Chapter 160: Envy And Endings
"Betrayer!" We spun, saw Pain staring at us, her face filled with jealousy and madness. "My lord, have you forgotten what she has done?"
Gwynn hesitated, a flicker of his rage returning. "Shaylee?"
She left me for a moment, her grief so powerful she could barely act. I fumbled around inside my head for a way to keep him with me, anything that would stem the rising fury in his face, the return of the flames.
"I remember," he snarled at me, the lightning flickering back to life. "Your treachery, your blood curse. I remember." He turned to Pain. "Cydia, my thanks."
Shaylee surged back, took control of me. "No, my lord." Our voice shook with so much passion I wanted to cry and hug him. "She lies now as she did so long ago. Don't you remember?"
Pain's laughter was horrible to hear. "Don't listen to her, great lord," she hissed in his ear, jerking free of the exhausted Quaid to sidle up to Gwynn, her hate jabbing at me like a weapon. "She told me herself how she could never love one such as you, that she was only marrying you for position. And when I protested, told her how wonderful you were and she did not deserve you, she attacked me with blood magic. She planned to strip your power and have our father banish you to the Unseelie Court, to banish you to the Underworld forever while she married someone better."
She lied! I knew it, could feel it. "My sister." Shaylee's sadness rippled through us, down into the very ground which shuddered in sympathy. "My lord, she was jealous of our love then and is yet, and it is her envy that tore us apart."
Gwynn held still, his anger still powerful but held in check. "My princess," he said, "I have suffered for your love for far too long." He stepped away from me. "Your father banished me to an eternity with the dark riders of the hunt in punishment for killing you."
Tears trickled down my cheeks, hot and stinging. "I know," we whispered. "But I forgive you, my love."
He faltered even as Cydia hissed. "She forgives you?" She sparkled with Sidhe magic, but it was laced with darkness and we knew she was no longer pure but had gone to the Unseelie, showing all she was the source of the blood magic. "How dare she speak to you that way? She betrayed your heart and dared to mock the lord of the Underworld. She must pay again, they all must."
"By destroying this world?" We didn't look at her any longer, but kept Gwynn's gaze.
"Yes!" She stomped one foot, the ground shaking with the power she released. "To finally end this world so we builders may begin again."
"No," we said softly as Shaylee finally understood and shared it with us. "So you may finally control everything. You know the hunt will destroy even the Unseelie Court. Only those who ride with the Wild will survive to rebuild. She deceives you for power, my lord, as she lied to you once before in an effort to control you."
The tears falling now were mine. So much pain over so many centuries. Gwynn's sword returned to its sheath, his anger draining away until only he remained, the Sidhe lord Shaylee loved.
She pushed us forward to embrace him, kissing him one more time directly on the scar he hated and she embraced without judgment. "Let this be ended," we said. "Let our souls finally rest, my love. And let this world live."
He hugged us back, but his sadness made his regret clear.
"I have woken, my riders with me," he said. "There is no hope. I am sorry, my princess. I must fulfill my destiny." He looked up and over our shoulder. We turned to see Mom and Dad standing there, Gram beside them. "You fought well and hard," he said, "and have given me the greatest gift in the end." He nodded once to Gram who nodded back. "All I have ever wanted was to see my true love again."
"Is there nothing we can do to convince you?" Mom's voice was quiet, calm. Bless her.
Gwynn shook his head. "Nothing. When the human witches stole my hound," he gestured at Galleytrot who sat nearby, his gaze fixed on Pain, "they stirred something never meant to be stirred. And the presence of my love," he looked down at me, "finished the summoning."
We knew he was right. Shaylee spoke for us. "Ethpeal's power did its best to hide us," she said, "but when our demon side departed, there was so little left to keep us protected. While her essence kept us from using magic, she couldn't prevent the release of our touch on the world."
"I'm sure my use of Sidhe power didn't help any." Mom nodded once. "You understand we won't let you destroy us without a fight?"
Gwynn nodded. "I do, brave witch. And I wish you well. But you cannot stand against the full might of the Wild Hunt."
The energy gathered again, pounding against the eye of the magical storm where we stood. Shaylee retreated again, full of sorrow, but at a loss. My demon side wanted to fight, but I knew there had to be another way.
Cydia chose that moment to leap to the attack. I spun around, saw her coming, knew Galleytrot would reach her a heartbeat too late and lost myself in the understanding I was about to die.
The crystal in my hand flared to life, struck out with Sidhe power and drove her to the ground. I saw it envelop her, choking her, and almost rushed to help. But then I understood the truth. It wasn't killing her, but driving the essence of Cydia from Pain's body. A tall, wavering form stood over my friend, glowing green, cascading black hair and over large eyes glaring pure hate at me.
No, she spoke directly into our minds, you will not!
When she struck, this time it wasn't at me, but at Gwynn. The crystal flashed as Shaylee surged forward, not with her power but with her very soul.
Cydia howled her rage as the power struck us and drove us backward. Shaylee fled from it, crippled and weakened. But my demon and I were strong, very strong.
The spirit of the deceitful Sidhe princess shuddered as I drove my power at her image, my demon sheathing her in fire. She cried out, this time in pain and fear as our combined effort crushed her before shattering her completely. What remained of her dissolved into flashes of extinguished embers.
Shaylee cried for her sister while my demon and I comforted her. I looked down at the crystal in my hand, still pulsing green, and saw the future.
"My lord," I said. "There is a way after all."
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