Page 165 of The Washwoman at the River’s End

The darkness swells as if waking, reaching out with long, black fingers. They wrap around Bea’s ankles, and my lungs constrict. I try to pull her back, but she stops me.

“No. They are my friends,” she says, caressing them, and as if agreeing with her, a long string of mist reaches out and pushes a strand of hair from in front of her face.

The realm shudders—a bone-crackling rumble that begins in the After and spreads outward. I pull Bea against my chest, shielding us as branches fall from above. Her chain turns orange, then white, glowing so bright, I’m forced to close my eyes to block out the blinding light. Rocks tumble from the hillside, crashing into the water.

Trees explode in a perfect oval around the valley, the ones warded to keep Bea trapped. Bark shoots out in all directions, but none of it touches us, as if we are protected by the goddess herself.

The water warms as Bea’s chain melts away, and I watch in wonder as it disintegrates like it was never there at all. Her eyes fill with tears as she stares down at her bare ankle, and I look at her in awe, this strong, beautiful woman, who, for the first time since I met her, is no longer chained.

Her gaze meets mine, a joy shining in her smile I have never witnessed before, and it feels as if the sun is emerging after years of darkness.

Her body glows, a soft, warm light spreading through her skin, and then, everything stills.

“We did it," she says, looking up at me, breathless. “We actually did it. I’m free.” Her voice cracks, and a tear trails down her cheek.

I pull her against my chest. “You're free, Mo ghràidh,” I say into her hair, holding her so tight I fear I’ll harm her, but I cannae let go. Never again.

An ear-shattering roar shakes the ground, and we both look up to where Lolly battles the monsters.

Except, she is no longer fighting.

Ice-cold terror fills my veins as the purple dragon dives toward us, wings spread wide and talons extended.

“No!” I scream, pulling Bea into my arms and sprinting toward Sable. My mind shifts through dozens of plans in an instant, searching for the best way to escape. My dàn of speed activates, and I head toward the trees, hoping that if we can make it, the beast's wings will be too broad to allow it to pass through.

But the dragon bellows, flying so fast my eyes can hardly track her, throwing me to the side with a brush of its enormous wing.

Bea flies from my arms as I crash into the rocks, the edge of its razor-sharp tail catching my thigh. The beast's claws wrap around Bea, plucking her out of thin air, and I scramble to my feet. “No!”

But I am not fast enough. Not strong enough. With or without my dàn, I am no match for this dragon.

With a single beat of Lolly’s wings, she surges forward and dives into the After.

“Bea!” I roar, sprinting after her. I dinnae care if no one can survive the darkness.

I dinnae care if the guardian slays me on sight.

Where she goes, I will follow.

I do not even hesitate as I race into the black and jump into whatever comes next.

75

BRENNEN

Time no longer exists as I hurdle through the air, falling and falling until I wonder if falling is all I will ever experience again. I do not know if seconds or hours or days have passed. Time has ceased to exist, and then, I land. The air is ripped from my lungs as I crash onto my back on soft, glittery, silver sand.

My skull hits the ground with a thud, and I see stars, but I force myself to roll to my side, willing my vision to clear. I groan, my entire body aching and skull throbbing. Shaking my head, I beg the dizziness to ease.

“Bea!” I shout, my voice echoing outward.

The realm comes into focus as I scramble to my feet, and my mouth drops open. I dinnae ken what I expected, but I have fallen into an entirely new world—the black of the night so dark, it’s almost purple, with endless stars in a sky bigger than I’ve ever seen. The water from the river turns to silver sand as it drops from above, and darkness wraps around me, caressing me as if welcoming me home. A pair of enormous gates loom before me, gold, arcing metal created from thousands of interconnected dàn.

And kneeling before them is Bea, Lolly slowly stalking toward her, head lowered.

The dragon is massive. So much bigger than she ever appeared in the sky or on the ridge, and I bring my hand to my sword.

Bea’s eyes widen with fear as Lolly approaches, her hands in front of her as if she can hold the enormous beast at bay by sheer will.