Page 69 of The Princes of Stone and Steel

Before I faded too far, I dug my hands, knees and feet into the earth and called to the magic of the outliers. My skin began to glow white hot. The brightest and the whitest, levitating me high… higher… highest. Just below the center of the vortex that tried to suck me in, but the heat emanating from my body burned off every attempt. I didn’t need Steele as my powerup. Today, I wasmy ownpowerup.

“Millie, no,” Steele called out to me. “Come back to me.”

I wished I could, but there was no stopping the power now. This was what I was here for. After more than two hundred years, this was how my life was meant to end. The light and power collapsed in on itself and exploded with the force of a nuclear bomb. In that flash the vortex evaporated, the trebuchet and tanks evaporated. The soldiers’ swords, dagger and poisons evaporated.

A peacefulness enveloped me.

Before all… went… black…

Twenty-five

In the aftermath

IFELT A DIP AND MY BODY ROLLED SLIGHTLY TO THE right. I tried to open my eyes, but they didn’t want to. Refused to was more like it, even as a soft touch brushed the bangs from my forehead. Was I dead? Was this heaven my reward for a job well done?

Persimmon, wintergreen and spices flooded the air. Oh, yes, if this was my reward, I approved.

“Anything?” someone asked. I knew that voice.

“An eye twitch today,” answered another. I knew the first voice, butI knewthe second. I knew the smell of persimmon, wintergreen and spices. Something stirred inside me, wanting to react, to get that voice to talk more. “Come on, Mils… come back to me.”

Soft, moist lips brushed across my cheek. I sighed.

The first voice gasped. “Millie?” she asked. “Millie, are you awake?”

I put everything into opening my eyes and when they ripped open it felt like sticky flypaper being torn from my skin. “Hi,” I said. Or I tried to say, as no sound actually made it out of my throat. So I guessed I mouthed the word.

The most beautiful brushed aluminum eyes in the world stared down into mine. A smile that could melt the coldest heart smiled down at me. “Millie, my love… welcome back.”

It was awkward trying to control muscles that didn’t want to be controlled, even to smile. Though I managed half a one, able to tip up one corner of my mouth.

The bed dipped to the left as Korrigan sat down next to me, lacing our fingers together. “I was beginning to doubt you’d ever come back to us. But that one”—she motioned her head Steele’s way—“refused to give up on you.”

I drifted off back to sleep.

When my eyes opened again, on the first try by the way, the room was darker but not black. I pushed myself to sit up with a great deal of effort. I felt weak and dizzy. They’d placed me back in the outliers’ room under the satin comforter and I wore the beautiful blue satin nightgown.

It was definitely too soon, but I tried to stand and my knees buckled. Sprites caught me by the fabric at my shoulders and under my arms before I hit the floor. They helped me walk. My legs felt thinner, a little bit frailer, but not atrophied. With their help, I made it to the bedroom door, stopping once when we passed the large gilded mirror.

Yes, I definitely looked thinner and I now sported a wide shock of white running the length of my hair, which looked longer.

The fae lifted me down each step until we reached the bottom and they led me to the den where Steele sat curled up in a chair reading a leather-bound book. He looked up when we entered. “Mils? You shouldn’t be up.”

“You don’t want to see me?” Although my voice reminded me of a frog croaking, at least it worked today.

“Oh, yes, that’s the issue,” he teased as he folded the book, setting it down on the table next to the overstuffed chair, and pushed up. In two steps he had me in his arms. “I’ll take it from here,” he told the sprites.

“Where’s Kori?” I asked.

“At Metallum. We take turns. There’s a lot to tell you, but in time. I don’t want you overwhelmed.”

“Just tell me one thing, did we win?”

“It would appear so.”

Steele helped me walk over to the chaise next to the fireplace. As he tucked the afghan around my legs, the fae pushed a cart with tea and broth in. We ate and he read to me.

Little by little over the next few weeks, as my strength returned, he explained what had happened the day of the battle.

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