“Ow!” Keirran spun around, one hand going to his skull, to face Puck’s challenging smirk. The Great Prankster raised an eyebrow, almost daring him to say something, and Keirran winced. “Okay, I guess I deserved that,” he muttered.
“Ya think?” Puck shot back, and his eyes were dangerous. “Trust me, kid, I’m only going easy on you because you, my friend, still have to face Meghan when we get back to the Nevernever. So, yeah, good luck with that. Otherwise, I’d probably kick your ass for what you put her through.”
At the gate, the Wolf snorted a laugh and heaved himself to his feet. “You’re all idiots,” he stated, shaking his massive head. “I’ll be glad to return to the Deep Wyld. Away from all this drama.” He eyed Keirran and Puck and curled a lip. “You all are the most delinquent pack I’ve ever seen.”
I smirked, but Kenzie suddenly slowed and pulled me to a stop. Puzzled, I glanced at her and saw she was looking back at the courtyard, her face tight with sorrow.
“Kenzie?”
Her expression fell. “I thought I heard him,” she whispered. “For just a second, I thought...” She sniffed, running a hand across her eyes. “I’m going to miss him,” she said. “Dammit. I’m going to miss his shrill little voice.”
My throat tightened at the thought of our smallest casualty. “I’m sorry,” I told her, because there was nothing else I could say. “Will you be all right?”
She nodded. “Yeah,” she muttered, squeezing my hand. “I’ll be fine. Just...let’s get out of here.”
I put my arm around her shoulders, and we turned away from the Lady’s castle, starting after Ash, Puck and the rest of them.
“Waaaaiiit!”
This time we both froze. I held my breath, and Kenzie was rigid beside me, listening, as a faint, tiny voice drifted over the breeze. I counted the seconds in my head, praying I had heard correctly, that my ears weren’t playing tricks on me.
“Wait!” the voice called again...and then he appeared, huge ears poking over the top of the wall. Kenzie’s hands went to her mouth, eyes widening, as the gremlin dragged himself atop the stones with one arm. “Wait!” he panted, glowing eyes huge and frantic as he stared down at us. “No leave! No leave Razor! Razor is here!” And he leaped into Kenzie’s arms.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
THE FORGOTTEN KING
The faery camp was silent as we stepped through the tear in the Between, back into the Nevernever one last time. Around us, the earth still bore the marks of the last fierce battle; uprooted trees and snapped limbs lay everywhere, tents had been flung to all corners of the camp, and long gouges had been raked through the dirt like claw marks. Everything was quiet as we slipped through the Veil. A squad of Summer and Winter knights straightened quickly as we came through, but other than the guards, there were no signs of fey.
“Huh,” Puck remarked, crossing his arms and gazing around at the destruction. “Well, that’s disappointing. No cheering crowd to welcome the heroes home? I’m wounded.”
“We took a lot of damage and a lot of casualties,” Ash replied grimly. “I imagine they’re regrouping and trying to recover from the last battle.”
Puck sniffed. “Still, you’d think at least someone would be here to greet us... Oh, well, there ya go.”
And the Iron Queen appeared, rising from a stump near the edge of the trees, obviously waiting for us. Striding to the center of the clearing, her gaze flickered over all of us, relieved and grateful, before it settled on Keirran.
Keirran swallowed hard. Ash gave him a warning look that clearly said don’t go anywhere, and began walking across the field, his long legs carrying him easily over churned ground and scattered limbs. After a moment, Keirran took a deep breath and followed, trailing his father until both stood before the Iron Queen.
Ash didn’t stop or slow down but walked straight into Meghan’s arms and kissed her fiercely. It was more relief than passion, though Meghan returned the kiss with equal intensity, clutching him tight. And for the first time, I didn’t resent it. I finally understood why Meghan had left, all those years ago. If the situation was reversed, I would do the same for Kenzie.
Ash and Meghan drew back, Meghan briefly pressing a palm to the side of his face, before turning to Keirran. He stood, head bowed, eyes on the ground between them, and didn’t look up as the queen stepped forward. I saw Meghan’s lips move, though her voice was too soft to be heard, meant only for Keirran, and the prince raised his head. His hands trembled as he replied, again too quiet to hear, and Meghan put both hands on his shoulders. One word, one look, passed between them, and then Keirran let out a quiet sob and fell into her arms.
Kenzie sighed, and I moved close, slipping an arm around her as she leaned against me. Razor snorted, giving me a resigned look before moving to her other shoulder. I barely noticed. Watching Meghan, Keirran and Ash, I felt the last of the tension finally drain away. It was done. I didn’t know what was in store for Keirran now, what punishment the courts would demand, but for us, at least, it was over. The Lady was gone, the amulet shattered, and the Iron Prince was home. This half of my family was finally safe.
Though the losses were still stupidly high; my throat still hurt at the thought of Annwyl, giving her life to save the prince she loved, and the Thin Man’s final words to the Forgotten. The Nevernever was a mess, the Between dangerously unstable. Keirran’s war had ripped this world apart, and those scars would take a long time to heal. Nothing would ever be the same.