The whirlpool collapsed and carried me down. A woman’s face came out of the darkness—the most beautiful thing I had ever seen—glowing with power and gentle love. She gathered me to her, cradled me against her bosom, and took the Heart from me. Relieved of my burden, my sins, and everyone’s expectations, I let go.
Epilogue
The mood was somber, even for a wake. At least two dozen musicians had joined in at different times throughout the night, but try as they might, no one seemed to be able to generate much enthusiasm. Those people who tried to dance had no energy.
Sam O’Grady, planted behind the bar, couldn’t remember a wake at Rosie’s that felt more like a funeral. A wake was supposed to be a celebration of the deceased’s life. But no one was in a celebratory mood. People were mourning.
Erin’s companions on her last journey sat at the bar talking to Sam. Recently returned from Norway, they had brought the news. Ian McGregor, Josh Carpenter, and Karl Langermann were the last humans to see Erin alive.
There had been Fae present when she carried the Heart into the Well, but none of them had showed up for the wake. Josh’s sister, Jolene, sat next to him with red, swollen eyes, nursing her drink and staring morosely at her reflection in the mirror behind the bar.
There was good reason for celebrating. The Heart of the World had been returned to the Well of Magic. The power of the Knights Magica had been broken. The Fae had sealed the Well and the Heart deep in the earth under the sea. The ley lines were once again pure and uncorrupted. Every mage in the world had known when the Heart was cleansed, but that feeling had paled compared to the rush of exhilaration when the Heart returned to the Well.
The U.S. Congress had passed a law requiring the Knights Magica to register as magic users and banning them from carrying weapons in public. Thousands of their recent recruits were leaving the Order.
A semblance of normalcy was starting to settle on Westport, although it was a new normal. Humans knew about magic and paranormals. The city council had passed a law making the killing of supernaturals—vampires, werewolves, and Fae—a crime. A few of the Fae had reappeared in Killarney Village and reopened their shops and restaurants.
Several of Erin’s friends on the police force had been by earlier, as had District Attorney Frankie Jones. Frankie was still there with Jordan Blair, and Sam had taken keys from both of them about an hour earlier.
Michaela Gallagher, dhampir, and Shawna Kincaid, vampire, were dancing, laughing, and telling stories about Erin, but to Sam’s eye, there was something a little too frenetic, too wild in their actions. Their eyes were too close to tears, and he didn’t see any laughter there.
Overall, the pain he could feel from the crowd—and the place was full—was greater than he could remember from any other recent occasion. It reminded him of Rosie’s wake. When his mother died, the paranormal community in Westport sank into a collective depression for months.
Erin McLane had arrived in Westport only less than a year before, but she had made her presence felt. And Sam, who had never had children, felt as though he’d lost a daughter.
A group came in the front door, but there were so many people that he couldn’t see who it was. Felt a little like Fae magic.
“I thought you said this was a fun place. Feels like a damned funeral. You sure you want to get a drink here?” a familiar voice said, loud enough to carry.
A hush fell over the crowd, and everyone turned toward the door. Erin stood there with Lizzy and Oriel, a grin on her face and a twinkle in her eye.
“I don’t know what’s wrong with these people,” Lizzy said, matching Erin’s wicked grin. “I’m telling you, it’s usually a great place.”
Sam almost tripped rushing out from behind the bar and ploughed through the crowd. He grabbed Erin, lifted her off the floor over his head, and whirled her around.
“We thought you were dead!”
“Hell, so did I. But it’s not the first time I’ve been wrong,” Erin said. “I woke up in Tir na Nog a few days ago, and this morning Roisin told me that she’s tired of me moping around, being under foot. So, I’m looking for a job. You wouldn’t happen to know anyone who needs a bartender, would you?”
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Books by BR Kingsolver
Rosie O’Grady’s Paranormal Bar and Grill
Shadow Hunter
Night Stalker
Dark Dancer
Well of Magic
Knights Magica
The Dark Streets Series
Gods and Demons
Dragon’s Egg
Witches’ Brew
The Chameleon Assassin Series
Chameleon Assassin
Chameleon Uncovered
Chameleon’s Challenge
Chameleon’s Death Dance
Diamonds and Blood
The Telepathic Clans Saga
The Succubus Gift
Succubus Unleashed
Broken Dolls
Succubus Rising
Succubus Ascendant
Other books
Short Stories in Anthologies
Here, Kitty Kitty
Bellator
Knights Magica: An Urban Fantasy (Rosie O'Grady's Paranormal Bar and Grill Book 5) Page 24