Chapter 755: Funeral Pyre
The Council had restored the old coven site with magic after the closing of conclave. I was happy to see the trees back in their places, the grasses growing high again in the periphery. The old pentagram was gone, our house now the center of the family's power. But this location still had great meaning for the coven and seemed the perfect place to send Liam on.
I considered burning his body in the Sidhe realm, but discarded the idea just as quickly. Liam was a Gatekeeper, but he was a Hayle. And this glade combined the best of both.
Mom released my hand as we stepped out of the veil into the clearing, the family already gathered and waiting for us. Ahbi's spirit was gentle, but didn't offer comfort.
Bless her for knowing I didn't want any just yet.
The sky had darkened to black, pinpoints of stars sharing their light on this moonless night. Black robes parted, let me through, the family embracing me with their magic as Ahbi had done, but their sympathy held in check.
How well they knew me.
Gram waited in the center, Sassafras in her arms, Shenka beside her. Meira's cheeks shone with tears. Charlotte came forward, led me to stand with my grandmother before backing away, head down, hands folded.
The pyre waited, empty and cold, a stack of wood the size of a coffin, bare and open to the endless sky. I reached for Galleytrot, felt him answer, his power only beginning to recover from Ameline's attack, but more than enough.
More than enough to deliver my dead husband, Liam, to his final rest.
Mom hadn't wanted to allow me to prepare the body, but I didn't give her a choice. Arrived home from Mia's burning and locked myself in the Sidhe cavern with him. Chased out those she'd sent to deal with his mortal form. Phon and Lula Kennecott left immediately, bowing to me. The healer twins had washed him, laid him out on a table in a suit Mom must have provided.
I undressed him, trying not to register the stiffness of his limbs, thankful I barely felt the cold of his flesh. And slipped him into his favorite clothes. The white t-shirt I smoothed out over the thin bandage the twins used to cover his wound. His second favorite pair of jeans came next, the first gone, covered in his blood. Socks, sneakers. I tousled his hair, stroked his cheek.
Sat with him a while, holding his cold hand, willing warmth into it. Wishing I could go after him, knowing there was no hope. Bouncing between hate and love and desperate tears that came in waves I couldn't control.
Until Mom came, led me away to prepare myself for the funeral.
And I went with her. Left my darling there, the giant black hound collapsed at his side. Galleytrot never left him, not for a moment, mournful power hanging like a shroud around my dead husband.
My Liam.
And now, the faithful dog brought the body out, the hound of the Wild Hunt's glowing green power appearing through the veil I opened for him, guiding him without me through the labyrinth of the veil and out again, carrying Liam's form wrapped in a sheath of magic.
The family bowed their heads as Liam floated forward, settling softly on the pyre.
Disturbance, yelling, a slamming car door. I wasn't expecting this interruption, turned to find Sonja O'Dane forcing her way through the family, though their hands tried to hold her back, her Unseelie power sparking and flaring, slippery. Mom moved before I could, but too late, as Liam's mother stopped before me.
Slapped me across the face.
My head rocked to the side, blood heating the inside of my mouth. Stunned, on pause, I turned slowly back.
And met her furious eyes as Charlotte wrestled her away from me.
Sonja collapsed into my werefriend's arms even as Galleytrot approached with a rumbling growl.
"This is your fault!" Her power slapped me again, barely registering as her physical blow had. Shaylee shuddered, tried to fight back, but I held her off.
No. I had to hear this.
I deserved this.
"My son is dead." Sonja's hate bubbled forth, Liam's spell keeping her complacent and happy clearly broken. "And no one would let me near him. None of you!" She spun away from Charlotte, spit at my feet. "He's dead and you killed him and you didn't want me to know." She collapsed to her knees, shaking, sobbing, a wreck.
I knew how she felt. And couldn't bring myself to comfort her.
Because she was right.
Blue power flared overhead, two Enforcers appearing. Mom must have called them. I almost stopped her when she gestured to Sonja.
This was her son. Didn't she deserve the right to be here?
"Please escort Mrs. O'Dane to the other side of the pyre." Mom wasn't completely heartless then.
Sonja went, stumbling, falling, wailing her grief into the night as the two black-robed Enforcers did as they were ordered.
Mom's hand fell on my arm, pulled me around, tears on her cheeks.
"Sweetheart," she said.
I shook my head, looked at Liam lying in death on the pile of wood that would carry him away from me forever.
Why didn't I listen to Gram? To Sassafras? They were right. Liam wasn't strong enough.
And I wasn't. I should have kept him safe. Would Ameline even have gone after him if he wasn't mine?
Of course she would have, Galleytrot growled to me. Except his last days would have been sad, in longing, instead of full of love and happiness.
Small comfort, I sent.
Not for me. He came to my side, sat next to me, black eyes empty, leaning in with his furry shoulder. And not for Liam.
I stepped up to his body, slipped the rings from my finger. Laid them on his chest, kissed his cold cheek.
Finally stepped back, beside Galleytrot, his presence comforting, the feel of the earth and an approaching summer storm.
I raised one hand, set it on the dog's head. Scratched a little. Nodded.
And set fire to the pyre.
I wished I'd see him rise again, just one more glimpse, though the memory of him doing so in the cavern was still with me. This time, though, I knew I wouldn't. Already asked Galleytrot. Turned out Sidhe didn't have echoes like witches did. And his spirit was long gone.
I watched the pyre flare and smoke, catch in a rainbow of flames as my egos joined me, my maji power feeding the heat until a trail of sparkling embers rose into the uncaring night.
Taking my dead husband, Liam, away from me.
***
