“Nora died and Gerard risked his life to fulfill the sacrifices for their ancestors, for your sisters,” Elea whispered. “Must I do the same? Will I have to die to free you?”
“You will have to be reborn.”
“I don’t know what you mean.”
Eimhir gave her a sad smile. “You must find a way to make amends. Then you must forsake your sins, one by one, and humble yourself before Màthair. She is the only one that can save your people.”
“How can I save you?”
The wraith shook her head and a breeze brushed Elea’s face. “Take my mother’s crown with you when you go.”
Then Elea saw it and her jaw dropped. On the floor next to the sarcophagus sat the most exquisite crown that she’d ever seen. The gold shone in the dark cairn as if it were reflecting sunlight. There were more jewels than she could count. The spires were made from seven trigons welded together. It was the crown of a goddess.
Kneeling down, she picked up the legendary crown of Queen Eleanora I in her hands. It was surprisingly light for its size. She ran her fingers over the scrolls and jewels. There was nothing on earth like it. This was from the realm of the Eternal Kingdom.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?” Eimhir said, her voice echoing in the cairn. “I wanted it so badly that I let my sisters die so that it could be mine. And once it was mine, I wanted my sisters back. How fickle humans are.”
Elea set the crown back down. She was not like Eimhir, was she?
“Take it,” Eimhir’s soul said, floating behind her. “It’s what you want. What you’ve always wanted. What you care for more than the people in your life. Pride. Power. Prestige. To be the queen. You want it all. Take it!”
“That’s not true.”
Elea turned and she was face-to-face with Eimhir.
“I see your soul now. I am not the only betrayer. You betrayed your mother when you didn’t tell the court that your father poisoned her. You betrayed your cousin time and time again by your harsh words. And you betrayed the man whom you love because you thought he was not worthy of your greatness. You betrayed the people of Argylly when you believed that your life was more important than theirs. You betrayed everyone because you care more for yourself than you do for them.”
With all of her heart and tattered soul, Elea wanted to deny her ancestor’s accusations, but she couldn’t. There was too much truth in her words.
“Take the crown,” Eimhir repeated. “May you wear it better than I did.”
Then the soul of her ancestor returned to the sarcophagus, leaving Elea alone in the cairn.
Elea picked up the crown once again, but she was no longer fascinated by its beauty. She held it like a poisonous snake. A treacherous thing in her hands. Opening her satchel, she placed the heirloom inside of it.
She left the mound, closing the door carefully behind her. Standing in the middle of the three cairns, she saw Nora dressed in celestial armor, Matteo by her side, and Gerard holding the seer stone in his hand. The crown was at her side, pressing into her leg. Could she change? Would she ever be ready to wear it?
37
MATTEO
One by one, he watched Gerard and then Nora each leave their ancestor’s cairn. Their faces were white as sheets, as if they’d seen a ghost. Because they had. They had each met the spirit of their ancestor. It didn’t appear to be a very happy reunion for any of them. Gerard sat alone on a rock, looking out as if he saw something other than the countryside that surrounded him. He appeared to be seeing a multiplicity of worlds and possibilities. That made sense. He was a seer, after all.
Nora walked straight into his arms despite now wearing an impressive amount of armor that made cuddling very difficult. Still, he put his arms around her, giving her strength from his body and his soul. She was filled with anguish and pain. He longed to know what Orla had said to her but would wait until she confided in him. He knew that she would. Even without her telling him through their bond.
Together they watched Elea leave Eimhir’s cairn. The once haughty princess looked as if she was carrying a country on her shoulders. Her expression was grim and her face was covered in bruises. Not unlike Nora’s. They looked more alike than they ever had before. The biggest difference was that Elea’s violet hair now skimmed her shoulders, with a part shaved over her ear. But it was more than the bruises and the shorter hair. Elea seemed so different. The princess who had arrived in Sania last year would never have asked Nora for her forgiveness. She would never have condescended herself before her cousin.
Matteo had hated Elea for how she treated Nora, but seeing her bruised and humbled, he could hate her no more.
“What is our next move, my queen?” Nora asked.
Elea bit her lower lip and sighed. “We must make for Donnelly Castle. Grandmother is gathering us an army there.”
Matteo could not keep in his yawn; he felt as if he’d lived in the saddle for the last month. “Where is that?”
“The opposite direction, of course,” Nora said with a little laugh.
Matteo smiled at her and he felt her soul warm. Her burden lighten. “I’ve fed and watered the horses while you three met with ghosts. We can leave immediately.”