I didn’t respond because I didn’t like her.
She stopped to gape at the godawful tapestries, delaying me some more.
“I’ve told him to burn these rags time and again, but Tadhg always refuses.” From the other side of the doors, I heard people grumbling. That’s all the Danú did. Grumble. “I don’t want you snooping around the place, so I’m going to let you come inside. But don’t say a word.”
Aveen’s sister nodded and followed me inside.
21
Eava burst into the study,her black eyes wild. “To the gates. Quickly!”
I evanesced outside to find a crowd had gathered. Then I heard Aveen’s sister from beyond the wards, her husky voice cutting through the silence. “You don’t understand,” she said. “I can’t stop myself. Please go. Please. I’m so sorry, Tadhg. I just wanted my sister back.”
The crowd let out a collective gasp. I pushed my way through, my chest tightening. I didn’t need to know what was going on to know it was bad. From the way all the Danú kept behind the wards, it was clear as day. It must be the Queen. Who else would strike such fear into the hearts of these people?
“I was foolish and naïve, and I thought I had nothing left to lose,” Keelynn went on.
I finally reached the front of the crowd to find Tadhg and Keelynn.
One other person stood with them. A woman, yes, but not the Queen.
Fiadh.
Shit.
Keelynn clutched a dagger with a glowing green emerald.
Shit shit shit.
My chest brushed the wards, but I knew better than to cross without a plan. I needed to keep a level head, collect all the facts so I could once again fix the mess Tadhg had made.
“This isn’t your fault,” Tadhg said, his voice catching. “It’s mine.”
Feckin’ right, it was. I’d told him what Fiadh would do if she caught Keelynn. I’dtoldhim. And here we were.
Fiadh cackled like the bitch she was, rocking back and forth on her toes, a crooked smile on her pale face as Keelynn advanced on Tadhg. If the human couldn’t stop herself, then magic must be compelling her forward. Not Tadhg’s magic, he wasn’t strong enough.
Fiadh’s.
Tears glistened in Tadhg’ green eyes. “This will be a mercy,” Tadhg said. “You’ll be ending a cursed life with a cursed blade.” He caressed her face. “Thank you for giving me hope.”
Don’t give up, you eejit! Fight back. Evanesce. Dosomething!
“Thank you for letting me love you,” he whispered as Keelynn raised the dagger to his chest.
Tadhg’s forehead dropped. “Thank you for setting me free.”
I recognized the sound of a blade sinking into flesh as well as I’d know my own name. The cowards hiding behind the wards gasped when Tadhg collapsed. I raked my hands through my hair, panic seizing my throat. This couldn’t be happening. Thiscouldn’tbe happening!
Thunder boomed, echoing off the stone walls, muffling the cries from the useless Danú hiding at my back. White light left my brother’s body, curling toward the bloody dagger still clenched in Keelynn’s fist.
My brother was gone.
Oh god . . . Tadgh was gone.
I didn’t want to do any of this without him. He drove me mad, but he also made me laugh. And sometimes he made my life a little less shite. Why hadn’t he fought? Why had he given up on his people? On me?
I locked my emotions inside the cavern in my chest, focusing on the cackling witch as she gestured toward Keelynn and asked for the dagger. I shifted my own. I wouldn’t rest until she no longer drew breath. She may have been an ancient witch, a true immortal. But Keelynn possessed the one weapon that could end her.