A tremble started through me. I suddenly didn’t want to hear this story. Luke had used “was,” past tense. Which meant his brother was no longer here, or was no longer his best friend or both.

I started to stand and Luke put his hand out. “He fell in love with one of the Fomorii women, sided with them in a battle.”

“I don’t want to hear this,” I said, but he went on.

“He fought with me on the field. I didn’t want to hurt him, did my best not to,” he said, his voice thick with sorrow. “In the end, it didn’t matter, the hold the Fomorii had on him was stronger than his love for me, his brother. I killed him Quinn.”

I sucked in a sharp breath and stared at the man in front of me, who I barely knew, and found myself reaching out to him, to take his hand. “It was self defence?” I asked.

“Does that matter? I killed him. I didn’t want that for you Quinn. I live everyday knowing that I ended his life.”

His words took a minute to settle in. “What do you mean you don’t want that for me?”

“Part of the prophecy is that you will kill your own sister. That in battle you will end her life. I didn’t want that for you, I know that pain . . .” He kept talking but I didn’t hear the words, all I could hear was Grandpa screaming at me.

YOU WILL KILL HER YOU BITCH.

“Get away, you don’t know that!” I screamed at him. Pulling away, I shook with fear, anger and grief. It wasn’t true, it wasn’t.

“It’s better that she’s gone now Quinn; trust me, you don’t want that part of the prophecy to come true. As hard as it is for you now, it is better that her life is ended by the enemy, not her sister.” He let out a deep sigh while I stared at him, horror filling me. He meant that they would kill Ashling. That if they hadn’t already, the Fomorii would kill her.

“We will stay here a few days while I line up the Council. They aren’t prepared for you yet. Or me for that matter.” His lips tugged up in a rueful grin. “The Council doesn’t know I’m here yet. When they figure it out, I’ll be in trouble, but it was worth it, to be here for you.”