Steady, Quinn. It is almost done.
Shaking, my hands gripped Carnwennan, my one palm over the stone that held Aednat’s soul. “Take her,” I whispered.
An image of Aednat flickered beside me for a moment. She smiled then disappeared. Finally, she had the satisfaction of watching me die.
A bright swirl of blue and green light erupted from the blade’s hilt and wrapped around Chaos.
“No, you can’t do this!” She screamed her defiance. The soul gem started to hum and dark tendrils of mist started to seep out of Ashling’s body.
Chaos continued to thrash, her desire to live strong, but even she couldn’t fight the pull of the gem.
“Ashling, fight. Fight for me!” I yelled, grabbing her hands while blood poured out of me. I couldn’t save us both.
Her nails dug into my fingers as she yanked me off balance. We tumbled to the side, Chaos ending up on top of me, pinning me to the ground.
“If I’m going to be trapped, then I am taking you with me.” She had her black sword in her hand, and I had nothing to block her with. In the back of my mind, I knew I could hit her with a blast of power, but I didn’t want to hurt Ashling anymore than I had already.
As the blade came down, I braced myself. “I love you Ash.”
She stopped in mid swing, a look of pain rippled across her face. “Quinn?” Beautiful, pristine green eyes widened as she slid off me, slumping into the sand, her body shuddering once, and then going still. My mind skittered away from the possibility of failure. Not this time, this time I would save her. Clutching my wound, I scrambled over to her.
I pulled Carnwennan out of her, the stone a deeper shade of green and blue, but otherwise unchanged. Chaos was trapped. “It’s going to be okay, Ash. Trust me,” I whispered.
My hand still had the etching of the Cauldron on it.
Don’s words came back to me. “If you use the Cauldron a second time, you will likely lose your life.”
“Likely?”
“Well, let’s just say that it will take everything you have and then keep on taking.”
Taking a deep breath, I lay it over Ashling’s wound, her blood warm; I was dead either way. The wound from Chaos’ sword was on fire. The pain was racing through me and making my heart thump erratically.
Warmth spread through me as I willed the Cauldron to heal her, pouring my powers from it into her. Her skin flushed pink and began to knit together, the clean slice from Carnwennan closing over in a thin, white line. I felt myself growing weaker by the moment.
But Ashling still wasn’t breathing. I used what Gormley had taught me, not to just try to use my powers, but to actually give them up. For Ashling, I would give it all up; it was the last thing I could do for her.
Everything I had went into those moments. First Card’s power was taken, then I felt my own power begin to be drawn from me.
“Come on Ash,” I whispered. Her body jerked and her chest rose, once, twice.
“She’s breathing!” I screamed, unable to believe that it was working, that I was able to heal her.
Gormley shuffled over to us. “There is only one problem.”
I lifted my eyes to hers, but didn’t take my hands from Ashling. The world around me was starting to tilt. The blood loss was too much.
“We do not want her as our leader,” the old woman said. She lifted her hand, power swirling around her. I wasn’t sure that I had anything left to stop her with.
Ashling began to stir. It would have to be enough; it wouldn’t matter if I healed her completely if I had let the Fomorii kill her when she was still helpless.
Literally powerless, using the last of my strength, I leapt at Gormley, tackling her to the ground. The blast of power hit me square in the chest, throwing me backwards. Time seemed to slow. I saw Bres and Luke, running out of the water towards us, Lir close behind them. I saw Ashling sit up, a hand to her head. Her eyes were clear.
I hit the throne, my back snapping with the impact. The bones crunched, splintering. I couldn’t stop the scream that ripped out of me.
I am here, granddaughter. The pain will be but a moment.
I’d given Ashling everything to heal her. She would be okay. It was the only consolation I had; I could feel my body dying.
18
Brilliant white light filled my vision and there was the sound of water on the sand, the soft shush of waves whispering in and out of the ocean. Blinking, I looked down to see that I was still in my khaki pants, tall boots, and white shirt, though the “white” could be taken into question.
My back didn’t hurt and the wound from Chaos’ sword was gone, but I had a cut on my leg that was bleeding all over the pristine beach, leaving a trail that was not being swept away by the water. Weird.
Across the sand came two figures. The first didn’t surprise me, her red hair floating on the wind. The other, though, shocked the hell out of me.
Balor.
He looked younger, the weight of years and worry had been erased, and he looked a great deal like Bres.
They approached slowly, almost languidly, as if there were no hurry.
“Cora,” I said, rushing forward and hugging her. She squeezed me back. “I’m so sorry, for everything, Quinn.”
“Don’t be. It’s okay now. Ashling’s all right,” I said, meaning it.
Balor reached over and took my hand. “You are an amazing woman, Quinn. I see why Bres loves you so.”
I blushed, not sure what to say, opting for a simple. “Thanks.”
Cora took my other hand. “You will not be here long.”
“What?” I whispered, confusion filling me. I was dead. This was where dead people went, to be with their ancestors. I’d felt my heart stop beating, felt my body die.
“Why are you here?” I asked Balor.
He shrugged, a soft smile lighting up his face. “To say goodbye, I think,” he answered.
Balor turned me to face the water. “What do you see?”
I squinted, the images dancing over the waves, became clearer. Ashling was bent over my body, her mouth open wide in a scream I couldn’t hear. Bres grabbed her, pulled her away from me, and put his fingers to my neck.
Then Ashling was there again, her hands on my face. She shook her head.
But what surprised me was Don. He was on the beach, and he had put one hand against my chest and one on my forehead.
Balor gently turned me back to face him. “I did you wrong; I judged you based on a skewed prophecy, instead of who you were, who you are.” He cupped my face. “Can you forgive me?”
I nodded, tears streaking down my cheeks. “Yes. But only because I know you did it for Ashling, because you love her too.”
He touched his forehead to mine, then turned and walked away. I blinked and he was gone; all that was left of him were his footprints in the wet sand.
“I too need to ask forgiveness, and say goodbye,” Cora said, her hands turning me to face her now.
“No, you said you wouldn’t leave me,” I whispered. “I don’t know you as my grandmother, but you are my friend.”
She smiled. “Be safe, Quinn. Keep following your heart. It hasn’t led you wrong, not once.” She bent and kissed me on each cheek. “Tell Darcy,” her voice caught and she put a hand to her lips. “Tell her that I love her and I want her to be happy. And that I’m sorry.”
I blinked and when I opened my eyes, it was Ashling in front of me, tears streaming down her face.
“Hey,” I said, my throat dry.
“Quinn, I thought you were gone!” She collapsed on me and I wrapped my arms around her.
It’s okay now. It’s all done. I said softly in her mind. You saved me.
“I didn’t. It was him.” She pointed to a slumped-over Don, his body still in death. One of his palms faced upwards, showing the faded image of the cauldron etched into it. I knew he hadn’t been able to save his Mary, but now he had saved me. I hoped that he was with her now, that they’d been re-united.
&
nbsp; “How did you know that it would work?” she whispered in my ear. “How did you know you could break the spell and heal me and it would all work out okay?”
I let out a laugh and sat up. “I didn’t, I didn’t know anything of the sort.”
Her eyelids fluttered and her mouth dropped open. “But then, why?”
“I couldn’t do it, not even for the world could I be the one to take your life.” I ran a hand over her head, brushing against her shorn hair. “And I trusted that you would fight for me as hard as I fought for you.”
She burst into tears anew and buried her head into my shoulder. “I couldn’t give up on you either.”
“Then why are you crying?” I asked, setting her back from me. “Chaos is gone, you’re here, I’m here, what in the world could possibly be wrong?”
“What if something else happens?” she asked, wiping the tears away. “Do you really think that will be the last evil the world will face?”
I let out a sigh. “No, but I think we can take a break from it all, at least for the weekend. Don’t you? Maybe we could go take those surf lessons. Someone did promise us a free lesson, didn’t he?”
We turned to look at Luke, whose eyebrows were in his hairline. He lifted his hands up in mock surrender. “You’re right, I did promise you lessons.”
A hand on my shoulder turned my head. Bres smiled down at us. “You did it, Quinn.” I put my hand over his.
“No, love conquered, just the way it should.”
Epilogue
The next week was a flurry of activity. Ashling retained her spot as leader of the Fomorii. Gormley had been killed by Bres after she’d tossed me into the throne.
It was a hard adjustment for all of them, Ashling learning to lead and the Fomorii getting used to a leader who wasn’t after power, but instead truly cared about their well-being.
Nuadha stepped down as leader of the Tuatha and Luke stepped into his rightful position. The Council backed Luke completely, giving him the support he needed. He appointed Bres to the Council, which both surprised and pleased me. They may not ever be fast friends, but they worked well together when they had a common goal.
Lir hadn’t been able to rouse any of the old gods, so he’d decided to continue trying to wake them, to make them an active part of the world. Though he’d forgiven me for killing my brother, he’d left shortly after with no promise to return. That had hurt. I’d thought for a brief time that I’d finally have some semblance of a family. Slowly, however, I realized that I already did. Ashling and the boys were all I needed.
I barely saw Luke that week. He spent many hours drafting up an accord with Ashling, one that would bind the Tuatha and Fomorii together, and one that would allow them to come out to the humans. I still wasn’t sure that was a good idea, but it wasn’t up to me.
Of course, all that was after our surf lessons, which were spent more in the water than on the boards. It had been a good day, our laughter chasing away the last of the darkness we’d faced.
I passed on Cora’s message to Darcy, and she left to be with Wil. She’d cried and hugged me, then did the same for Ashling. Ashling forgave her without a second thought, as I knew she would. They promised to stay in touch. I did not, but I held no ill will for my mother. How could I, knowing the truth?
The morning of the eighth day Luke woke me early for a walk with him. I slipped into a calf length dress that floated on the ocean breeze and tied my hair into a loose bun.
“We haven’t had a chance to talk all week,” he said.
“I know, but you’re busy and I don’t really fit in here anymore.”
He frowned.“Don’t say that.”
I shrugged, bent, and picked up a sand dollar, turning the slightly fuzzy disc in my hand. “It’s the truth. I burnt out my powers bringing Ashling back. I’m pretty much a human with some interesting genetics.”
Silence hovered between us, awkward and uncomfortable. Nothing was the way I’d thought it was going to be. Every day that passed, I could feel him drawing further away from me. It hurt, but deep down, I wasn’t surprised. The Council had released the original prophecy that Nuadha had suppressed. It said nothing about the Shining One being with the Chosen one. Only that there would be a union to bind the Fomorii and Tuatha together.
I think it rocked him, realizing that he didn’t have to be with me. That it wasn’t pre-ordained. That what he’d started to feel for someone else was not only okay, but allowed.
We headed towards the water, taking advantage of the fact that the tide was out. “We need to talk about...things,” Luke said.
As we walked, I turned the dream I’d had the night before over in my mind. It came easily. Luke and Ashling.
Was this the start of my time as my mother’s successor? It hurt me far less than I would have thought, but it was only because I loved them both and could see that he would make her happy, that he would treat her like the princess she was. Not to mention, the signs had been there when I looked back.
I held my hand out to him. “It’s okay. I know.”
He blinked several times. “I do love you, but . . .”
“It’s not like we were led to believe,” I said. He shook his head. I thought about the moment that I’d been able to speak mind to mind with him. Cora had told me, when I’d first met her, that to speak mind to mind required either shared blood or love. I did love Luke, just not the way that I loved Bres, but maybe it was more that he was important to me and he needed to hear me in those moments. Maybe the rules were bent just a little so that we could survive. A tug across my shoulders, like the ghost of Cora tightening around me gave an affirmation to that thought. Yes, rules were made to be broken, even that one it would seem.
“I have to tell you, something happened, while I was floating between life and death. Ashling came to me; stayed by my side,” he said, a frown creasing his brow. “She told me stories about her childhood, about her and you. I think that she was trying to tell me all the reasons that you were amazing, but all I could see were all the reasons that she was amazing.” His frown deepened and I didn’t understand why at first. “And then she kept coming to visit me, whenever I slept. One night, I got a glimpse of her most recent memories. With Card.”
My jaw tightened, but before I could say anything, Luke went on. “All I could think about was how much I’d wished it had been me to finish him off, how much I wanted to protect Ashling and how much she needed me.” He turned to face me. “You never really needed me, Quinn. I wanted you to, but you didn’t ever need me.”
I smiled, though my heart ached, he was right. He’d wanted to be my white knight, and that had never been the case. Nor had I wanted it to be. “If you hurt her, I will break you in half like a twig.” I made snapping motion with my hands.
He laughed and the awkwardness dispelled. Far down the beach, standing on the rocks, was Bres. Luke nodded towards his at-times rival. “Besides, I don’t think it’s fair that I keep both of you. Seems a little selfish, don’t you think?”
Luke hugged me and kissed my forehead. “I guess I’d better get used to calling you sis then, huh?”
I smiled, “Yeah, though I should warn you that being part of the family is not all it’s cracked up to be.”
“I think I can manage.” He let me go with a wave, and jogged back the way we’d come.
Heading towards Bres, I thought of all that we’d been through, all that we’d seen and done. It was a lifetime of trust and love crammed into a short space of time. Which made it all the more precious. But I was worried.
The Council, all of them except for Bres, had insisted that I was not worthy of being bound to the Tuatha de Daanan leader without my powers. I didn’t think that had anything to do with Luke’s decision, but it worried me. Would it matter to Bres that I no longer had any abilities?
Bres walked towards me. “Hello beautiful, did I see you speaking to our mighty leader?” His mouth twitched and that sparkle in his eyes was back—the one that said he was re
ady to stir up some trouble.
“Only to let him know that if he hurt Ashling I would snap him like a twig,” I said, trying to keep my tone light.
He spluttered, “Wait, what? He can’t have you both!”
I laughed, clutching my stomach. “Oh my God, Bres, he was telling me that he didn’t love me, not like he wanted to. Ashling is the rest of the prophecy; he’s being drawn to her, and vice versa. He can’t fight it, nor do I think that either of them really want to fight what’s happening between them.” I found myself repeating the prophecy, the version that Aednat had known, the one that seemed to stick with me, the one the Council had released.
“The line of the snake will bring forth a saving light at the darkest hour. Binding all the realms as one. Her sword will strike down the evil that haunts the land and she shall lead the Fae to victory. Filled with power, her heart will remain pure. Through a union, peace shall reign and the world will know the Fae for all that they are, and her sword will forever be at her side.”
I tossed the sand dollar I still held into the surf. “It makes sense. It was my sword, Carnwennan that struck down Chaos, and all the Fae were victorious, not just the Tuatha. The union doesn’t say anything about me or Luke.”
Bres frowned. “Luke turning you away has nothing to do with you not being able to defend ta realm?”
Twisting my hands into his, I gave a half shrug. “Does it matter if I don’t have any power?”
He smiled and pulled me against his chest. “Not to me it don’t.” He kissed me, his lips sending little bursts of shivers through my body. This was where I belonged, right here with Bres, a man who loved me no matter who I was, or what I could do. Me, he just loved me. Suddenly I understood my mother’s longing for Wil, to be loved for who you were, and not what you could do for people or the world.
As we walked, two familiar horse-shaped heads rose out of the water. The Aughisky trotted out of the ocean, water spraying up around them as they moved towards us, tossing their slick black manes.
The one closest to me had been my mount, and he was the one who spoke.“You saved the world from Chaos. We would be in your service, Lady of the Sea, if you’d have us.”
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