Page 48 of Sidhe (The Incubus Saga #3)

Solrin held onto Nathan tighter. “He is the only being in existence that has ever truly understood the way the world is. I will follow the Morning Star gladly, and he will make this world as it was meant to be, as it should be. The corrupted beings must be wiped from this earth. Nathan, that is why you must lead. When you become one with him,” he said almost giddy, “together we can make the world right. You will have the power to take the darkness from them,” he gestured at Jim and Sasha, “and make them truly the way they have made you believe they are. Then if you still love them, you can be sure it is real. He would never ask you to give up what you love.”

And Nathan had to assume that the only reason Solrin believed that was because he didn’t have any loved ones for Malak to take away. Or maybe he did, maybe the hard life Solrin had lived was all orchestrated by Malak too, for this end, for this damnable future.

Nathan wished he could make it all untrue somehow, go back and find Solrin before Malak got to him, but he couldn’t. Malak set him up for this. He set him up perfectly. Again .

“Sol.” Nathan took a step back, pulling his hands from Solrin’s grip finally, and hating the whole damn world because he had no choice but to pull his own gun and point it at Solrin’s chest. The white-haired seal did not look startled, but the pity on his face returned.

“You’re wrong. Malak isn’t the answer. Now let them go.

Because between you and them, you are not going to win. ”

Solrin stood tall, not even having to pay any mind to Jim and Sasha to ensure his power over the incubus remained in place, leaving them both immobile. “You will not shoot me.”

“I don’t want to,” Nathan said, “but I can’t let you hurt them. I can’t let you twist everything to serve Malak. You’re wrong about them, Sol, and me, but especially about him . Let them go. Or I will shoot.”

Face benign and resolve steadfast, Solrin took a new step toward Nathan, only his mismatched eyes betraying that same reverence like Nathan was something holy. “I have waited for you,” he said, unafraid of the gun pointed at him, “I will not let them corrupt you any further.”

A horrible choking sound came from Jim, Sasha’s grip tightening against his will.

Nathan hated that the only thing he could do was cock the gun.

“You're right, he can’t have what I love,” Nathan said warningly.

“No one is taking what I love away from me ever again . You want to be a fool and think Malak’s promises are real, go ahead.

But you’re wrong. He’s the dark sidhe king, Sol, not some angel sent to save the world.

How can you think he’s the Devil and believe he would make the world better?

If I gave myself to him like he wants, it would be a brave new world, all right, overrun with the very things you hate.

I don’t know what promises he’s been feeding you, but it’s all a fucking lie. Either you stand down or I shoot.”

The rest of the room fell away, only the sound of Sasha and Jim’s heavy breathing nearby keeping him grounded. Solrin’s face was impassive.

“Guys! Anyone! Is the whole fucking Gatehouse gone or what!?”

Nathan froze, eyes wide in horror as he sickeningly thought, Iain . No .

Nathan’s hesitation was all the opportunity Solrin needed to rush forward. His wrist stung as Solrin gripped it too hard and snatched the gun from his hand.

“And what will I see in him, I wonder?” Solrin whispered. “Another monster hiding behind kindness and normalcy? I will prove the truth to you, Nathan.” They were too close to the door, close enough that Solrin was out of the room the second he let Nathan go.

Nathan heard an agonized gasp from Jim, and turned to see that Sasha had released him. The incubus looked even weaker than before, his eyes still red like he couldn’t change them back, and he suddenly dropped straight to the floor.

Jim, still coughing and sucking in air, dropped down beside him, gathering Sasha into his arms to make sure he was all right. He was conscious, at least. “Nathan!” Jim looked up at him. “ Iain !”

Nathan dashed across the room to grab up the gun Solrin had dropped earlier, and raced from the room without a second thought.

The first thing he spotted in the bar was Solrin, looking about madly for where Iain’s voice had come from.

The white-haired seal was still shirtless, only in his cargos, his scars revealed for anyone to see.

It was understandably the first thing Iain focused on when he finally came in from one of the bar entrances and stopped cold.

“Jesus! You guys scared the shit out of me. I had this weird feeling of being drawn downstairs and…” That’s when his eyes fell upon the scar tissue covering so much of Solrin, and Nathan heard an audible gasp.

“Are…are you okay? What happened to you?” he asked with honest concern, like he couldn’t tell that all the wounds were healed.

“Monsters…everywhere,” Solrin sneered.

He raised his gun at Iain and fired.