My breath caught in my throat. Was that my Lugh, taking control of the wraith’sbody?
I couldn’t wait to findout.
With a deep breath, I charged. I reached Lugh, still frozen in place. He shuddered as I lifted the shirt away from his chest. Meeting his eyes, my lips twisted into a sadsmile.
“I hope this works,” Iwhispered.
And then I sunk the ends of the spear into his skin. He screamed as the sharp points dug inside of him. I didn’t push far, too afraid that the weapon would slice him in half. I gritted my teeth, holding onto one of his arms while my blood mixed withhis.
He roared and ripped out of my grip, stumbling away like I’d burned him with a torch. His entire body began to shudder, and his eyes rolled back into his head. I dropped the spear like it was a scorpion, fear and horror churning throughme.
Lugh collapsed. His body wentstill.
Heart hammering hard, I rushed toward him and fell to my knees by his side. He wasn’t breathing. His entire body had gonestill.
Sobbing, I leaned over him and checked for a pulse. I didn’t feelone.
Sorrow churning through me, I threw back my head andscreamed.
What the hell had Idone?
23
Lugh suckedin a sudden breath and lurched up from the ground. My hand flew to my chest, my heart restarting after what felt like years. He’d lay there like that for seemingly endless hours, his pulse gone, his breath still in hislungs.
“Lugh?” My hands found the ground, fingernails digging deep into the dirt. “Is it you or is it thenightmare?”
His eyes flew open. A deep, deep black stared back at me, but not the dark pit that the wraith’s eyes had been. Recognition flickered through his irises, chasing away the pain written on each and every line of his face. “Moira? Is...oh my god, are youokay?”
“What?”
He reached out and pressed his hand against my face, and then dropped his gaze to my hand. “You’re crying and bleeding everywhere. What the hell happened toyou?”
I glanced down at my hand, and pain suddenly blindsided me. He was right. Blood smeared across my palm as the wound bubbled with a fresh stream of it. The spear had cut deeper than I’d realised. I’d been so distracted by Lugh’s collapse that I hadn’t realised how badly I’d beenhurt.
“Don’t worry about me,” I said sniffling. “Are you okay? Is the...is hegone?”
Lugh shook his head in confusion. “Is whogone?”
“You don’t remember,” I whispered, eyeswide.
“Remember what?” Lugh frowned, and then his eyes snagged on the weapon lying only inches from his feet. Realisation dawned on his face, quickly followed by horror. He stared at the spear, and then jerked up his eyes to meet mine. “Blimey, Moira. Please tell me that what I think happened isn’t true. Tell me it was all a terribledream.”
“A nightmare.” Sighing, I collapsed back onto my heels. Finally, I could relax. It was all over. The terrible nightmare was done. Lugh was back. He was here, safe and alive, and I would never let him be taken from me again. Instinctively, I reached out toward him, desperate to bury myself in his chest. I wanted him near me. This time, I wouldn’t run. I would never letgo.
“Moira?” Lugh’s voice sounded distant, tinny, and I realised my eyes were shut. “Moira. Talk to me. You’re bleeding terribly. We have to close thewound.
Distantly, everything came rushing back to me. Everything I’d heard about lives and sacrifices. The cauldron and the spear. Nemain and Lugh’s soul. It was all dark magic, the kind that took lives just as readily as it gave them. To save Lugh, I’d sacrificed my ownblood.
And the magic would take all ofit.
Darkness surrounded me like a blanket, and a strange peace filled my soul. I wasn’t ready to leave this world, but at least I didn’t have to go alone. I had found my soulmate. And he had found me. Maybe in another life, we’d have more time thanthis.
My lips parted, and I breathed my lastbreath.
* * *
Of course,some endings are only the beginning. I, Moira Talmhach, had sacrificed myself to save my mate. It was only fitting, really. I had killed him in a way, after all. It just turned out my blood had also brought himback.
