I reach for the amulet around my neck and curl my hand around it.
“You don’t get to take me, and you don’t get the Yeavering.”
All around, the darkened clouds light up with fire. The sounds of it, of the Thegn, of the wind, are so loud, I am deafened. I hope Warden has a good grip on me because it wants to take me.
“Hazel.” I look down again, to see something other than determination in Warden’s face. There is a pain he can no longer hide, and I see his arm, covered in blood from a wound in his chest.
“Warden!”
“I will be with you, my love,” he says, his voice cutting through everything. “Forever.”
He pulls hard on my skirts, bringing me closer to the ground, his jaw gritted as he continues against the pain.
“It would seem you have lost it all, human,” the Thegn shouts triumphantly over the rest of the noise. “You may as well give yourself to me.”
“Never.” I grip the amulet, hoping whatever magic I have, and whatever magic it contains, can do something. “You cannot have what does not belong to you.”
Beneath me, I feel Warden buckle. But then I feel another strong hand on my skirts.
“Linton?”
The mothman has hold of me and has hold of Warden too, propping him up as the pair of them work to pull me down and down.
“I found a few things I thought might help,” Linton says with his usual unhinged smile. “They’ll be along soon.”
Above us, the Thegn howls, getting larger.
“I think it’s too late for help,” I say as I finally reach the ground and wrap my arms around Warden, who droops forward, his weight on both Linton and me.
“Depends what the help is,” Linton says, looking over his shoulder.
The entirety of the top of the portal is covered in standing stones, like jagged teeth, and they surround one huge one.
“Long Meg?”
“And her daughters,” Warden wheezes.
“I brought someone else I found here too.” Linton stares at the sky as a shape swoops through the fire.
“Fenrother?” Warden rasps.
“No.” Linton makes a face. “Something better.”
The shape punches through the clouds, and I see a flash of white, pink, and iridescence.
“Peggy?”
“The Laidly Wyrm?”
“The Laidly Wyrm.” Linton grins. “She said she’d take you home.”
“It may be too late.” Warden’s knees buckle.
“No!” I grab at him, taking him to the ground. “I need you, Warden. It isn’t meant to end like this.”
“As long as it ends, I am mortal, and you are safe, my sweet lady, it is the way it is supposed to end.” His eyes close.
“NO!” I scream as lightning flashes all around. “This is not how this works. You are mine, Brag, and I won’t let you go.”
