“We did it,” Nils says, his voice hoarse. “The spirit realm is sealed.”
This time, it’s really over.
At long last.
A somber mood has settled over Skallagrim. Two days later, the blood has been scrubbed away, and those who died at the dance are now arranged on pyres to send them off into the afterlife. Dorian is among them, along with other hunters I didn’t know were killed at the dance. Idris’s body is also there, preserved by magic.
Six dead in total.
All because of my brother. I’m still struggling with that fact. Not only did Nils kill Emilía and Idris, but he caused these deaths too. After the séance, Nils turned himself in to Helga. I stood by his side as he did. He’s being kept in the old berserkir prison until he can go before Skallagrim’s board and they decide what to do with him.
Though Nils isn’t with us, I stand beside Mother and Helga. When I told Mother I wanted to live with her again, she welcomed me back with open arms. So did Aunt Helga, to my surprise. Turns out family isn’t as easily broken as I once feared.
As I look over the gathered crowd, I spot Father standing by himself.
My heart lurches. He is the man who shaped me. Good and bad. I think of all the time we spent together over the years, hunting and patrolling and eating. I will never hear his booming laugh again. Never hear him say,Good job, son. I swallow past the painful lump in my throat, overcome by emotion.
For so long, I wanted to be like Father.
Now that I see who he really is, I’m glad I’m not.
If Nils is to blame, so is he. He should have been a better father to Nils. He never should have told him things likeWhy can’t you be more like your brother?andI wish you were never born.If he had only loved Nils instead of hurting him, maybe things would have turned out differently. Maybe I wouldn’t be standing here among the dead. Maybe something that started within our family wouldn’t have ended with another tragedy.
And Trygve is to blame as well. Rather than helping Nils, he manipulated him. Used him for his own purposes. I hope that the Skallagrim board will be able to see that. Even if Nils is never truly free again, I want him to have a chance to live without our father’s shadow looming over him. A chance to change, to become better.
My vision blurs with tears.
Mother takes my hand. Squeezes it. “I’m proud of you, Amund.”
We exchange a long look.
Maeve clears her throat, standing before the crowd. “We are gathered here today to say goodbye,” she calls out. “To our friends, our families, and our loved ones.” Her voice breaks as her gaze lands on Idris, but she makes herself continue, “To everyone who lost their lives in the tragic events that unfolded thirty years ago and this weekend’s Unity Dance. What was supposed to be a joyous celebration resulted in a tragic loss of life.
“Even one life lost is too many,” Maeve says, the words thick. “I want to take a moment to honor those we’ve lost. First and foremost, our students Emilía Jónsdóttir, Dorian Kritikos, Michael Lindberg, and Sophia Edwards, as well as esteemed alumnus Henrik Müller. Last but certainly not least, our beloved faculty, Idris Cadwalader and Ari Magnússon.”
Torches are handed out and lowered to the pyres.
Smoke rises, thick and dark.
The dead are devoured by flames.
“Many more lives could have been lost,” Maeve continues, “but thankfully this time, we averted a larger massacre because we all came together. I know my husband would be proud of every one of you. Idris dedicated the latter half of his life toward bringing us together, despite our differences. As your new headmistress, it’s my hope that we can move forward from this, united.”
As long as I can remember, Helga has been our headmistress. In order to keep Skallagrim from closing permanently, she stepped down from her position. Rather than turning the school over to another of Egill’s descendants, the board chose to do something different this time. They chose Maeve to usher us into a new era.
I tear my gaze away from our new headmistress, looking over everyone who survived. Between billowing plumes of smoke, Edith stands with Bea and her foster parents. Her eyes are red, but she holds her chin high.
“Why don’t you go get your girl already?” Val asks, joining me.
I haven’t spoken to Edith since Saturday. After everything that happened, everything that Nils did, I don’t know how I can possibly face her. I settle on: “She’s not my girl. And I doubt she wants to see me.”
Val rolls her eyes. “Oh, please. She’s totally into you.”
“Since when do you support us being together?” I ask slowly.
“I don’t know, Edith isn’t so bad. We might have… bonded a little bit.” Val grins. “Don’t worry, I’ll still hunt her down if she ever hurts you.”
A small laugh escapes me. I can’t help it.
