Having unintentionally lost the game when she’d felt Carmen slipping off her lap, Shane laid back and reinforced her shielding for the second time that night, mostly unconcerned since she’d had her release earlier, she knew she would have more control over the amount of magic she would let loose for the next few hours.

Meanwhile, back at Maeve’s Mansion…

Maeve had barricaded herself in her bedroom, clutching a pair of daggers—one in each hand.  She listened to the sounds of fighting coming from her garden, occasionally peeking out the window to see the battle’s progress.  Inevitably, it had moved several feet closer to the mansion…closer to her.

Outside, princess Meredith watched helplessly as yet another of her guards fell to the overwhelming power of the Nameless.  Her men were elite warriors among the sidhe, but all their skills and powers paled in comparison to the massive conglomeration of powers that had become the Nameless.  It was about 20 feet in diameter, roughly spherical, with limbs, protrusions, eyes and weapons that sprung out of its surface as needed.  It was vaguely flesh colored with iridescent swirls that dizzied the eye if peered upon for any length of time.  As it rolled forward several more feet, an octopus-like tentacle whipped out and knocked yet another guard down.  With a muffled cry, the sidhe warrior curled into a ball just as the Nameless rolled over him.  On three other sides of the monstrosity, the remaining guards slashed and parried inflicting minor wounds that slowed it down not at all. 

Tears rolled down Merry’s face as yet another guard fell.  In that moment, she hated King Taranis.  Hated him for clinging to his throne when he should have abdicated years ago.  Hated him for fearing Maeve so much that he had to send assassins for her.  Hated him for escalating the assassination attempts to the point where he unleashed the Nameless on them.  Hated him for losing control of it, and forcing her to clean up the mess, because she knew…once it killed Maeve, there would be no more restrictions on it…nothing to keep it from running rampant in California, killing everything it its path, wreaking havoc on the carefully cultured image that the faeries had worked for decades to develop and maintain.  All that hatred sparked off the anger and desperation she felt as the last of her guards was struck down and the creature rolled several feet closer.  As she felt all the malevolence rolling in waves off of the Nameless, she reached deep within herself, pulling out every last drop of willpower and reached out with one hand, muttering the word over and over again.