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Stone could both see and hear that some of Margetta’s army were still fighting. He called on Zane and Malik to join him in running the last few rebellious wraith-pairs to earth. From the beginning, he knew that there were some realm-folk who had joined Margetta willingly, including a large number of wraiths. Those that had fully embraced the Invictus bond were no doubt resistant to the idea of the war finally being at an end.
He hadn’t gotten thirty yards away from Rosamunde, however, when a terrible explosion ripped the air behind him.
Whirling, he caught sight of Margetta burning the net off and releasing a black-gold stream of her power like nothing he’d seen before. Ian and the other ruling mastyrs who hadn’t been touched by the stream, began firing on her ruthlessly.
But it was the other sight, of Rosamunde caught in Margetta’s battle power that turned his blood to ice.
With the mastyrs directing Margetta’s last streaks of power in their direction, he teleported straight to Rosamunde. He caught her burning body in his arms, then moved her quickly to the grotto, where he’d felt the strength of the elf-lord power. He submerged her in water, except for her head. She’d been writhing. Now she grew still. Too still.
The damage to her hair, her face, her body, took his breath and wouldn’t bring it back. He made weird gasping sounds until he could finally shout his anguish.
She wasn’t dead, but he didn’t see how she could ever recover from these wounds.
His mind flew to his father, to Davido and to Kaden.
Kaden had healed her before when Margetta had burned her.
Kaden! He shouted telepathically. Rosamunde is dying. Help me, father. Please help me.
Though only a couple of seconds passed, it felt like an eternity before he heard Kaden’s voice. I’m coming, my son.
Then Kaden was there, in the water beside him.
Kaden took her from Stone and held her close. He stood, as Stone did, waist deep in the water. He held Rosamunde to his chest.
Stone lifted his hands in supplication. He could do nothing else. The woman he loved was close to death and there was nothing he could do for her. He called on the Goddess and begged for her help, her love, her mercy.
Then he grew very still, very quiet.
If she died right now, he wasn’t certain he wanted to live.
Kaden’s eyes were closed and healing warmth emanated from his body, pouring into Rosamunde.
Even so, he could feel that her spirit hung between two worlds as though she longed to move on, uncertain if she should return.
Kaden opened his eyes. “You must call her back, Stone. Come closer and touch her very gently on the shoulder and call her back. I’m healing her, but her spirit refuses to re-enter her body.”
~ ~ ~
Rosamunde stood behind a beautiful but very thin veil of familiar teal mist. She watched a woman playing with young goats. The woman’s voice entered her mind, I always loved how much you enjoyed your baby goats, my sweetheart daughter.
Rosamunde didn’t at first understand what she was seeing, then she knew. Mama?
The woman turned in her direction but made no move toward the veil that separated them. You’ve become a beautiful woman, Rosamunde, and I’m so proud of you. My only regret was leaving you when I did, knowing you would have such a hard road ahead of you. But how well you’ve done on every front. You protected the Nine Realms for a thousand years. And now you’ve bonded with Mastyr Stone, a good, trustworthy man.
Rosamunde reached toward the veil ready to touch it. Instinctively, she knew that all she had to do was whisk it aside, take several smallish steps, and she could be with her mother. Forever.
But she’d never be able to go back.
She held her fingers inches away from the mist veil.
Stone would be lost to her until his own death sometime in the future. She’d barely begun her life with him, a life apart from Ferrenden Peace.
Yet, she’d missed her mother so very much and this after-world called to her soul as nothing else could. I’ve missed you, Mama.
Her mother tilted her head slightly. And I missed getting to see you grow up.
I’m so sorry that I disobeyed you and found my way through the mist. I know it was my fault you died that night.
