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away.
    A tentacle wrapped around my left ankle midstride and yanked me off my feet. Cora was thrown from my shoulders ; I wrenched my dagger out. I slashed at the black, leathery tentacle that was drag ging me back towards the water , but the hide was too thick.
    I heard Luke yell to my right and a tentacle that was flying towards my face was sliced open, spraying me with blue blood , thick like oil. T he creature let out a gurgling cry, its parrot - like beak breaking the water for a split second. Determined not to draw Luke and Cora into more danger, I drew my power forward , preparing to hit the water beast with a blaze of fire .
    “Quinn, no!” Luke shouted as I released the flame, but nothing happened. A small streak of light and then a puff of smoke . The creature blinked a single eye at me, and smiled .
    I felt my power suddenly sucked out , a s if the monster had a tentacle deep inside me. M y body weaken ed fast; I dropped my dagger in the dirt as my hand went limp . My eyes rolled ; I could feel the darkness reach ing for me when I was suddenly jerked free of the creature ’ s grasp, its suction cups releasing me with an audible “pop . ”
    Someone lifted me over their shoulder and ran. The world bounced crazily ; the trees, sky and water blurred together in a kaleidoscope of blues and greens .
    “Put me down, I’m gonna puke.” I gasped out, feeling the bile rise in the back of my throat.
    Hands gently lowered me to a moss - covered mound where I promptly heaved until my stomach was empty. Wiping my mouth with the back of my hand, I coughed and turned around.
    “Thanks Luke , ” I said, then blinked and stared. It wasn’t Luke who’d rescued me ; in fact, I wasn’t entirely sure that I had been rescued at all.

5
     
    The girl looked to be no more than twelve or thirteen years old , and had long brown hair that trailed to the ground . But it was her eyes that held my attention. The pupils were s ha ped like a cat ’ s , and they were two different colours, the left one blue, the right a vibrant spring green. She smiled at me, showing pointed teeth like a Fomorii , though to be fair they were much smaller and more dainty in appearance . I scrambled backward s , and Called my knife. In a split second the bone handle warmed under my fingers. We were deep into the grove ; I had no idea where Luke and Cora were.
    She lifted her hands. “ Shhh . N o harm. None. No hurt.”
    Her voice was downright hypnotic and I fought the urge to lay my head down and let her croon to me. I lifted my knife. “What are you? Fomorii ?”
    She let out a trilling laugh that set the birds o ff in the trees around us. “No.” She put her hand to her chest, “B ean sidhe.”
    I blinked and shook my head. “I don’t know what that is.”
    Smiling, her teeth glinting in the light , she crouched down. It didn’t make me feel any safer so I scooted back.
    “Bean sidhe, Banshee . But there is a name too. Would you like to know it?”
    Banshee. Like the Queen who’d helped down our helicopter. But she was young. I cleared my throat. “Okay, what’s your name?”
    She curtsied , her knee - length skirt brushing the moss. “ Aednat is happy to meet you . ” She pronounced it slowly for me but even so, I had her repeat it for me until I got it.
    “A-nit.” I frowned, drawing out the sounds . “Is that right?”
    There was a crackling of bushes and the girl lifted her head ; she sniffed the air. “Tuatha boy is coming ; hurry Tuatha don’t like bean sidhe.” She held her hand out to me.
    “I’m Tuatha , ” I said , and again she trilled , her laughter dancing along the edge of my skin.
    “Only very little. Mostly not.” She beckoned to me . “Come, hurry, Tuatha won’t help. You will help.”
    “Help what?” I was beyond confused , yet again.
    Luke burst through a small bush, his sword levelled at the girl ’ s chest. “Step away from her Banshee !” He roared. Cora streaked into the small glen, her mouth