“Obviously, Serxon couldn’t reveal to anyone he had the ring, or how he’d obtained it, or the knowledge he held. Fortunately, he didn’t knowhowto cross. He didn’t realize when he killed our uncle that there were only certain times the ring worked, or what the proper chant was. Since our sire was dead, Serxon knew he couldn’t kill me if he ever wished to fully understand its secrets. But he couldn’t let on to me that he knew because that would have implicated him in my uncle’s death.
“Your mother likely thought I was dead because I swore to get Serxon’s ring and return to her. She knew crossings were only possible during certain moon phases and times. Unfortunately, my brother escaped me and hid his ring. Refused to tell me where it was. Taunted me. Said if I changed my will and faked my death to give him the estate and Zeuzehn, he’d give me the ring. Otherwise, he expected me to keep funding his lifestyle. I had no recourse. I could not kill Serxon without first obtaining the ring, and he couldn’t kill me because he knew he’d lose the secrets to crossing, as well as any chance of ascending, or having a birthright, or milking me for support. Stalemate.
“If I retaliated, he threatened to reveal what he knew about me, which could have threatened Zeuzehn, too. Serxon and I both knew if either of us revealed what we could do with the rings, we wouldbothbe killed. It’s ancient, forbidden magick. Serxon also knew that, as long as your mother was alive, I would never take another mate and produce an heir, meaning he would never ascend to ruling class.
“What Serxon didn’t know is that, long ago, I’d told Sorcha if anything ever happened to me, when you were eighteen, Sorcha was to give you my ring and tell you the full truth and the secrets of how to cross. To disguise yourself as men and cross and look for Zeuzehn immediately upon your arrival.”
“And that’s why you never reported Serxon to the authorities here,” Garrett says. “Because it was mutually assured destruction.”
“Exactly. Zeuzehn and I tried to keep vigilant watch on the stones during the crossing times. As you can imagine, we had to keep our actions a secret. My brother must have been watching us and finally puzzled out the pattern, that only certain times were crossing nights. The rings can home in on each other during crossing times. I guess he heard us discussing that while we tried to find Sorcha. At some point, Serxon slipped through when we weren’t guarding the stones and killed Sorcha…”
When his voice chokes, Zeuzehn consoles him. “I was delayed getting there that night for my watch. I knew something had happened because I felt such a sharp, deep pain, like my very soul was being rent. But I was there when Serxon returned the next night. He sounded…smug. Triumphant. Told me I could now mark Zeuzehn and get busy siring an heir, since Sorcha was dead. In my grief and rage, I attacked Serxon and killed him, but his ring was damaged during the fight. Zeuzehn helped me stage the accident and provided an alibi.”
“Wrecked a perfectly good vehicle on such a waste of a soul as that man,” Zeuzehn darkly mutters. “Better he’d not been born at all for all the grief he caused, the beast.”
* * *
Eilidh
I dragmy feet as we cook dinner together and eat. Dexter lovingly hovers without getting between me and Dad and Zuzu. And when we sit to eat, I sit between them, and nobody comments about me crying.
I take lots of pictures of pictures on the walls, and of them, and me with them. I’ll be printing these out when we get home.
“Oh, wait.” Zuzu darts off and returns moments later with a small photo album. “I keep this in the safe. It’s too risky to leave it lying around. I cannot believe I almost forgot about it. Sorcha gave it to me for my birthday one year.”
I burst into tears when I realize it’s filled with pictures of when I was born, when I was a small child.
Pictures of the four of us together. A family.
My hands are shaking too hard to take pictures of everything. Dexter gently takes the phone from me and does it for me while Zuzu and Dad hold me.
Amber walks over, smiling as she hugs me. “I know this hurts right now, sweetie, but please be strong. Good things—great things—are coming. I’d tell you more, but I don’t want to jinx them.”
“Well, you were right about Dad being alive. You’ve got a great track record, in my book.”
Once it’s dark, we head out to the woods, with all the men carrying boxes of notes and journals and other items we’re moving now. I want to dart off the path and run away, a familiar feeling from when I was a kid, but I know Dexter and Garrett would quickly catch up with me if I tried.
The way Dad and Zuzu used to catch up with me and hold me, trying to calm me down when I cried and begged not to leave.
I just wanted my family together all the time. That’s all I ever wanted.
I now understand why I hated the night for so long.
I also understand why I suppressed all those memories.
Because it hurt.
Saying good-bye hurt and always did.
I haven’t had the heart to tell them about the cage fighting Mom resorted to in her attempts to keep us afloat. Dad and Zuzu both feel horrible enough as it is about what happened.
It wasn’t their fault. I just wish my fucking asshole uncle were still alive so I could have the satisfaction of killing him myself. I’d stab him with so many pencils, he’d look like a fricking porcupine when I finished.
Once we reach the stone ring, I stand outside it, hesitating. Zuzu smiles and walks over to me, slipping the ring on my finger. “You can signal to me. You know how now. You can leave me notes in the rocks, where the scarf was. And your father will bring you notes, and we’ll visit.”
The scarf. I have it in my pocket. “What if you don’t find love, Zuzu? You’ll be alone here.”
“I have friends, angel. They will comfort me. And you will come visit with me, and I will visit with you.”
