by Donna Grant
“Cael,” she said. “I’m appointing you the next leader.” Erith frowned as she took in the healing wounds on the warriors’ bodies. “Take some time and heal. Both of you. There is something I must finish before I return.”
Cael bowed his head, his silver eyes holding hers. “Is there anything we can do?”
She briefly considered sending them to Dreagan to watch over Con, then thought better of it. “We must all mourn this day and what transpired. Bran is in the past. We move forward from here.”
Erith slid her gaze to Eoghan, who bowed his head in agreement. Her focus then returned to Cael. It had been easy to keep her distance from him, but as leader, she would have to communicate with him often. It would be the ultimate test. Though, if she were honest, she looked forward to having an excuse to talk to Cael. On the flip side, being that close to him and unable to do anything would be the most difficult thing she would likely ever endure.
“I won’t let you down,” Cael pledged.
She found her lips curving into a smile despite the situation. “I have no doubt.”
She wanted to stay, to make sure Cael and Eoghan got past what’d happened with their fellow Reapers, but Erith remembered where she had been before being called to them.
As if reading her mind, Cael said, “Go. Eoghan and I will be fine.”
With one last look into his stunning silver eyes, Erith returned to the Fae Realm. Rhi was no longer in the same spot, however. With a little concentration, Erith located the Light. Though she was unprepared to find Rhi hanging onto life by the barest of threads.
Fury consumed her. Erith looked around, searching for what or who could have done this to Rhi. She kneeled beside the Fae and showed herself. Rhi was lost to pain and mumbling Con’s name. Erith’s heart broke all over again—for Rhi, for Con, and for the child they would never know.
Erith placed her hand on Rhi’s arm. The damage to Rhi was extensive. Erith might be a goddess, but her powers weren’t unlimited. Only one person could save Rhi, but Erith wasn’t sure she had time to return to Earth and get Con. Already, she could feel the heartbeat…no, wait…that was heartbeats fading. The babies were dying.
“By the stars. Twins,” Erith murmured.
There was no way to save the twins and Rhi. But she had to do something. Suddenly, a thought took root. It was a wild endeavor, one that could fail epically. But Erith owed it to Con and Rhi to at least try.
“Please,” she whispered as she closed her eyes and called upon her magic.
Erith had only attempted something like this once. It had worked, and she prayed this time did, as well. Tears filled her eyes as she felt the life draining from Rhi and the twins. Erith concentrated deeply, using every ounce of power she possessed as she carefully extracted the twins from Rhi. The instant she had them, Erith encased them in protective magic that mimicked a womb.
She opened her eyes and smiled triumphantly when the twins’ heartbeats grew stronger. Erith breathed a sigh of relief. But it didn’t last long. One look at Rhi told her that the Fae was declining rapidly. Erith tried to help, but she didn’t have magic to heal, not like Con.
“I’ll be back. Hang on, Rhi. Do you hear me? Hang on.”
Erith gathered the tiny babies in their egg-shaped carrier and teleported to Dreagan. She found Con in his mountain, sleeping.
“No,” she said with a shake of her head.
This was worse than she’d thought. She’d expected Con to be depressed and grieving, not so deep in his thoughts that he was nearly lost to her. Erith didn’t have time to bring him back. Rhi needed him now!
She appeared before him, hoping her arrival would alert him. He didn’t twitch. Erith knew that if Con was like this now, he would never recover if Rhi died. And Rhi needed him. Erith took a deep breath and leaned over Con before she shouted his name. Nothing she did helped.
Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped open.
She veiled herself and breathed a sigh of relief. She decided it would be better if she stayed out of things. Once Con had healed Rhi, Erith would return the children to Rhi’s womb, where they belonged.
With Con awake, he seemed to sense that Rhi was in trouble. Erith helped guide him to the Fae doorway, and then Con did the rest. Despite her efforts, when they reached Rhi, Erith held onto her soul for a few seconds until Con could heal her. Only then did Erith let the tears come. Neither of them would ever know how close Rhi had been to death.
Erith had never held a Fae’s soul that she didn’t intend to make a Reaper. But she knew in her heart that she had to do it. Great things were ahead for both Con and Rhi.
She wept as she watched how Con gently held Rhi against him as he gazed at her with undying love and devotion. Erith was intruding on something private, but she couldn’t make herself turn away.
For a moment, Erith thought Con might reverse his decision as he stood at the doorway to return to Earth. The pain on his face as he held his beloved cut through Erith. She wanted to comfort Con, to tell him that things would get better—but it would be a lie. Life without his mate would be the most trying and challenging thing he would ever experience.
But his mate was alive, and so were his bairns. Eventually, he would have them back in his life.
At least, she hoped that was the case.
The road forward…
Erith followed Con as he returned to the doorway. She watched in approval as he decimated the Fae, who had nearly killed Rhi. Just before he walked through the portal, he paused, indecision crossing his face. She knew he was contemplating what life would be like if he and Rhi remained on the realm.
His responsibilities as King of Kings forced him to return to Earth, even though it meant giving up his mate. With the bairns safely beside her, Erith continued trailing Con as he took the long way to Rhi’s cottage. Not that she blamed him. He was soaking in every last moment he could with his mate. Erith wished she had a solution for Con, but she didn’t.
She didn’t intrude when Con walked inside the house. Erith thought Rhi might wake, but it was probably kinder to both of them that she didn’t. Once Con said his farewell, he strode from the house with tears in his eyes. He didn’t hesitate before shifting and flying away. Erith watched him, her heart heavy for what her friend suffered—and would endure—for many years.
Only when he was out of sight did Erith go into the cottage and lower her veil. The color had returned to Rhi’s cheeks, but the toll of the attack, as well as the ending of her relationship, was too much for the Fae. Rhi was strong. She would recover. Maybe.
Erith looked at the twins. Con hadn’t merely broken Rhi’s heart. It was destroyed. Rhi needed something to bring her joy, and that was her children. Erith brought the twins, still encased in magic, to hover over Rhi. Erith then called up her power to replace the bairns. It wasn’t the first time she had done something similar, but she had more time this go-round.
Her eyes snapped to Rhi’s face. Secrets. So many secrets. One day, they would all come to light. Erith sincerely wished she could tell her side of things when it happened, but if not, then she hoped that at least those who learned all of her secrets would see why she had done the things she had.
“It’s all been out of love,” Erith whispered.
She took a deep breath and focused her magic on the task of returning the twins. Except…she couldn’t. It wasn’t because Rhi’s body wouldn’t accept the babies. And it wasn’t because her magic wasn’t capable.
It was because the bairns were fighting against her.
Erith looked down at the tiny formations that resembled tadpoles no bigger than sweet peas. If the twins had this kind of magic now, what would they be like as adults? She could barely comprehend it.
“You must return to your mother’s womb, where you belong,” Erith told them.
She tried again to replace them. This time, she realized that only one of the twins struggled against her. She couldn’t tell which one—or even why the child didn’t want to go back in Rhi’s wom
b.
“No, no. This isn’t what’s supposed to happen. Your parents need you. You may be the only thing that pulls Rhi through this.”
The talk did nothing to sway the bairn. Erith increased her power, but she was hesitant to use it fully for fear of harming the babies or Rhi.
Finally, she relented, if only to give herself and the twins a moment of rest before attempting it again. Erith knew the best place for the children was with their mother. So, Erith pushed against the twin fighting her. A smile formed when she gained some ground. Just when she thought she had won, Erith felt one of the bairns jerk in pain.
She cut off her magic instantly.
That’s when she knew she wouldn’t be able to return the bairns to Rhi—not now, at least.
“What have I done?” Erith whispered in distress as she looked at Rhi.
She had done the only thing she could to save the babies and Rhi. But now, the twins wouldn’t return to their mother. Erith looked around helplessly, unsure of what to do. If she forced the twins to return, then one or both might die. She would never forgive herself if that happened.
“If Rhi doesn’t have her children, she’ll never forgive me.”
It was an impossible situation. Erith foolishly believed that she had outwitted Fate by ensuring that Rhi, Con, and the twins lived. Now, she feared that she might have overstepped, and in so doing, ruined whatever happiness Rhi and Con might find in the future.
The sound of someone approaching snapped Erith out of her misery. She veiled herself and the bairns and moved away from the bed just as Balladyn entered Rhi’s chamber. Erith had known of the warrior for some time. He was exceptional, a true legend amongst the Light and Dark—and respected by both. He would make a great Reaper, though she was happy he would never have to suffer betrayal and death in order to become one of hers. Balladyn would lead a remarkable life, and she would watch it all with a smile.
She had known of Balladyn’s love for Rhi for some time, as well. It was too bad that Rhi had fallen in love with Con because Rhi and Balladyn would’ve made an incredible couple. But Erith suspected someone extraordinary was waiting for Balladyn. It would take him letting go of his love for Rhi first, however.
Erith knew she should check on Cael and Eoghan, but she wanted to attempt to return the bairns to Rhi’s womb once more. She was an intruder watching as Balladyn gazed at Rhi with adoration and concern. Balladyn finally walked out of the chamber, giving Erith the chance she needed. Before she even began, both twins pushed back, letting her know in no uncertain terms that they were having none of her plan.
Which left her with only one option.
“I’m so sorry, Rhi,” Erith whispered. “Every mother should know the joy of their child growing inside them. I’ll return them to you as soon as I can. The explanation will be difficult, but I have too many other secrets to carry. I don’t want this one, as well.”
With that, Erith gathered the twins in their egg-shaped casing and brought them to her realm. The magic she’d swathed them in would be a fine substitute for a womb. She took them to her chamber in the white tower and put them in a small cradle she conjured.
Stepping back, she looked at the twins, noting how much the casing resembled that of an egg.
“A dragon egg,” she whispered with a sad grin.
Erith was the only one with access to her realm. That meant the twins were safer here than anywhere else in the universe. No matter how many times she told herself that, though, she knew it would never make up for what she had done. Neither Rhi nor Con would accept her reasoning that she had taken the twins to ensure they lived, along with Rhi.
And she couldn’t blame them. She wouldn’t believe it either.
“You need your parents just as they need both of you,” she told the twins. “I didn’t sense anything wrong with Rhi, but perhaps you did. Maybe that’s why you fought me. We’ll give her time to fully recover from her attack, but then I’m returning you to her.”
Erith walked from her chamber and blew out a breath. She should go to Con and tell him. She could even take the twins to him since they were his children. What right did she have to keep them with her?
“Because I’m going to fix my mistake,” she told herself.
At least, she hoped she would get the chance. If she couldn’t, then she would take the twins to Dreagan to be with Con.
Erith took one last look over her shoulder at the babies before she went to her Reapers. She found Cael and Eoghan sitting in a cave near the Celtic Sea. The two had formed an immediate friendship when Cael joined their ranks. The Reapers were an exclusive group, and while each of them knew how Death had chosen them, only the leader knew what betrayal caused it and who had perpetrated it.
The treachery bound those she chose as Reapers. Nothing in Bran’s past, or even while he had been a Reaper, had alerted her to the steps he would take to rip their family apart.
The blame lay on her shoulders because she should’ve been more vigilant. They were still men with needs, beings who yearned for love. It didn’t matter that they were her assassins, reaping the souls of those she judged. She knew better than most that good or evil, light or dark, a being still craved to love and to be loved.
Cael slid his gaze from the cave entrance to her. She was veiled, so there was no way he could see her. Could he? Erith showed herself. For the briefest of moments, she and Cael stared at each other. She was the first to look away.
“We’re all right,” he said.
Erith swung her gaze to Eoghan. The Fae had suffered horribly before she found him. It was why he’d chosen not to speak. In his silver eyes, she saw that his past still had a firm grip on him, and she wondered if Eoghan would ever be able to shake free of it. That he was still alive was proof of his strength of will.
She walked to stand before Eoghan. He rose to his feet and nodded in greeting. Erith flashed him a quick grin. “Let me know if you need anything.”
Eoghan placed his right hand over his heart and bowed his head. He jerked his chin to Cael then walked from the cave.
Erith fought not to fidget with her full, black silk skirt. When she turned her head to Cael, his beautiful silver eyes were locked on her. She lifted her chin and faced him. “How are you?”
“We lost friends today. We lost a good leader. But you put away the one responsible. We’ll be fine after we grieve,” he told her.
She released a breath and lowered her gaze to the cave floor. “I’m sorry. I should’ve been there. I should’ve kept an eye on Bran.”
“He broke your rule. In my mind, if someone ignores a rule, they must accept the consequences—whatever they may be.”
Erith cocked her head to the side and briefly narrowed her eyes. “You don’t agree with my actions.”
“I never said that.”
“You didn’t have to. It was there in your words anyway.”
Cael’s shoulders lifted as he sucked in a breath. “This is your group. Your rules. We agreed to follow your orders without question. Though Bran might not admit it, he, like the rest of us, understands why you want to keep our existence secret. I also know that it pained you to take the life of the Fae Bran loved.”
“Why do you say that?”
“It’s there in your eyes. Even now.”
She frowned and took a step back.
“If I hadn’t seen the goodness in your eyes when you gave me the chance to be a Reaper, I wouldn’t have accepted. You shouldn’t hide how you feel. You shouldn’t hide anything about yourself.”
Erith wasn’t sure how to respond to such words. No one had ever said anything like that to her before.
Cael moved closer. “Don’t worry about Eoghan. I’ll make sure he gets through this.”
“What about you?”
“He’ll be there for me.” Cael gave her a crooked smile. “That’s how family works.”
“That’s good,” she murmured, distracted by his nearness.
He raised a black brow. “And you?”
“Me?” she asked with a frown.
“We are a family. All of us. You formed this unit, and it was ripped apart today. You’re worried about us, but we’re concerned for you.”
Erith wanted to move away so she could breathe easier. She was uncomfortable with anyone showing any kind of emotion toward her. She didn’t know how to react or answer.
Cael caught her gaze and held it. “You aren’t alone. I know you don’t need us, but Eoghan and I will be here if you wish to talk.”
“Thank you,” she said, then teleported to her realm before she did something stupid like cry.
Over the next few days, she struggled with her actions regarding Bran and taking the twins from Rhi. And no matter how hard she tried not to think about him, her thoughts kept returning to Cael and his parting words.
Finally, Erith went to Dreagan to check on Con. The King of Dragon Kings had buried his pain deep. It might be deep enough that he could continue on for a certain amount of time, but eventually, that sorrow would catch up with him. In front of his Kings, he was stalwart, tireless, and focused on forging a path for his brethren.
But in the solitude of his mountain, he grieved deeply for the loss of his mate.
So many times, Erith wanted to comfort him, to give him hope, but she didn’t. She had already interfered too much. But she would make it right. Somehow. In the meantime, she would stand by her friend, offering silent support as he carried on the best he could.
Erith saw Rhi twice as much as she did Con, and each time she lost the nerve to show herself and explain things to the Fae. Rhi suffered just as profoundly as Con. And just like her mate, Rhi did her best to conceal it. She wasn’t as successful as Constantine, however. There were days when the pain of it all slammed into Rhi, dragging her down. Rhi would spend hours alone, crying for the love she had lost.
Every time Erith went to Rhi, she brought the twins and attempted to right what she had done. And each time the bairns fought her until it was too late to return them. Erith vowed then and there that she would keep the babes safe until they were born, and she could then bring them to Rhi.