Chapter 753: Hollow Ending
It took me a moment to realize I wasn't crying anymore. Not that I cared. Numb hollowness welcomed me into its embrace, the world around me only peripheral, uninteresting.
All but the feeling of his skin, now loose and cooling under my hands, the floppy way his head fell from my lap, face turning away as his empty hazel eyes stared off into nothing. How his blood felt chilly through my jeans, no matter how much my majiness kept me from sensing temperature.
Shivering, I hugged myself, hands wet with blood, wiping at a stray hair as it clung to the corner of my lip. Knowing I'd left a trail of him behind on my cheek.
Liam.
My darling Liam.
My oak tree was dead and nothing else mattered.
Two days, two nights. I looked down at the diamond on my hand, coated and glistening with crimson, amazed it was steady, no more trembling. Wow. Awesome. Wasn't it awesome I wasn't shaking anymore?
Sidhe power brushed against me, full of sorrow. My eyes lifted from Liam's empty face, met a black gaze simmering with red coals. A thick, wet tongue ran over my cheek, over Liam's blood, as Galleytrot flopped to his side, panting, weak. I felt him, recognized Ameline's touch, like it had been on Liam. Her hold on Galleytrot, the drain of his power, broken when I freed my love from her trap. And sent Liam into death.
But the big hound's heart remained as shattered as mine. The black dog lifted his head and howled his grief into the quiet of the cavern.
The world wobbled slightly as I sat back, feet sliding out from under me. Over blood, right? Yes, that was blood, slick on my sneakers. But whose blood?
Oh. Right.
I had to tell Liam to clean up after himself. Or Ameline maybe. This was her mess.
Um.
Wow.
Was this what it felt like to lose it?
Someone bent next to me, gentle, strong hands pulling me to my feet. I knew that chocolate magic, the heat of his power, but he was an Enforcer now. Why was Quaid here? Liam was going to be pissed-
The family magic shuddered. My egos joined it, shaking me, screaming at me as my mind turned toward them, realized then they'd been calling for me. But why? What did they want?
Why was Quaid leading me away? Where were we going?
Giant feet came into view, long legs, huge hands. My eyes traveled up, massive chest, thick neck, bald head. Diamond eyes.
And the world snapped back into sharp focus.
His tears were the color of liquid mercury, his cheeks sheathed in the thick fluid, scales appearing as he grieved. Max held out one hand to me as Quaid stopped, still holding me up, and I stared at the drach.
"And this," he whispered in his deep, vibrating voice. "This was my Fate."
I nodded. Drew a breath.
And my power.
And hit him as hard as I could. One last time. So he would know.
That I would never, ever forgive him.
Or Fate.
Max staggered this time, going down to one knee, head bowed as I stood over him. My shaking was back, but I welcomed it, and the rage and heartbreak fueling it. The numbness whispered at the edges of my mind, begged me to retreat, to fall into quiet and the well of nothing, free of memory.
But my anger wouldn't let me.
I wouldn't let me.
Max knelt there for a long time before standing. As though waiting for me to kill him.
Tempting.
Better to make him live with what he'd done.
He turned, the veil opening beside him, and left without a word. Only the sound of Galleytrot's soft whimpers remained.
"Syd." Quaid's voice spun me around. His hands had blood on them too, like mine. From touching me. I looked down at myself, the gore covering my shirt, my jeans. My arms slick with my dead husband's blood. Looked back up and met his dark eyes.
"Bet you're glad you didn't marry me now, huh?" I waggled my eyebrows at him, voice falling from light and airy into a quavering half-cry.
Not funny. So. Not. But I laughed anyway, cracking around the edges again, even as my tears started and wouldn't stop.
The cavern suddenly flooded with people, Galleytrot allowing them inside the Sidhe cavern. Mom, Shenka, Sassafras. The coven. Charlotte. Piers and Femke.
So many. Who loved me.
Whom I couldn't bring myself to comfort.
I turned, left Quaid to answer their questions, sank back down to the floor at Liam's side. Smoothed his hair from his forehead, gently closing his hazel eyes. Kissed him once, on the lips.
And collapsed in a wretched heap of tears.
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