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Aren nudges me, and I quickly scramble onto his back and pull myself to my feet, bracing my legs for balance. Raising my voice so all can hear, I shout, “Morana is defeated!”
A loud cry raises as what is left of our army celebrates the end of her reign of terror. Sliding off Aren’s back, wrap my arms around his neck. “Can you shift back?” He licks my cheek, making me giggle, and rushes off into the trees to retrieve his clothes.
I roll my shoulders, pushing back the exhaustion. There are two more things I need to do today, then I can rest.
Hundredsofeyesstareat me as I stand solemnly with Cassian by my side. Odin, at my left, has returned to his normal height. Even the horses are quiet, sensing the somber mood.
I take a deep breath and blow it out slowly. Cassian takes my hand, lending me courage. I search for the right words, but in the end, allow my heart to speak for me. “Today is one of both loss and celebration.” Some of the soldiers nod, one or two with a tear in their eye. “We have lost many, and although Morana has been defeated, it is a bittersweet victory. All of us have suffered in some way since she became queen, and I hope her punishment eases a little of your pain.”
Many cast their eyes over the statue, then return their attention to me. “I cannot undo the pain she wrought, but I can, at least, do this.” I drop Cass’s hand, and he steps back. Slowly lowering to my knees, I dig my fingers deep into the soil, my eyes glowing like torches. Osiris warned me that using all my power would relegate me to being a mortal. This is my sacrifice for the kingdom; my demigod status for my country.
This is what Cassian had objected to. His need to protect me outweighs sense—I could never put something as trivial as a longer lifespan over the good of my country. My people deserve a flourishing kingdom. They deserve peace, prosperity, and continuity.
And what I had to force Cass to understand was that I did not wish to live without him. What is a life of hundreds of years, if most of those are without him? I would rather have one lifetime full of love, than a hundred without. When it is our time, we can be together in the afterlife, or perhaps reincarnate so that our souls might find each other again.
My magic beckons the poison deep in the soil. It seeps into my body, invading every cell. It is vile, disgusting, an oily substance that whispers of death and decay. It fills my senses, tasting of mold and smelling of bile.
I clamp my mouth shut, willing myself to not vomit. More and more of the toxin slithers into me, turning my blood thick and sluggish. My heart pounds frantically, working overtime trying to force the sludge through my veins.Almost there.I grow dizzy, swaying, unable to breathe as the poison invades my lungs.
Cassian places his hands on my shoulders, steadying me when I begin to panic. Just when my vision begins to blur and I’m about to pass out, the last dregs leak out of the soil. I rock back, sweat dotting my brow. Cassian’s eyes fly wide, and he hauls me to my feet, my knees quivering under my weight. Throwing my head back, I open my mouth wide. The poison pours out of me, a thick roiling black gas, which streams into the air in a black cloud.
I need oxygen. It becomes the sole focus that I cling to. But the poison keeps coming. And coming. Finally, after what seems like eons, the last of it escapes and I haul in jagged breaths, greedily sucking in the cool air. The light in my eyes dims and extinguishes, and my head flops back onto Cass’s chest. I wearily tilt it so I can see what’s happening. The gas sits above me like a dark cloud, floating silently as if waiting for something.
“Look,” Cass remarks, pointing to the ground. A lone tuff of brown grass quivers in the dirt, its base slowly turning green. A gentle breeze picks up and the cloud slowly disperses, disintegrating into nothing. My lips curve into a smile, just as everything goes black.
Chapter 42
Snow White
Alonecandleburnson top of the dresser in the corner, providing the barest of light. The deep silence around me suggests the lateness of the hour as I quietly edge myself out of the bed. I stand for a moment, my heart warming as I look down on the man whose very existence brings mine meaning.
After slipping on my shoes and tossing a cloak over my shoulders, I sneak out of the tent. Stars twinkle overhead, and I shiver as a cold breeze ruffles my hair. Pulling my cloak tighter around me, I wander slowly across the field. A string of torches lines the way, and I follow the path they make, a deep sense of melancholy weighing over me. I was going to do this tomorrow, but I don’t want an audience.
Tents have been set up across the perimeter of the field, the remains of our army sleeping within. After the burials tomorrow, each group will go their separate ways. After spending months with these people, getting to know them, eating, drinking, and dancing together, I find myself already feeling lonely. A deep sigh works from me as my shoulders slump.
The Valkyries will return to Valhalla, along with Odin, Baldr, and Thor. The dwarfs will return to their mountain and the villagers and farmers to their respective homes. The army will depart for Alba and Prince Khallan to the Fae.
Emotion clogs my throat, and I blink away the mist in my eyes. I am foolish to mourn over such things. I am the queen now and have a country to rule, there won’t be time for drinking in inns and dancing beside bonfires. And it’s not as if I won’t still have Cassian. If he agrees, that is.
Coming to the end of the path, I pull to a stop, counting the bodies lined up before me. Ninety-two. I know it could have been so much worse; we could have lost everyone. Someone has mercifully covered them, and I am grateful for that. I slide around to the first one, laying two fingers on their head.
I spend a moment with each person, head bowed, thanking them and wishing their souls peace in the next life. Tears stream down my face and my breath shudders, but I don’t stop, not until I come to the end. My father’s crown sits on top of a large rock, burned and warped from the fire. Alaric’s skull rests at the base, ever protecting his king, even in death.
Sinking to my knees, I wrap my arms tightly around my middle, low keening sobs racking my chest. I cry for the father I wish I could have had, the one Silas never was. I weep for the little girl desperate for her father’s approval and for the pain and suffering she was forced to endure at his hands. I sob for the man who, at the very end, sacrificed himself for me.
An immeasurable amount of time passes and when the well runs dry, I wipe my eyes on my sleeves. “I forgive you, Father. I pray Osiris has mercy on you and you can join Momma in Aaru.” Pulling myself to my feet, I sigh and run my fingertips over the edge of the crown. “Goodbye, Papa.”
A weight lifts from my shoulders, and with one last look, I turn back to my tent. There is still one more thing I need to do today.
Cassiansleepssprawledoutlike a starfish, his thick thigh on top of the blanket. My lips spread into a smile at the sight. I quietly remove my cloak and dress, laying them over the back of a chair before kicking off my shoes. Clad only in my chemise, I crawl into bed, snuggling into Cass. He pulls me into his arms, murmuring, “Where did you go?”
Tucking myself firmly under his chin, I wrap my arms around his waist, craving his warmth. “To say goodbye.”
“Are you okay?”
I let out a breath and nod against him. “I’ve made my peace.”
“Good.” He runs an absentminded hand over my back, making me shiver. “We won today.”
