Page 82 of The Iron Vow

A slight, familiar figure approached, slipping between a Wolfling and a Skitterfolk to stand before us. “Anira,” I whispered as the crow woman gazed around in awe. A black bird landed on her shoulder, gave a confused caw, and flapped off again. “I’m glad to see you.”

“Are...are we...?” Anira seemed hesitant to speak the actual words. “Is this...?”

“This is the real world,” I said softly, and her beady eyes went glassy with tears. “You are out of Evenfall, Anira. You won’t ever have to go back.”

“Human, a moment please.”

A tremor went through the ground, and crowds of Evenfey parted as something huge and monstrous made its way toward us. An enormous mass of raw flesh and gleaming bone lurched through the crowds, scattering fey like startled birds. “Excuse me,” the Bone Collector said, tipping his imaginary hat as he stepped around a caterpillar sentry, who went purple with terror. “Pardon me. Terribly sorry, mind your tail, there. Ah, human. There you are.” The Bone Collector gave a ghastly smile as he peered down at us, pinpricks of orange light flickering in his eye sockets. He was just as terrifying, maybe even more so, in the real world. “Unless I am still dreaming,” he went on, “and this would be a strange dream, even for me, it appears that you were able to accomplish what you said you would. Am I correct in hoping that we are, indeed, out of Evenfall? That the seal has at last been broken?”

I nodded. “The Dream has ended,” I told the huge faery. “The Evenfey are free now, and the nightmare is over.”

“Hmm.” The Bone Collector scratched the side of his face with scythe-like talons. “Well, I will say I am surprised. I did not believe the small, silver-haired one when he claimed you could save Evenfall. Though I am happy to be proven wrong, and I will tell him so.” The Bone Collector cocked his head, frowning slightly as he gazed around. “Er...the small silver-haired one...where is he?”

I straightened against Ash, who hadn’t let me go this entire time.

Keirran.

I spun blindly, pushing my way through the crowds, to the spot where the Nightmare Tree had once soared into the sky. It was gone, of course, faded from existence. The last remaining piece of Evenfall had finally vanished with its king. I might have felt more melancholic, but right then, my only thoughts were of Keirran.

I stepped between two fey and stumbled to a halt, staring numbly at the spot where I’d seen him last. The throne still stood there, alone in the void, but it was empty. Nyx and Puck knelt in front of it, hunched over a figure on the ground. Puck’s head was bowed, Nyx had both fists clenched on her knees, and neither looked up at me.

Keirran lay motionless at the foot of the throne, eyes closed and face slack, looking like he was only sleeping.

I walked to him in a daze, barely seeing Puck and Nyx silently move aside as I knelt at the body of my son. Burns covered him, angry gashes left by lightning, fire, ice, and wind. But his face was strangely untouched, his expression serene in the hazy starlight. I gathered him in my arms, feeling myself start to shake, hearing Ash stumble to a halt beside me. I heard my husband’s muffled sob as he turned away, and that released the floodgates at last.

I bent over Keirran with a cry, hugging him to me. He was limp in my arms, his skin cold, and my tears spilled down my cheeks and dripped to his shirt. I sobbed over him, uncaring of my title and who would see me break down. Keirran was gone. He had finally found a way to redeem himself, but life would never be the same again.

No. Not yet.

Breath hitching, I raised my head. I saw everyone’s reflections in the water, the Evenfey around me, somber and grim. Puck and Nyx, their faces wracked with grief. I couldn’t even look at Ash, but I knew he hovered like a shadow at my back. I could feel his anguish, the tears, the devastation at losing his son, and I ached for him. For both of us.

And then I met the green eyes of a girl, standing in the crowd. Unlike the others, she had no real-world counterpart casting a reflection in the water. She smiled at me, and her gaze was gentle, though it was a little sad, as well.

Not yet, she whispered, though I could not see if her lips moved or not. The crowds of fey surrounding the girl paid her no mind, as if they couldn’t see or hear her at all.It is not his time yet. He had people here to help him stay, to keep him grounded to this side. One day, we will see each other again, but I can be patient awhile longer. There is still much he can accomplish here, and many who love him.Her green eyes shifted to the body lying against me, and a wistful smile crossed her face.So, my dear Keirran, I am afraid that, for now, you are going to have to...wake up.

In my arms, Keirran let out a ragged gasp, and opened his eyes.

My heart stuttered. I stared at him for a moment, hardly daring to believe, as my son coughed, took several gasping breaths, and then gazed blearily around.

“The Evenfey,” he whispered, as Ash knelt across from us, the joy and relief in his own eyes squeezing my heart. “Did...did it work?”

A sob of happiness escaped me, and I nodded. “Yes,” I told him. “We did it. All of us. The other rulers came as well. Somehow...” I shook my head, still in wonder of what had happened. “Somehow, they were able to hear us.”

Keirran relaxed. His eyes closed, and his body slumped against me, as if releasing all the fear, sorrow, regret, and shame that had been plaguing him for so long. “It’s finally over,” he breathed, so soft I barely caught it. “Although...” A pained furrow creased his brow. “For just a second, I thought I heardhervoice, telling me not to give up. Kenzie’s and Ethan’s, too. Even Razor’s. Though I don’t know howthat’spossible.” He sighed, and for a moment, it was as if I was seeing him...before. Before everything happened. Before the war with the Forgotten and the Lady, before he became the Forgotten King. The Keirran I hadn’t glimpsed in so long, unbowed by guilt, eyes shining with happiness and hope. “In any case,” he said, “it seems I’m still here. Looks like you’ll have to put up with me for a while longer.”

I gave a sob and hugged him to me, feeling Ash embrace us both. Closing my eyes, I slumped against my husband, letting myself feel the contentment and utter relief sweeping through us all. My family was safe, my friends were alive, and the Evenfey had been brought out of the Dream and into the real world. There were going to be difficulties, of course. I didn’t know how the rest of the Nevernever would treat the arrival of yet another race of fey. Like most of Faery, the rulers of the courts did not react well to change. Even if they agreed that bringing the Evenfey back was the right course of action, I knew they would be wary of those who had existed only in nightmares. There would be doubts, suspicions, allegations, and accusations, because nothing in Faery was easy. That was just how things were.

We would face those problems later. Right now, I could forget everything and let myself believe that we had, in fact, achieved a happily-ever-after.

“Ooh, group hug.” Puck stepped close, eyes shining and face alight with his old rakish grin. “Uh, unless this is a family moment. Normally, I don’t go for these things, but I think this time it would be appropriate. I just don’t want to get stabbed if ice-boy objects—”

Without looking up, Ash reached back, grabbed Puck’s shirt, and yanked him down with us. I wrapped an arm around my best friend, then looked up at Nyx, hovering awkwardly a few steps away.

I smiled and held out an arm to her. “Come on, Nyx. You’re part of this family now, too.”

“I would not presume,” Nyx said, but took my hand and joined us, kneeling gracefully at my side. “This is strange,” she admitted. “Being part of something again. But I could get used to it, though I feel we are missing someone.”

“We are,” I said, smiling. “Come on, Grim. I know you’re watching us. Get out here.”

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