Slowly, the ball dissipated as their reality split apart and the gate to another world appeared before them.
Instead of sky and the city of Edinburgh, an otherworldly forest of blues and greens the shades of which Niamh had never witnessed except within her dreams came into being.
Faerie.
Astra had opened the gate to Faerie.
That definitely had to be dealt with.
But first …
Niamh was a blur of color as she wound through the bodies of her comrades and enemies to find Fionn holding a weakened Astra against the back of one of the standing stones with a spell.
Astra murmured under her breath, trying to break the casting with her own.
Fionn looked at Niamh and gave her a small nod before he stepped aside.
The corner of Astra’s lips curled. “Have you come to kill me, sister? It’s too late, you know. Even if you kill me, it’s too late.”
“That’s where you’re wrong. I know how to close the gate.”
Astra narrowed her eyes.
“You’re lying.”
She studied her fae sibling, feeling nothing, knowing the very darkness of Astra’s soul better than anyone. She was a plague upon this world. A plague upon Niamh’s world.
“I guess you’ll never know for sure.”
Niamh ran at her, watched with satisfaction as Astra’s eyes widened with shock even as she fought to free herself from Fionn’s spell. She would have, eventually. But with a dagger in her heart, she was weakened.
Weak enough that with the right velocity, Niamh’s palm hit the edge of the dagger’s handle like a Mack Truck. The entireweapon shot through Astra’s chest and heart. And just in case it wasn’t enough, Niamh punched her fist into Astra’s chest cavity and wrapped her hand around what was left of the heart muscle.
She tore it free.
Not in the least surprised to see her heart had blackened with evil.
The mad light died in Astra’s eyes. Her body slumped to the grass.
Niamh concentrated on Astra’s heart until it burst into flames. She dropped it on the earth and watched it turn to ash.
A gentle hand settled on her shoulder.
Fionn. She looked up at him. It wasn’t over. “We need to close the gate,” she said. “You make sure Astra can never come back.”
The hulking Celtic fae nodded. He had a strong stomach. He could do what needed to be done. Split Astra into pieces and scatter those pieces to the ends of the world before turning them to ash.
Nothing else would do.
Whirling around, Niamh could see the battle was ending. Only a few Blackwoods remained now, and the high council members were dealing with them. The packs were already beginning to collect their wounded and mourn their dead.
There would be time for her and her friends to do the same later.
Sending her thoughts into Rose’s, Thea’s, and Elijah’s minds, Niamh spoke to them:I need you at the standing stones. Only we can close the gate before it’s too late.
37
Niamh’s voicejolted through Elijah’s head as he picked his way through the fallen. Echo was safe and alive.
