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Evelyn moved several steps toward the veil. Oh, Sweetheart, you were never responsible for what my sister did. You were being adventurous and I loved that about you.
But it got you killed.
Evelyn shrugged. You’ll find that once beyond the veil, at least this veil, such things don’t matter. Time becomes a very fluid thing and letting go is the most important thing to do. I never blamed you for what happened. My sister had a bad heart and I sacrificed my own life to make sure you had a future. But I must know, did Margetta finally succeed in her schemes?
Rosamunde shook her head. We trapped her on the plains of Tannisford just a few minutes ago, the ruling mastyrs and I. It was an amazing experience to be part of a community and to work to save the Nine Realms. But, she killed me in the process. At the last minute, she used a stunning wave of elf-lord power and well, here I am, ready to join you.
Rosamunde, listen to me. You’re not dead, my darling girl, though, you’re close. But you need to work very hard and return to the Nine Realms.
Rosamunde didn’t understand. She felt very disconnected from her body, even from Stone. Besides, she felt the pull of the afterlife like nothing she’d ever experienced before. Her fingers trembled as she lifted her hand to the mist veil, closing within an inch.
She had no real connection to the physical realm any longer. The tug to take the next step was enormous, yet something held her back, a different kind of pull.
For a moment, she didn’t know what it was, until in a very distant part of her telepathy she heard Stone’s voice, Come back to me, my love. Come back to me. I can’t live without you. I won’t want to. You’re everything to me. Please, Rosamunde, come back. Please.
Stone.
Her spirit shuddered. He sounded despairing and she didn’t want him to feel that way. But she was so close to reuniting with her mother and to moving on. She should move on.
Except…
Stone’s voice once more flowed through her mind. I love you, Rosamunde. You’re the sun, moon and stars to me, the reason the tides come and go and the planets fly through the night.
Be with me, my love. Live with me as my blood rose and as my wife. I want children with you, to raise them with you, to create our own family. And we would have a small farm with goats, lots of goats, of all sizes. Your children will love them. Come back to me.
She responded at last by pathing his name. Stone.
~ ~ ~
When Stone heard his name telepathically, he doubled his efforts at winning
Rosamunde away from the pull of death. I love you, Rosamunde, with all my heart. I want you by my side. And I meant what I said, I want babies with you. You’d be a wonderful mother, only come back to me. Please.
The whole time, tears rolled down his cheeks.
Kaden had one hand on Rosamunde’s head and another on Stone’s shoulder. Most of her beautiful red hair was gone and the burns on her face and body were healing more slowly than they should have been; she was that close to death.
And the only reason he’d been able to reach her was Kaden’s flow of elf-lord power that he’d added to Stone’s channel.
But he’d heard her. She’d said his name.
Rosamunde, please come back. Please.
The moment of decision had come. Even through the distant path of death, he could feel that she had to decide. He needed to say one last thing to her, something that would turn her spirit in his direction. But what?
He recalled the look in her eye when she would transform into Aralynn and how, as Aralynn, she loved running on all four wolf paws. Then he knew what he needed to say to her. Hundreds of wraith-pairs escaped into the Dauphaire Mountains. I need you to run missions with me … as Aralynn. You’ve got to come back. Help me protect the innocent of our realm. We still have work to do here in the Nine Realms.
~ ~ ~
Rosamunde heard his plea, but it was the word ‘innocent’ that struck her the hardest. She didn’t want one more realm-person to die because of the Invictus scourge.
She met her mother’s gaze and searched each beloved feature. Her mother nodded in understanding as though she didn’t need words to know that the decision had been made.
I will always love you, daughter.
And I, you, Mama.
With that, she directed her spirit away from the afterworld. However, the moment she returned to her body, she opened her mouth and screamed. The pain of the burns was like having her flesh scraped with a sharp blade.
