Aveen sank down next to me, spreading her fingers over the dying grass. “I love it too.”
The prisoners I’d freed lingered at the gates, looking on with wary expressions. I could practically feel their doubt and confusion like a weight upon my shoulders.
Tears stung the backs of my eyes as I leaned forward to whisper words of love for this land of magic and mythical monsters, its leader, my beloved coachman Padraig, and every single Danú who had been wrongfully persecuted. For my friend Ruairi. For Millie and Nettie May. For Eava and Oscar.
Aveen’s murmurs lifted into the rancid air.
I screwed my eyes shut and reached deep down within myself, past the fear and the mistakes I’d made, pouring the love from my heart into my fingertips.
I may have been human, but I had more love in my being than the wretched witch who’d sent this blight. I’d been the one strong enough to break the Gancanagh’s curse. Me, no one else.
Love was its own brand of magic. Overcoming impossible odds. Bringing hope to the hopeless.
The Queen had sown seeds of despair and hatred, intolerance and fear.
From my weak human heart, I would give this place all my hope and love, to restore peace and prosperity.
It wasn’t until my lashes fluttered open that I realized I was crying. I looked over my shoulder to where Aveen knelt, her hands and arms radiating like the sun. My hands may not have glowed but the stretch of green beneath me was proof enough that what we were doing was working.
Tadhg ran out the castle door, his face a mask of confusion as he took in the prisoners who remained. I expected him to shout or go after them, but when he saw me, he ran to where I knelt instead. My husband fell down beside me, his eyes the color of glittering emeralds. Pure magic.
“Tell me what to do,” he pleaded.
“Love the land…and let it know.”
With a brusque nod, he splayed his hands in the grass and closed his eyes. Ruairi dropped beside him, followed by Eava and Oscar. The rest of the prisoners fell to their knees as well.
I watched in awe as the dead blades grew fat and green. Beyond the warded gates, a phantom breeze shuddered the tufts. Like catching a bucket of paint and throwing it across a canvas, green shot from where they knelt into the fields beyond. Within the walls, the ivy climbing the gray stone slowly regained its color. In the garden, withered flowers burst to life as if kissed by eternal spring.
I pushed to my feet and ran for the gates. Color stretched as far as the eye could see. I brought my hands to my trembling lips. Joyful tears streamed down my cheeks.
Tadhg collected me in a soul-mending embrace, wrapping me in the scent of sweet almonds and freshly cut grass. “Have I told you how feckin’ brilliant you are?” he murmured against my temple.
I laughed into his soft shirt.
He eased back and tilted my chin up with the tip of his finger. “Although I believe we will need to have a chat about you releasing our prisoners.” Sure enough, all the prisoners had gone. When Tadgh’s smiling lips claimed mine, everything else fell away.
“Do ye mind?” Ruairi grumbled from the garden entrance.
When I opened my eyes once more, I found Aveen beaming beside the pooka.
Eava hobbled next to her. When she saw the green hills, she threw up her hands with a shrillwhoop.
“Looks like we won’t be needin’ those ships,” Ruairi said with a smile.
The Danú may not have to leave Tearmann, but where did that leave those living in Airren with their humans? Tadhg’s brow knitted as he seemed to consider the same question.
“What if we brought everyone here?” I asked. At least the ones who wanted to get away.
His emerald eyes met mine, and his lips tilted into the most beautiful smile. “Looks like I need to set another meeting with the merrow.”
He kissed me once more before dragging Ruairi to check how far the magic had spread. Eava went inside to bake a cake worthy of such a joyous occasion. Knowing her, we’d be eating cake for weeks.
I offered to help, but when I turned for the castle, Aveen remained where she stood, staring out at the hills.
I slid a hand across the small of her back and pulled her into me. “He’ll be back soon.”
Her head fell to my shoulder, and she sighed. “I hope you’re right.”