be a while before either truly recovered from the images they had seen. It took great emotions, hidden or known, for the Dark Forces to manifest itself into the ghostly images of loved ones. Alistair was sitting alone, absorbed in a book. Rose took a look closer. It wasn’t one of the books she recognized; they had brought as many as they could carry from
They were distracted by the furious roar of Queen Panthea. The spell had worn off, and now Panthea’s mouth was free once more.
“Come on, then, fool!” Panthea cried. “Come take your punishment at the hands of your commander. You should be used to doing the bidding of Queens by now!”
“No, Logan!” Rose cried. “Listen to me – you have to fight back! Don’t listen to anything that that… creature says to you! You’re listening to the Dark Forces themselves, a magic that can’t be reasoned with. You can only defeat her by refusing her power. Tear her out with your mind. With your heart. Don’t listen to her, Logan.”
“Insolent fool!” Panthea cried.
“We’re behind you…all of us. Rodney, Shasta, Alistair. Me!” Rose squeezed Logan’s hand. “Breena’s Champion. Feyland’s Champion. Close your ears – just fight.”
Logan raised his sword high in the air, a new passion burning in his eyes. He slashed the shadow again and again, his jaw set as he focused on defeating the darkness within him. Soon Panthea herself had vanished: Logan was fighting instead a dark, spreading shadow.
But as he was poised to strike the killing blow, the shadow took a new form – one that made Rose gasp in terror.
The shadow was Logan himself.
A voice rose from the depths. “Nobody is stronger than himself,” it said, speaking with Logan’s voice. “Especially a man so ruled by his animal side as you are, Logan. Mark my words, I will return as before.”
Logan closed his eyes as he slashed down one more time, and the shadow vanished.
Logan looked up cautiously at Rose, breathless with exhaustion. Rose instinctively tried to read his thoughts, as she had done before, but this time she heard nothing. It was as if she were trying to read a blank parchment. Had Logan put up some sort of guard against her? She flushed crimson with embarrassment.
Curses , Rose couldn’t help muttering. Of course she had to go and tell the man who made her weak at the knees that she had the power to read his mind. If he didn’t think she was some sort of crazed stalker before, he certainly would do now! But to Rose’s surprise and relief, Logan didn’t seem particularly fazed by Rose, nor did he look as if he thought anything of the kind about her. He walked over and put a friendly – just friendly ! Rose thought bitterly – hand on her shoulder. She closed her eyes, revelling in his closeness, in the bittersweet smell of his musk. She ached for his closeness. She looked up into his dark, brooding eyes – how tall and strong he was! Certainly half a head above Rodney or Alistair! – and wished that the longing she saw reflected in them could be, if just for a moment, for her.
“Looks like we won this battle,” said Logan with a jovial grin. “Now there will be plenty more like that where that one came from.” He tried to laugh off his tears. “Now we’ll be ready for the next one. Don’t get lazy, eh, Rose?” He looked around. “Where are the others?” He squeezed Rose’s hand. “I’m glad you’re safe.”
Rose led Logan back through the corridor to the others. Rodney and Shasta were curled up together, comforting each other. Both Rodney and Shasta had tears running down their cheeks; Rose knew that it would be a while before either truly recovered from the images they had seen. It took great emotions, hidden or known, for the Dark Forces to manifest itself into the ghostly images of loved ones. Alistair was sitting alone, absorbed in a book. Rose took a look closer. It wasn’t one of the books she recognized; they had brought as many as they could carry from
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