Bring the Fire (The Wisdom's Grave Trilogy Book 3)
Page 39
And on the pyre, the body of her wife, hands folded over the gash in her heart. She had been sentenced to torture and death for practicing the witch’s craft. The woman had only been able to save her by killing her herself, driving a horn-knife into her wife’s heart to protect her from the pain to come.
The woman stood, clutching a pair of spongy stones covered in russet mold. The stones struck together, the mold spat sparks, and the pyre ignited. She stood there, watching her wife burn, and steeled herself for the pain as she prepared to join her in death.
A hole in space tore open. Marie jumped from the gap, waving her hands as she gasped for breath.
“Hold up! Wait. Wow. You have no idea how hard it was to find you.”
The woman’s eyes went wide. “You’re…”
“I’m you, yes. Look, I’m about to change your story.”
Marie held out her hand.
“Do you have anything to lose?”
* * *
Another portal erupted in the heart of a throne room. Marie, her twin, and Nessa emerged, stepping out onto the red carpet as black-uniformed guards jumped back in surprise and shouldered their rifles.
“Hold!” Trisha shouted, raising a clenched fist as she stood beside the throne.
Nadia rose. Her lips parted as she stared at the new arrival.
“But—” Marie’s twin said, shaking her head. “You…you just died. You died in my arms.”
“And you in mine,” Nadia said. “But it’s all right now. Come here. I’ll explain everything, but first, come to me.”
Nadia pulled the woman into her arms and squeezed her tight, holding her close as the pall of bitter loneliness lifted from her at long last. She looked over to Nessa and Marie. Her eyes glistened.
Thank you, she mouthed.
“Behave yourself,” Nessa said. “Best believe I’ll be checking up on you. Consider this incentive to cooperate with my future endeavors.”
She turned to Marie, basking in the pleasure of a job well done.
“Shall we?” she asked. “There’s a whole wild universe out there. Can’t wait to share it with you.”
Marie looked to the golden portal and prepared herself.
Their fight wasn’t over. Maybe it never would be. There were eight kings still standing, more dangerous than ever now that they knew they could be hurt. The battle ahead would rage for years, decades, centuries and beyond, as they moved across worlds and turned entire nations into chess pieces.
That was all right. Marie was a decent chess player. And she would never say no to a good fight. Whatever waited for them around the next corner, no matter the challenge, she and Nessa would face it together.
She held her lover’s hand, they shared a smile, and then they took a running leap, diving into the golden light side by side.
And, more or less, they lived happily ever after.
Afterword
Shortly after Sworn to the Night came out, a friend asked if the trilogy was going to have a happy ending. I had to think about that. I believe I replied, “It’s going to be a complicated salad.” In retrospect, a fair summary.
After building a multiverse spread across three (now four) series and over a dozen books, continuity can feel like a weight. I had two goals for this trilogy, beyond the story itself: to answer a lot of long-running questions and mysteries (which I hope I did to your satisfaction) and to shake things up on a cosmic level. Nessa promised she was here to change things, and she did not lie. But change can be messy, and bloody, and demand sacrifice. When night falls and we fight for our passions, for justice, for our freedom, the sun may rise over chaos and disarray.
But the sun does rise. And if you believe, and if you’re willing to fight, sometimes you can get your happy ending.
After all, if a college professor from the West Village can become God, imagine what you’re capable of. On that note, if missionaries show up on your doorstep and ask if they can talk to you about the divine word of the Owl, you…are probably living on a contested parallel world and should really let them in. In any event, your life is about to get interesting. Be safe out there, owlets.
Speaking of divine beings, I have to offer thanks to my editor, Kira Rubenthaler, who hammered this saga into shape. Also thanks to James T. Egan, my ace cover designer; Susannah Jones, my always-incredible audiobook narrator; and my steadfast assistant Morgan Faid. And thank you, for taking this strange journey with me. We’re only getting started.
Want to know what’s coming next? Head over to http://www.craigschaeferbooks.com/mailing-list/ and hop onto my mailing list. Once-a-month newsletters, zero spam. Want to reach out? You can find me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/CraigSchaeferBooks, on Twitter at @craig_schaefer, or just drop me an email at craig@craigschaeferbooks.com.
Also by Craig Schaefer
The Revanche Cycle
Winter’s Reach
The Instruments of Control
Terms of Surrender
Queen of the Night
The Daniel Faust Series
The Long Way Down
The White Gold Score
Redemption Song
The Harmony Black Series
Harmony Black
Red Knight Falling
Glass Predator