less physical strength than that one had and I was struggling. Like I said, Marcus was strong.
Summer was on the other side of the kid. “Dean, please don’t do this. Fight it. Fight it.”
I looked over to where Dev Quinn was still holding his forehead.
“You want to help me out here, buddy?” I asked, my arms starting to ache.
Quinn frowned my way. “Not particularly. My head feels like it’s going to explode. Play with him before you kill him, Marcus.”
Freaking men. The kid was close. So close to getting that sword in his gut. I decided to appeal to Marcus’s logic. “Summer likes this guy. Not going to help the whole courtship thing if you murder him. Summer, you need to understand that the hot vampire guy is totally making this happen. You tell him he won’t get any honey at all if he doesn’t fall in line and not kill people you like. Make that a hard limit. You have to take control, sister.”
I needed someone to take control because I was losing this fight. Every time I managed to move the kid an inch, he gained it back. The sword had started to press against the linen of his tunic, and it wouldn’t be long before the blood started to flow.
My head ached, but the truth was I’d been able to feel a bit of the soul that had invaded my brain. He hadn’t meant to hurt me. He was clumsy. He was a toddler and I’d been a puppy he held too tight. When he’d been inside my mind, I’d felt what I can only describe as a glow coming from him, and it hadn’t been bad. He wanted to do good. He wanted to be a hero. He wanted to make the world around him proud.
He also wanted Summer. And that, I believe, is what Marcus truly took exception to.
Summer looked to me, her hands on the kid’s other arm, trying to pull it away. “Please. Don’t let this happen. He’s like my brother. He’s got a great destiny. According to the prophecies I’ve read, one day Dean will return to his home plane and save it from the great magician.”
Wait. What? I was really glad I was good at multitasking or I would have lost the battle then and there because those words shocked the hell out of me.
“Marcus Vorenus, you shut this shit down right this fucking second,” I screamed, digging my heels in for leverage because that sword was getting closer and closer. Summer’s words swirled through my head and I realized I might be here for a very big reason that would die if this kid did. I could be wrong, but I had to know. “I swear if he dies, I’ll stake you myself. I might cry while I do it, but I will.”
Marcus seemed incapable of listening to me.
I had to try something else. He might not mind hurting the kid, but I had a bet he would think twice about hurting someone else. “Summer, when I get the sword up this time, put yourself in its way. If he’s going to gut your little brother, he’ll have to get through you to do it.”
Summer’s eyes widened, but she immediately started moving into position. “Yes. Yes, I’ll do it.”
I liked the chick. I like any chick who puts her ass on the line for the people she loves. Or in this case, it would be her torso. I would try like hell to make sure I didn’t hit her heart. She could function with one lung for a while. Then Marcus could clean up his own mess and I could figure out exactly who Dean was.
Suddenly I really needed to know who Dean was.
I was about to make my move and braced myself to put all my strength into pulling Dean’s arm back enough to let Summer settle in when Dean went completely limp and passed out on the ground.
Summer immediately dropped to her knees beside him. I picked up the sword because I wasn’t about to let Marcus play eviscerator again. I turned to my old mentor. “This is why we can’t have nice things.”
His eyes came up and I noted his fangs were out. His words came out on a low growl. “He was in my head.”
I stared at him. “Are you fucking kidding me? Hypocrite much?”
Dev snorted. “He’s not as self-aware as I thought he was. Will the boy live? Or did Marcus shut his brain off?