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Shortly after we met Mokosh, the war was over. When Colin had lost his magic—no, when Angela stripped that motherfucker of his ability to ruin people’s lives like the fucking badass she turned out to be—the dome covering the city had popped like a bubble.
All the magic stripping the capital of its beauty dissipated, and the grey clouds that loomed overhead broke apart and drifted away. The sun shone down, reflecting off the golden hue of the cobblestone roads and the lake’s crystal-blue water as gentle waves lapped against the city docks.
We found Thane some clothes, then stood at the open ledge of the queen’s quarters and stared out over the city, watching as it regained its crystalline glimmer.
After Jessa had healed my arm and lectured me for being near death yet again, she and Adam had flown down to meet with our troops and end any further fighting. Lena had flown up to squawk at me for my reckless endangerment. When she failed to get a rise out of me and eventually given up, she’d moved on to enjoying Angela’s dramatic reenactment of the ordeal with Colin.
Without Colin’s abomination of blended magics strengthening and urging them on, the unseelie who’d enjoyed life under his brief reign fled back into the forests. Seelie fae and the Guardians chased after them, striking down and stomping the stragglers without mercy.
Before leaving the queen’s destroyed room, Adam had informed us that Nathan had taken Colin back to the human world and straight to the maximum-security prison. It wasn’t the outcome I wanted for the bastard, but I would have to accept it—for now. He would still have a sentencing that would most likely result in his death.
If not, I could always plan a breakout and kill him myself.
Time would tell how merciful I would be because I wasn’t feeling it right now.
While our casualties were more significant than I’d hoped for, they gave their lives to free us—to free the world. We would honor their sacrifice forever, and I would make sure the Community never forgot.
When Angela’s tale ended, she and Lena joined us on the room’s ledge. The phoenix woman had no risk of falling, but it surprised me how fearless Angela was, holding the staff upright and standing with her toes right up to the edge.
This day had changed us all.
“Ready?” Thane asked.
“Not yet.” I walked back to Fiadh’s broken body and knelt beside her. After closing her eyes, I took her hand. “I’m so sorry you didn’t live to see this, but your kingdom is free. You’re free, and so is your son. Rest in peace.”
Thane’s warm presence neared as he crouched beside me. Except he pressed his lips together tight. He flicked her golden robe to the side by her neck, just enough to reveal scarred skin beneath.
My inner flame shrunk to a pinprick, realizing what that monster had done. I hadn’t even thought about the fact that necromancers had to carve symbols into their target’s flesh. And since Colin hadn’t done it after he’d killed her, he had cut into her while she was still alive.
I closed my eyes and shuddered, allowing Thane to draw me away.
By the time we realm walked to the castle’s lower level, a small contingent of Summer Court fae and angels had gathered together in the front entryway. Pietr, Imos, and a handful of others had joined them.
As we approached the group, I narrowed my eyes at the fae. Where the fuck had these assholes been this whole time? As far as I was concerned, they’d enabled this shitshow.
I strode right up to the fae like I owned the place. Not that I wanted to rule the Otherworld—I didn’t even want to oversee my own world, for flame’s sake—but if we followed conquering rules, this palace was mine.
Adam spoke up before I could utter a word, “Ms. Neill, I would like to introduce you to Méabh Fagan, next in line for the royal crown. Colin has held her and the others captive in the dungeons for eighteen years.”
Holding back my accusation, I nearly choked on my spit.
Eighteen years held as prisoners?
Now that I took a good look, the five fae gathered were like walking corpses. Dirt and other stains I didn’t want to know the origins of covered their bodies and clothes, which were filled with holes and barely clinging to their skeletal forms.
The woman Adam introduced was beyond frail, and her long stringy hair was dark with grime and missing in patches from her scalp. I couldn’t even tell what color it had been.
The saddest part was that fae didn’t age like humans did, which meant Colin’s magic had been draining her life force much like Octavia’s had done to Angela. Except he had drained theirs for eighteen godsdamn years.
Sweet Mokosh, Colin’s depravity knew no bounds.
The fae held themselves tall and proud despite their poor health, though two cast nervous glances around the area. I could only imagine what horrors they had faced as Colin’s prisoners, and they would no doubt look over their shoulders in fear for the rest of their lives.
“I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened to you and your people, Queen Méabh,” I said, meeting her lilac gaze. “We’ll help you rebuild the Summerlands, whatever you need, and reestablish trust between our realms.”
Her eyes glistened with tears, but not a single drop spilled over. She gave a quick nod. “Thank you, tsarina. We welcome your help.”
I held up my hands and laughed. “Just don’t call me that. We agreed to dissolve the phoenix monarchy and form a council instead. I hope we can be friends. You can call me Veronica.”
