Chapter Twenty-Five

I peered down at the Fir Bolg in front of me, his wrists bound and the welts from dragan flames bright red on his face. We stood in the cavernous throne room, sunlight flooding through the long windows that flanked the walls. The stained glass cast an ethereal glow on the weary warriors gathered in the chamber, softening the blood and dirt caked on their bodies. Una and Regina were safe, but I suppressed a shudder, noting how few soldiers had survived the battlefield.

In the corner in shadow stood the rightful Queen of Teamhair, Alannah, my grandmother. Emaciated and pale, she had aged a hundred years as a captive of the Fir Bolgs, the creatures stealing energy and magic from her to forward their own nefarious plans. Her once luscious brown hair lay in gray, limp locks, her dress turned to soiled rags. Orin, her advisor, stood beside her, his hand steadying her as she trembled on unsteady feet. He, too, looked as though the Fir Bolgs had drained centuries from his immortal existence; weariness and fatigue riddled his once porcelain-smooth face. Alannah was still the true Fae sovereign, but given her exhaustion, she was currently unfit to rule, and I needed to play at diplomacy and make peace first with the Fir Bolgs. Peace…and then a new world, if I could.

My gaze traveled to beyond the stained glass and to the sky beyond. That dark matter was still taking up real estate in the sky, and it had no sign of relenting even though Danu and Bel were reunited and making kissy face in their little secret garden. We may have won the day, but a battle still waged in Mag Mell. I trusted the gods could hold off a simple wizard, but I had to return to make sure and I had to get there soon. Now. None of this was “the way” as Danu had pronounced before the pool, but I still had the mirror. I still had time to make it right. Maybe. I hoped.

Finn nudged the Fir Bolg kneeling before me. “What do you want to do with him?”

Phelan snorted. “Cut off his head? Let him dangle from a noose from the highest tower?”

I ignored the púca, edging toward the prisoner.

“What is your name?” I said.

He cleared his throat, his voice hoarse. “Afred.”

I nodded. “I remember you from the baths in London. You nearly had us all killed.”

The Fir Bolg merely stared, his face blank. Finally, he bowed his head, shaking it slowly back and forth. “Belan was mad to want to break the ties with our universe. It was sacrilege to attempt such a terrible thing. We wanted to rule Tír na nÓg, not destroy it.”

“And how’d that work out for you?” Phelan quipped.

I raised my hand to silence him.

“Now, in defeat, do you wish to be a part of Tír na nÓg? To join the Fae in solidarity?” I asked.

Afred nodded.

I raised my chin and allowed my gaze to drift across the throne room. Fae, Fianna, and Druids scattered through the hall, intermingling, their eyes glittering with the hope of victory. Change wouldn’t come easily, but I had to seize the moment and start with the first steps.

“The day belongs to the people of Tír na nÓg and their allies from the mortal side,” I called out, my voice echoing through the great room. “But tomorrow is a new day and our world needs a new government.”

Finn leaned down and whispered in my ear. “What are you doing?”

I ignored him. “We will decide the ruler in the old style, according to the ancient Faerie laws. The leaders of the Fae present here will vote on our new ruler, and that ruler will function in a transitional position for twelve months and one day until a proper election can be held.”

A murmur rose through the crowd, everyone expecting I would simply usurp the throne. I knew if Tír na nÓg didn’t have something that at least appeared like democracy now, we would never have it. I had to insist upon it before things began to fall apart again.

I stared down at Afred, gesturing to Aodhan. “My general will see to the conditions of your surrender. If you meet them, which I assure you will be fair and just to your people, then we invite the Fir Bolgs to our vote.”

Afred nodded and bowed. “The Fir Bolgs will most assuredly agree to your gracious terms.”

My gaze traveled across the throne room. “The time for petty politics, of divisions, tribalism, hatred, and old grudges is over. Today, the Fae unite as one tribe.” I stared hard into Amergin’s eyes. “And we invite our allies to join with us and do the same, in the name of justice for all magic folk.”

A great cry sounded up through the chambers, but I kept my face smooth and calm. Pretty words were one thing, but carrying out a democracy and creating a more level playing field amongst Trinity would be quite another.

I turned to Malachy. “Set up the vote. Make sure the leaders of all the tribes are present. We’ll reconvene this time tomorrow.”

Gesturing to Finn, Eamonn, and Grainne to follow me, the four of us ducked into a side chamber.

“Are you going to tell us how you escaped Thornton?” Finn asked as soon as the door clicked shut.

Grainne smothered me in a great hug. “When you disappeared into that mirror, I was so afraid. Once you entered it, I could not follow you.”

I squeezed her before pulling away. “It’s all right. I’m glad you’re safe.”

“What about the device?” Eamonn pressed.

Grainne took my elbow and led me to a seat as she smoothed her hand back and forth against my shoulders. “I wonder if we can get some tea—”

I waved my hand. “No. No tea. We don’t have much time.”

Finn sat on the other side of me. “Tell us what happened.”

Letting out a long exhale, I recited everything that happened since Thornton cast them out of that world. “He has the device,” I said. “And he’s close to the Tree of Life. Danu and Bel can hold him off, but I don’t know if they’ll be able to defuse the bomb, and who knows what will happen if it goes off in Mag Mell.”

Finn nodded. “Then we’ll go back. You can take us there, right?” He turned to Grainne. “There’s the mirror. We can go through that.”

Grainne paled and shook her head. “After Thornton and Elizabeth disappeared, the mirror shattered. It… There’s nothing left.”

A lump rose in my throat, cold sweat beading on my top lip. The mirror. I thought we would at least have the mirror.

Finn frowned, leaning toward me. “Can you travel into Mag Mell?”

“I don’t know now.” I closed my eyes, trying to project myself back into the garden, but some magic pushed me back, the vision not lining up to reality. I opened my eyes and shook my head.

Eamonn let out a sharp exhale, drumming his fingers against the table.

Grainne reached out and flattened his palm with a reproachful stare. “So what do we do?”

I sat staring at a knot in the wood in the table, tracing the swirls with my gaze. I thought of Maeve and how she had called The Green Man to her aid so I could find Bel. I didn’t know if such a thing could work in the Faerie realm, but I didn’t see why not. We also had a giant oak tree, and as Eamonn had said, The Green Man was the oldest god of all, older than even Bel and Danu. If Alannah still officially ruled here in Tír na nÓg, then perhaps she could call to him. But such a request would most likely require a sacrifice, and I didn’t have enough Morrígan essence to keep us all safe and potentially destroy the device. If we got through to The Green Man, I might still have to go alone, defeat Thornton, and then make the ultimate sacrifice to save the universe. It was a price I was willing to pay, but I wanted to make sure. Charlotte knew how to dismantle the bomb, and somehow I needed to convince her to help us in the next five minutes.

“There might be one way back,” I said. “But we will need the queen.”

“The queen?” Finn’s forehead wrinkled. “What about the election?”

I shrugged. “It’s in twenty-four hours. Hopefully, she’s still sovereign here until then.”

A great rumbling of thunder rang out. The walls of the castle shook, and a candelabra fell with a loud crash on the flagstones.

“What was that?” Grainne cried.

I raced to the window. “Oh, god…”

The sky bled an unnatural shade of red, black clouds billowing against the pearly white towers. The black hole that had been nothing more than a marble had widened to a gaping gash above.

“It’s Thornton. He’s close.” I turned to Finn. “Get Charlotte and the Queen now.”

Finn raced out of the chamber.

Grainne turned to me, her eyes widening. “We’re going, too. Eamonn and I.”

I shook my head. “Tír na nÓg needs you here. If we don’t return, have Aodhan take my place to speak for the Fae. He would be a great leader. And make sure the election happens, no matter what.”

Grainne and Eamonn shared a worried glance and then nodded.

With one last look at the raging sky outside the window, I ran out of the room and tumbled into Amergin.

“Oof.” I straightened myself, trying to edge around him.

“You need to get the Fianna and Druids out of here,” he demanded with a whirl of his robes. “Now.”

I shrugged past him. “There’s not enough time.”

He took hold of my arm, his fingers an iron grip pressing into my skin.

“We fought for you, and you promised us that you could defeat the Fir Bolgs.”

“And we did!”

Amergin gestured to the sky. “And what is this?”

“This is Thornton. He slipped away from me, and—”

“Slipped away?” Amergin roared.

I locked eyes with him. “I’m going into Mag Mell to find him.”

I wrenched my arm away and tore down the stairs. The castle rocked again, plaster raining over our heads. I grasped onto the wall, nearly avoiding breaking my neck from tumbling down the tower.

Amergin’s footsteps pounded after me. “Do you plan to take on this wizard yourself?”

I ignored him, jumping the stairs three at a time.

“As strong as you think you are, Elizabeth Tanner,” he called after me, “you’re no match for Thornton. He’ll turn you and Finn into a pair of teacups the second he lays eyes on you.”

I whirled around. “Then, what would you recommend? I bring an entire army into Mag Mell?”

“No.” He bowed. “Just me.”

“You?”

The castle rocked again, and I braced myself against the wall.

Amergin jumped to the landing, his robes trailing behind him. “If Tír na nÓg goes, all our magic is lost. You need someone with powerful magic to fight against Thornton. Who else is a match for him? Loren has power, but he’s no fighter. You need me, Elizabeth.”

I paused, studying Amergin’s rugged face, his Romanesque nose as I clicked through my tenuous plan. The bard had a point. I was powerful, but Thornton possessed a dark magic that was strong and unpredictable. If Amergin could distract him, I could teleport in and out and grab the device from Thornton. It made sense.

I threw up my hands. “Fine. But don’t drag us down, and don’t you dare tell me what to do.”

Not waiting for his reply, I dashed down the stairs and escaped the castle through a side door. The sky had turned black, flashes of lightning cutting through the bulbous clouds. In minutes, we arrived at the great oak tree outside of Teamhair. Its branches swayed violently back and forth, straining against the harsh winds rushing across the fields. Remnants of the battle still remained, crows circling and picking at dead flesh. I gulped down a rush of bile and stared straight ahead where Finn, Charlotte, and my grandmother—the Queen Alannah—stood.

Up close, the Queen’s face appeared haggard and drawn, but she stood before me, as proud and haughty as ever—but so weak, as if a gust of wind could blow her away.

I gave her a swift bow. “Queen Alannah of the Fae.”

She narrowed her green eyes on me. “So, the rebel saves the day. I must admit, I’m surprised.”

I resisted the urge to scream and merely shrugged past her. Alannah was certainly not the “bake Christmas cookies” type of grandma, but I still needed her.

“About this so-called election.” She folded her arms into her tattered robes. “You believe you have the authority to call for such an occasion?”

“I do,” I replied sharply. “A new world dawns this day.”

Staring up at the sky, Alannah sniffed. “A new world? It looks like this one is about to fall apart.”

“It will,” Finn said in a stern voice, “if we don’t hurry this up.”

I took hold of Alannah’s sleeve. “I once met a queen, a mortal queen, who prayed to a great oak tree and asked for The Green Man to come to her aid. Do you think you could do the same?”

Alanah’s eyes widened. “You seek The Green Man.”

I nodded. “I think he can open a door to Mag Mell, but we need a sovereign to ask permission.”

“I know of this magic,” she replied, “but making requests from old gods is a treacherous thing. The Green Man is not forgiving.”

“I…” I swallowed hard. “I know, but I don’t know what else to do. If there’s a price to pay, I’ll pay it.”

“Elizabeth,” Finn growled.

I waved him off, staring hard into Alannah’s green eyes, eyes like my mother’s, like my own.

She broke my gaze and glanced up into the sky, shaking her head. “You cannot control this, Elizabeth Tanner. You cannot agree to an untold price.”

A rumble of thunder shook the earth, deafening to my ears. Lightning flashed and the sky turned completely black.

“We must go now!” I cried over the rushing wind, thick and acrid with sulfur and death.

Alannah let out a long sigh and turned toward the tree, clearing her throat. “Excuse me, Green Man. Are you there?”

My heart thundered against my rib cage, thick clouds roiling above.

Amergin folded his arms across his chest. “Nothing is happening.”

“What do we do now?” Charlotte whispered, shaking her head.

Alannah stamped her foot. “This is pointless. We’re all doomed.”

The bark of the tree began to shift and morph, and I pointed to it. “No! Look!”

A face emerged, its wooden eyes narrowing on Alannah. “What is your wish, Queen Alannah?”

She gestured toward us. “These warriors require passage to Mag Mell.”

The Green Man closed his eyes in thought, and I thought he was going to flat-out tell us no. But then he opened his eyes and stared at Alannah.

“Such a passage requires a great price,” he said.

I shoved ahead. “I can pay.”

Alannah pulled me back, her once smooth skin cold and leathery. “What kind of price?” She clutched at her chest. A silent exchange passed between them, and after a few tense moments, Alannah nodded, glancing up at the sky, her eyes locked on the black clouds pulsing and expanding with every shallow breath from her lungs.

I took a tentative step forward. “What is it? What does he want?”

Queen Alannah sighed and looked at me over her shoulder. “Our line has ruled for an age. I have seen civilizations rise and fall. I have endured exile, torture, and imprisonment all for this moment. The wills of the gods are so fickle and fleeting, but I suppose I could not reign forever.”

Finn and I exchanged looks, and I shrugged, my heartbeat quickening as another boom of thunder shook the ground beneath us.

“I relinquish my rule of Tír na nÓg henceforth,” Alannah said, straightening her shoulders. “All my claims to this land are now forfeit.”

My mouth dropped open. “Queen Alannah…”

“No,” she said, raising hand. “No longer a Queen. Just Alannah. I return to the earth as I was.”

The roots of the oak shifted and a hole appeared at its base. Without any preamble, Alannah led the way, her head held high. All of us followed, weapons at the ready. As soon as we stepped into the dark tunnel, a blinding light appeared and Alannah’s body filled with a great white fire. She turned, locking eyes with me.

“You have proven yourself as a leader, Elizabeth Tanner,” she said. “You are a true daughter of the Fae.”

Her smooth face seized with calm, and with a bright flash, white flames consumed her, her skin breaking apart like paper.

“No!” I cried, reaching for her. Finn held me back, and I struggled against his iron-like grip.

“It is fate,” he whispered in my ear.

“She didn’t have to die,” I said, collapsing, my voice cracking.

My hand wandered to the necklace of the Faerie talisman against my chest. It had only been my dad and me growing up, no grandparents. I had so many questions. About Tír na nÓg, about the Fae, but any answers she might have given me were lost to the light. A great flash pulsed in the tunnel, and I closed my eyes, shielding them with my arm. When I opened my eyes again, we all stood in the gardens of Mag Mell before a great temple. Alannah was gone.

I ran my hands through my hair, studying the spot where she had stood.

“She sacrificed herself for me,” I whispered.

“No, Elizabeth.” Finn’s hand rested on my shoulder. “She sacrificed herself for us. For Tír na nÓg. She sacrificed herself so we could have a chance.”

I took a deep breath and squeezed his hand. “Then let’s make this count.”

I turned to face Amergin and Charlotte, who stood bewildered amidst the luscious garden.

“This is it,” I said, pointing to the temple. “This must be where the Tree of Life is kept. Finn, protect Charlotte. We’ll need her to defuse the device.”

Charlotte glared at me, a deep frown contorting her features. “I never agreed to that.”

Finn barreled toward her, a low, warning sound grating in the back of his throat. “You claim to love me, and yet you would let Thornton destroy everything? You wish to hand that madman the unlimited power of the universe?”

“Finn, I—”

“Promise that you will defuse the device, and I will do as you ask. I will go wherever you wish, do whatever you wish.” He glanced over his shoulder and seared me with his blazing gray eyes before returning to gaze upon Charlotte. “It’s over. The Fir Bolgs have lost. Just defuse that damn thing, and we will leave all this behind.”

Charlotte’s frown softened, and she reached a hand out to Finn.

White-hot rage burned through me, my hands clenched at my sides. I knew what Finn was doing. Eamonn must have told him what I was prepared to do to save us all, that I had said I would sacrifice myself to destroy the bomb. This was his final gift to me, and there was nothing I could do or say in that moment to change his mind.

“Finn…” My voice sounded so weak, and it caught on the breeze dancing over the flowers, making them bow their colorful heads. He didn’t turn around, and I knew why. Because if he did, we would both break down.

“I will do as you say,” Charlotte said. “And then we will leave this place together.”

Finn nodded, his shoulders collapsing.

So that was it, then. I had come so far, only to lose him. The gardens of Mag Mell paled, all the light and color seeping out of the world as a dark shadow passed over my vision.

“Don’t do this,” I whispered, and I didn’t know if I meant the words for Charlotte or for Finn. All I knew was that my whole universe was tearing apart. The little world that was Finn and me, the small “us” that had proven my sanctuary time and time again, that cocoon of warmth and stillness—all shattered. I glanced at the temple, where Thornton waited for us, and suddenly, none of it mattered anymore.

I cleared my throat and rubbed at my eyes before turning to Amergin. Regardless of our little dramas, we had a universe to rescue from an evil wizard, and it wasn’t going to save itself.

“I need you to throw everything and the kitchen sink at Thornton,” I said. “He’ll summon every creature bound to him, so be ready to go on the offense.”

“And what will you do?” Finn asked in a low voice.

Pushing down the wave of emotion gripping me, I brandished my spear, staring at the blade, wishing nothing more than to stick it right into Charlotte’s skull. But I had a bigger foe to face, and unfortunately, in order to make all this right, I still needed her.

“I’m going to chop off Thornton’s head,” I said. “What do you think?”

Finn let out a hiss of air as he approached the temple.

“When were you planning on telling me about how you were going to destroy the device?” he asked beneath his breath.

“Never,” I whispered. “Or you would have never let me come here.”

“You’re damn right I wouldn’t.”

Charlotte loomed behind us, and I let out an impatient grunt, moving fast to the side of the thick pillars and hiding behind a block of marble. What I assumed was the Tree of Life stood in the middle of the temple, smooth white bark giving way to shimmering golden leaves. On either side of the tree were Bel and Danu, but instead of their god-like splendor, they were paralyzed in a pillar of blue fire, unconscious, their bodies spinning and giving off a strange, sickly energy. Thornton stood in the middle of the temple, his arms held high and his voice low, mumbling some terrible spell. My heart raced, and I gauged the distance between us, calculating my steps to ensure a clean kill.

Before I could signal to Amergin, Charlotte bolted forward, her katana glinting in the air. With a savage cry, she sliced clean through Thornton’s neck. He dropped to the ground, but not before she grabbed the device.

I rushed toward her, spear swinging, about to scream at her for charging Thornton first. She turned and faced us, a wide grimace across her lips, and I staggered, halting my steps. Her features melted away, and her hair turned jet black, to reveal—the Morrígan.