Behind her stood a whole squadron of men and women, a hundred at least, armed and dangerous looking. They all held pointy swords, unsheathed and ready for combat. Beyond them, I could see the glimmer of silver hidden within the forest below. An army awaited, but was it friendly?
The woman, who appeared to be their leader, stepped forward when she saw me and slid her sword back into its scabbard. Good, the weapons were going away. That was a brilliant sign. At least they wouldn’t skewer me without letting me speak first.
“You prevailed,” the fae said, her voice soothing. She sounded almost child-like, but her eyes sparkled with age and wisdom.
“Who are you?” I asked, feeling like a complete loser in my torn and bloodied clothes. I was positive I had half the forest stuck in my hair. Wait, was there border protection here? What if I accidentally contaminated their world? Oh, man…
“They call me Aibell,” she replied. “I am the Seelie Queen.”
The Seelie Queen? I stood in awe, the beauty of her world nothing compared to her presence. Now I knew she was a queen, it explained a lot.
“You must be a Crescent Witch,” she continued. “The one promised. I can feel your Legacy on the air.”
“The one pr—” I shook my head. I was so done with prophecies and omens.
“Carman has been defeated?”
“She has.” It felt good to say it aloud.
I glanced over her shoulder at the ranks of fae—men and women dressed in shimmering gold and silver armor—and understood. Our fear had been for nothing.
“You united the fae,” I murmured.
“While you were fighting for your people, I was fighting for mine,” Aibell said, gesturing to the soldiers behind her. “Two halves of a whole. Light and dark united. A thousand years of toil.” The ranks sheathed their weapons and descended into a half-bow…all in perfect unison. “Night cannot exist without the day.”
I couldn’t believe it. No war had been waiting for us on the other side of the doorways. No death and destruction had come to claim us. Seelie and Unseelie had joined in perfect harmony for the first time in their history. The way had opened and with it came hope for peace. It wouldn’t be easy, but it was a start.
“Carman would have brought destruction on both our worlds,” Aibell explained when I hesitated. “With the power of all the human witches inside her, she would have been untouchable…even with the strength of the united fae behind me. When the portal opened once more, we did not know what would greet us. Carman’s return was prophesized, but prophecies are often confused.”
“So what the Crescents did…”
“Was a difficult choice but the only one that could have saved both our worlds.”
Siobhan’s sacrifice had been the right decision after all. Well, maybe not the right one, but the best of a bad bunch.
“Will you allow me?” Aibell gestured for my hands, and I nodded, dumbstruck by everything about her.
Her skin was smooth and cool to the touch, and when her magic entwined with mine, it was as if the entire world opened up to me. My life flashed before my eyes, unveiling things I’d forgotten and others my mind had hidden from me. The dreams that had turned into nonsense were now clear, the visions I’d seen when I’d first used my magic to heal Boone after our fight with the craglorn—I’d almost died and the woman who’d sent me back…Siobhan! Even the rawness of Aileen’s loss and the revelation that Boone was Carman’s son were exposed. And my greatest shame…taking the Legacy of the Nightshade Witches.
A tear slid from my eye, moistening my cheek.
“I’ve seen your struggle,” she murmured. “Don’t be ashamed.”
“I didn’t want to hurt them…”
“You did what had to be done,” Aibell said, squeezing my hands. “As all leaders must.”
“I’m not a leader. I just…” I hesitated. “I did what had to be done. Oh, man!”
“You, Skye Williams… You did what no one else in your world had the courage to. I have not seen something so selfless since…”
“Siobhan.”
The Seelie Queen nodded, her hair shimmering in the sunlight. “Siobhan.”
“I admit, I’m kind of in awe right now.” I glanced over her shoulder, taking in the world I’d been so afraid of Carman unleashing on my own.
“Humans often fear what they do not understand,” Aibell said. “And often, so do the fae. Courage takes time.”
“What now?” I asked. “I scarcely know what to do…”
“Do you speak for your people, Skye Williams?”
“The witches are divided,” I replied. “But they’ve lived in fear all their lives. Now Carman is gone…I suppose I should let them know.”
“We can’t undo a thousand years of separation, but we can help those who were lost,” the Seelie Queen said.
“You can help the craglorn?”
Aibell nodded. “We can restore their health and hopefully, in time, their minds.”
“Then we leave one doorway open. This one.” I glanced over my shoulder toward the matching hawthorn that would guide me back to Derrydun. “Everyone gets a choice. The lost, the lonely, the sick, and the frail.”
“That sounds like a wonderful idea, Skye Williams.”
“What about Carman?”
Aibell tilted her head to the side.
“I imprisoned her in a painting,” I explained. “She lives, but…”
“You don’t know what to do with her?”
I nodded. “Yes, but I have an idea… I was able to take back the part of my Legacy a craglon took from me. Maybe…”
“You believe you can restore your people’s lost Legacy?”
I nodded. “And strip Carman of hers.”
“If it would please you, after you have completed your task, I shall take custody of the painting. Carman will no longer be your burden. Please allow the fae to guard her prison as a gesture of our gratitude.”
I glanced at her and thought about it. Carman had wrought so much devastation on my world, raised crops and villages, murdered innocent witches, stole countless Legacies, and manipulated so many against one another. And she was a Crescent. That made her my responsibility.
“No,” I finally said. “She was a Crescent Witch. She is our responsibility. No matter what happens, she will be stripped of her power and never allowed to return. Believe me, she won’t be comfortable.”
“Then, all is as it must be.”
“That’s very trusting of you…”
“I’ve seen your soul, Skye Williams,” she declared with a smile. “I know you speak the truth.”
“Oh, goodie,” I muttered.
Aibell laughed and swept her arm wide, her armor clinking. “On behalf of the fae, I welcome you, Skye Williams of the Crescent Witches, and all your people to our world. May we unite once more.”
“Thank you,” I murmured, gazing out over the vista. “The first step to a better future…”
“A fine first step, indeed.”
**
Stepping through the portal underneath the hawthorn was a rush.
I burst out of the trunk with a yelp, almost falling flat on my ass.
“Skye!” Aileen flung her arms around me and squeezed.
Everyone was still assembled in the clearing, waiting to see what happened. Mairead and Boone held the painting between them, Roy and Sean breathed a sigh of relief, and Mary Donnelly hugged Donkey around the neck.
“Everything is fine,” I said. “The fae…”
“Did they hurt you?” Aileen drew back and began checking all my extremities.
“Mum,” I whined, twisting away.
“Just checkin’.”
“The fae have united,” I explained. “They were gathered on the other side ready to fight Carman.”
Her mouth fell open.
“They were just like us. Waiting for an unknown terror to come and take them, but they found us instead. What a booby prize!”
“Far from it.”
/>
“Things are going to be okay,” I murmured, looking over the extended family I’d found in Derrydun. They were staring at me in wonder, tears in their eyes. It was all a little overwhelming. “No war, no apocalypse. Just peace…and justice. It’s over. It’s finally over.”
“What was it like?” Mrs. Boyle asked, much to everyone’s surprise.
“I’ll tell you all about it at Molly McCreedy’s,” I said with a tired smile. “How about lunch tomorrow? I think we’ve all earned a rest.”
“Hear! Hear!” Roy bellowed.
“Here’s to Skye!” Sean shouted, fist pumping the air.
“Miracles do happen,” I quipped, scratching my head. “Sean McKinnon likes me?”
“Don’t press your luck,” Maggie said with a wink. “All right you lot!” she called out to the villagers. “Let’s go back to Derrydun! We’ve got a pile of snakes to sweep up.”
As they made their way from the clearing, I was showered with more hugs and kisses than I could keep up with.
“We’re still on for spring,” Mary Donnelly whispered in my ear. “I never canceled anythin’, just so you know.”
One by one, they went until I was standing with Aileen, the painting, and an exhausted Boone. My mother muttered something and took the painting to the other side of the clearing to give us a moment. It was a long time coming.
Boone’s gaze was fixed on the ground, his shoulders slumped. The battle had been hard, but his journey had been the most difficult of all. I stood before him, unsure of what to say. After everything we’d been through, it was difficult to know where to begin.
“You have matters to attend to,” he murmured. “And so do I.”
“But…”
Knowing Dub and Dother were still lying on the road in the center of the village made my heart twist. I couldn’t leave Boone to bury his brothers on his own. No matter what they’d done, they were still his flesh and blood. I had to help him.
“I must do this on me own,” he said, combing a hand through my hair.
“Are you sure you’re not telepathic as well?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Just…” He sighed, and let me go.
I nodded and brushed my thumb against the engagement ring on my finger.
“If you need me,” I began.
“I will find you,” he replied. “I always do.”
I was frozen to the spot as I watched him go, a strange melancholy blooming in my heart.
“Let him be,” Aileen said, coming to stand beside me. “He’ll come back when he’s ready.”
“You were right about the spirit.” I glanced away from Boone’s receding form, unable to watch him walk away again. “It was Siobhan. Carman’s sister.”
“Carman’s sister? Oh, cac…”
Now that we were alone, we sat on a fallen log overlooking the hawthorn, and I explained it all to her. The vision, Carman’s story, what had happened to Boone’s father, Finn. I left nothing out, and she didn’t interrupt, letting me get it all out.
“I was going to marry my cousin,” I said, my heart more confused than ever. “Siobhan’s blood is mine. That’s why the ritual needed to be performed on me. Siobhan’s blood was the key to breaking the curse she put on Carman.”
“You’re right about that, but Boone isn’t your cousin, Skye,” Aileen said. “He is half Crescent, but he never shared blood with you.”
“How…”
“In the beginning, all witches were one, and when the first covens were formed, they took their bloodlines with them. The Crescents were of many different strands a thousand years ago. The Crescent Legacy was passed on through spirit and still is, though we are the only bloodline remaining. That’s why Siobhan’s blood was mixed with yours even though she was from a different family. When you touched the hawthorn, and it showed you those visions, it allowed her spirit to attach itself to yours. It’s been growing ever since.”
“When I hit my head… Those dreams…”
“I don’t know what that’s about, but I suspect it was her spirit trying to come forth and give you what you needed to face her sister.”
“Where is she now?” I held out my hands and stared at them like they would reveal all the lost secrets of the witches. “I can’t feel her at all. Not that I ever did, but…”
“Her spirit likely lives on beside yours,” Aileen explained. “Her task has been completed, and she can either stay or return to the hawthorn and watch over the doorways with the other ancestors. That’s a conversation you and her will have to have. When you’re ready.”
I rubbed my tired eyes, smearing my mascara.
“It’s over, Skye,” she said, wrapping her arm around my waist. “The witches are finally free, and it’s all because of you.”
“I don’t feel comfortable being called a savior,” I said, gazing upon the ancient hawthorn.
“A reluctant heroine,” Aileen quipped. “Those are the best kind, you know.”
Chapter 21
Staring out my bedroom window, I was surprised to see Derrydun didn’t look any different.
After yesterday’s commotion, I was sure there would be smoke on the horizon, but the view was the same as it had always been. Green, misty, and vibrant despite the gloomy sky.
Stepping into my boots, I donned my jacket and pulled out the beanie and gloves Boone had given me at Christmas. I had a lot to do today, and even though we’d won the war, it didn’t mean Mother Nature had turned up the heat.
On the way out, I checked in on our houseguest.
Mairead’s painting of Derrydun was propped up against the wall in the living room, surrounded by crystals and a bowl with a stick of sage before it. The room reeked, which meant Aileen had been in here obsessively cleansing. I didn’t blame her. I would probably be doing the same if she wasn’t here.
As if it sensed my presence, the painting shuddered then lay still. Still as mad as a bee in a jar, I see. I thought about shaking it but turned around and went outside.
My return to the ancient hawthorn was a great deal calmer than it had been last night. When I stepped off the path and into the clearing, I was startled to see the state of the furniture or so to speak.
Bark and branches were strewn everywhere, and the trees around the edges looked rather sad. We’d really done a number on this place, but it wouldn’t be a battlefield without a few scars. There were still a few snakes lurking around the village, but thankfully, they’d lost their spark and dropped dead once Carman was sucked into the painting. Mary Donnelly was currently spearheading a working bee back on the main road to round the stragglers up.
“It was quite the scene,” Siobhan said. “Human and witch together.”
“Don’t forget the equine and canine.”
Siobhan stood beside me, a little transparent around the edges. I wasn’t surprised to find she resembled Carman but the spitting image? That was a new one. When she’d called her sister, I imagined a few years difference between the pair, not a few minutes. She was Carman’s identical twin. That was another story for another day, it seemed.
“So, that’s what you look like,” I mused. “Two halves of a whole. I get what you meant now.”
“Disappointed?” She laughed, her eyes crinkling at the corners.
As she turned, she aged before my eyes. Where Carman had done everything in her power to say young, Siobhan had remained in Derrydun and allowed nature to do what it willed.
I shook my head. “Not at all. You were with me this whole time… I just wondered.”
“I’m sorry that you had to face my sister,” Siobhan said. “I wish things could’ve gone differently. For you and her sons.”
I turned toward the hawthorn and gazed up at her branches. The berries were starting to fall.
“Boone…” I began with a sigh. “I assume he has his father’s heart, unlike his brothers. I never sensed anything but kindness in him.”
“Finn was kind, as is Dain, that is true. Carman was always quick to
anger, and I hoped his love would teach her a different way. Bein’ the best never seemed to be enough for her. When he died, any light she had in her heart faded. Unfortunately, it never returned.”
“The world or bust,” I mused. “Power corrupts…”
Siobhan nodded. “Sometimes.”
I glanced at her, wondering what she meant.
“I can’t think of a better witch to lead the Crescents into the future,” she continued. “Skye Williams, you have our blessin’.”
“Wow. The ancestors are blessing me with their magical juju?” I laughed and shook my head. “Took them long enough.”
“Be careful,” Siobhan said with a chuckle. “Your ‘sass,’ as you call it, might get you into trouble.”
My laugh echoed around the clearing. “Oh, man, it feels good to be alive today.”
“And so, I must leave you to enjoy it.”
“It’s over now,” I murmured. “All is as it should be.”
“Thank you, Skye.” Her ghostly hand brushed against my cheek. “You had the courage to do what I could not.”
A cool breeze fluttered against my skin, and when I turned, Siobhan was gone.
**
Father O’Donegal was sweeping out his church when I emerged from the forest.
All the doors were open, and he was manning a straw broom, his blazer draped over the back of a pew, and his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows. A tan streak roared past the pulpit as his tabby cat pounced and played with a severed snake tail.
“Ah, Skye,” he said when he saw me. “Good mornin’ to ye.”
“Good morning, Father. The snakes didn’t make too much mess, I hope.”
“They certainly didn’t mind slitherin’ into the house of God,” he muttered, swiping the broom at a little green critter.
I chuckled and turned toward the church grounds.
“Thank you,” he said behind me. “You showed real courage yesterday.”
Glancing back, I smiled.
“He’s in the cemetery,” he added after a moment.
“Thanks.”
My boots crunched on gravel as I rounded the side of the church, the mossy lichen covered Celtic crosses and headstones standing tall in the yard. They all bore familiar family names like McKinnon, Donnelly, McKinney, and Byrne. I wondered how many were Crescents and where Siobhan’s resting place might be. Likely someplace deep in the forest.