I nodded. “Before you are sentenced by king Kade, I wanted you to know that your sons will succeed where you have failed. Their names will be celebrated for all time while yours will live on no further than this day.”
“Erik Gunnach, also known as Gunnar Egilson, I hereby sentence you to the true death. Your body is to be burned and your name to be stricken from memory and text. There will be no further mercy granted to you.”
Erik joined Sindri in ash and I turned to Kade just as Alice grabbed one of the guard’s swords and made a run for me.
“Arric! Sword!” Abela demanded, and I threw it to her.
She caught it and swung the sword, taking Alice’s head clean off with one blow. The sword began to glow, followed by Abela herself. Her body elevating two feet off the ground as light enveloped her.
“Abela,” Isla, cried.
“It’s okay, babe,” I said, “Watch.”
The ground around us hummed and the air crackled with static electricity as Abela continued to glow brighter and brighter still before suddenly stopping.
Abela floated gently back to the ground to reveal she had returned to her younger form. Radiant, beautiful, youthful, and most of all strong.
“Oh my god,” Isla breathed out.
“Mum?” Brodie rushed to her. “Are you alright?”
She wrapped him in a hug. “Better than alright, love. I am finally free.”
“You killed him!” Gillian screamed, dropping to kneel beside the captain. His throat had been cut, but I’m not sure by whom, considering the chaos surrounding us.
“Gillian, he was obviously not a good man,” Payton crooned. “Now you can come back to us.”
Gillian scowled at her sister. “I’ll be nowhere without him.”
“Don’t say that, love,” Payton begged. “We’re here for you. All of us.”
She shook her head, tears streaming down her face, reaching for her mate’s dagger at his side.
“What are you doing?” Payton demanded. “Gillian, give me the dirk.”
“No! I will not live without him.”
Before anyone could do anything, Gillian shoved the blade into her heart, falling over her dead mate and Payton screamed as both bodies disintegrated into ash.
“No!” Payton cried.
“Come on, love.” Brodie wrapped his arms around her, holding her close. “I’ve got you.”
“Get my daughter inside,” Connall demanded. “Kade and I will take care of the rubbish.”
“I’ll help, Your Highness,” Alasdair said.
Isla and I led the group of victorious, yet exhausted, Cauld Anes back into the castle, and I pulled her into the library once Samantha had ordered everyone to the kitchen for something to eat.
“Are you okay?” I asked, cupping Isla’s face and checking her for injuries.
“I’m fine, love. But I have realized that my mother is a beast and I want to be just like her.”
I chuckled. “Yeah, she is. But you be just like you and all will be perfect.”
“You’re quite romantic when you want to be.”
“Don’t tell anyone. I have a certain level of street cred I need to keep.”
