by Donna Grant
When she didn’t answer, he squeezed tighter, causing her face to lose color, but she never let the grin slip from her lips.
A full minute passed before Bran loosened his fingers and shoved her away. “I’ll kill Fintan.”
“You can annihilate the entire realm, and I still wouldn’t bring Death to you,” she said with anger dripping from every syllable. Cat’s smile was gone, and she looked at Bran as if the very sight of him made her ill. “You’re a spoiled child who didn’t like the rules and tried to go around them. When you got caught and were subsequently punished, you blamed everyone but the one responsible. You.”
Kyran’s gaze moved between Cat and Bran. She was pushing him too hard, and if she didn’t stop, she was going to feel the consequences of Bran’s wrath very soon.
Cat tilted her head to the side and tucked her red hair behind her ear. Already, bruises were beginning to appear on her pale skin from Bran’s grip.
Fintan’s rage was palpable, filling the room. He had yet to take his gaze off Bran, but Kyran knew that Fintan was all too aware of Cat’s every movement, every thought, and every word.
“Why don’t you bring Death here?” Cat asked Bran. She widened her eyes and held up her hands with a shrug. “Is it because you can’t? The great, powerful Bran? Surely, you can do whatever you want. Didn’t you kill Eoghan?”
Bran’s lips twisted in a nasty sneer. “If only Eoghan was dead.”
“So you couldn’t even manage that?” Cat said and shook her head mockingly.
“There was interference by another Fae. A pesky Light that I’ll soon take care of.”
Cat barked in laughter. “You expect me to believe that when you can’t kill a Reaper or bring Death to you? Really, what can you do?”
A glance at the other Reapers told Kyran that all of them were ready for the explosion they knew was coming. Even Searlas had taken several steps back.
Bran threw back his head and roared as he held out his fists at his sides. Then his gaze locked on Cat. She was thrown backward through a window. Glass shattered in every direction. She lay still upon the ground with her red hair spread around her.
There was a moment of silence before she slowly rolled and rose to her hands and knees. The sound of glass hitting glass as it fell from her filled the quiet. Then she got to her feet and faced Bran. She didn’t say a word as she walked back into the house to stand before him once more.
She shook out her hair, dislodging dozens of tiny fragments. Ignoring the various cuts all over her, she met Bran’s gaze. “A child acts out because he doesn’t know how to handle his emotions. A man—be it mortal or Fae—would know how to channel such things into words.”
“I’ve tried to be nice to you. That didn’t work. So I’ve shown you another side of me,” Bran said.
Kyran crept closer as Cat gave Bran a look of contempt. “Nice?” she asked. “You’ve been anything but. You’ve killed my siblings, torched my café, and kidnapped my grandfather. Then you threatened and bribed me, to try and get me to do what you wanted. Just because it was all done with a smile doesn’t mean you were nice. You don’t know the meaning of the word.”
“And you don’t know when to shut up, do you?” Bran asked.
Kyran was thinking the same thing. It was like Cat wanted to push Bran to the breaking point. All it was doing was putting her in harm’s way.
Cat wiped at a trickle of blood that fell from her temple. “Why haven’t you killed me? You seem like the type of fella who slits people’s throats for displeasing you. I think I’m still alive because you need me.”
Cael was shaking his head as he moved closer to Fintan’s cage with Daire. Kyran realized that Cat had indeed brought them there, and she was trying to get Bran to disclose why she was so important to his plans.
Unfortunately, it might cost Cat her life.
“You could’ve been a good asset,” Bran said.
Cat glanced upward as she shrugged and sighed. “I’ve been a constant disappointment to everyone. It’s the one thing I excel at. Perhaps had you done better research, you’d have known that.”
“What I know about you, Cat, is that you’re confined to the mortal world.” There was a sly grin on Bran’s face. “You have powers enough that you should have a place with the Fae.”
Step by step, the Reapers were shifting positions. Baylon moved behind Searlas. Talin and Neve came up on either side of Bran. Kyran moved closer to Cat to be able to reach her, while Cael and Daire worked to find the door to release Fintan.
Cat looked at the prone body of the mortal by Searlas’s feet. “I had a place I belonged. You took that from me.”
“I’m giving you another opportunity.”
She raised a brow and looked at Bran curiously. “How so?”
“I’m going to kill Death. It’ll happen much sooner with your help, but I’ll do it regardless.”
“You talk big for a Fae who sought help from a Halfling.”
Bran’s smile grew. “I talk like any conqueror.”
“You’ve still not told me why you need me.”
Kyran silently rooted for Cat. She kept bringing the conversation back to the one thing they all wanted to know.
Bran eyed her silently for a long, tense moment. “I’m surprised you’ve not figured it out.”
“If Fintan was right when he told me you were gaining in power, then I don’t know,” Cat said. She tapped her finger on her chin as her brow furrowed. “Unless . . . you’re stealing Death’s power somehow. It’s why she’s not found you herself and killed you. And why you can’t find her.”
Bran lifted his hands and clapped once, twice. “Very perceptive.”
“But why me? Why not another Fae?”
“Because your magic exceeds most Fae. Now, tell me, Catriona—and you need to think carefully about this because Searlas will snuff out your life if you don’t speak the truth—did you keep me talking in the hopes that someone might come save you?”
Kyran called for his sword at the same time as the other Reapers. His hand hovered over Cat’s arm, ready to yank her away.
“Yes,” Cat replied with a serene smile.
“Were you really that stupid?” Bran asked with a laugh.
Her smile grew. “Yes.”
As one, the Reapers dropped their veils.
Chapter Twenty-two
Fintan could no longer wait for Cael and Daire to find the door. He wasn’t even sure there was one to his cell. But he had to get to Cat.
He clenched and unclenched his hands. His muscles felt confined by his skin. There was a pounding in his ears, and everything faded from his sight except for one person—Cat.
Kyran yanked her out of the way before Bran could kill her with a bubble of magic. Then, all hell broke loose.
With the adrenaline rushing through his veins, Fintan called to his magic. He felt it gather within him like a whirlpool, one that gained strength and speed by the second.
As his magic built and grew, he narrowed his focus on the bars holding him. The clang of swords and the grunts as weapons and magic made contact drifted around him. He thought of Cat and all she’d sacrificed. He thought of Eoghan and the other Reapers.
And his magic expanded, sharpened.
It cut through the steel cage without any resistance. The cell disintegrated into nothing. Fintan held out his hand and called to his sword.
As soon as he felt the weight of the pommel in his hand, he rushed into the battle. While he’d been absorbed with freeing himself, Bran had called to some of his men.
Fintan cut through Fae after Fae as he searched the room for any sign of Cat. He dodged magic and weapons, taking pleasure each time his sword sank into an opponent.
He didn’t linger on the fact that the same Dark would eventually rise again. Bran had twisted the power he’d been taking from Death into something dark and evil before passing it on to his army.
As usual, the Reapers were outnumbered, but they still managed to take down nu
merous Fae. Because they fought for justice and love and their way of life.
They fought for Death.
Magic crashed into him from behind. The force of it propelled Fintan forward, dropping him to one knee. Tendrils of smoke drifted around his head as he straightened. He slowly turned, his gaze clashing with Bran’s.
“I’m going to win!” Bran shouted.
All the while, Cael was coming up behind Bran. Fintan held out his arms and motioned for Bran to come at him. With Bran’s attention distracted, Cael just might get enough of an advantage to end Bran once and for all.
Bran took two steps toward him before Cael plunged his sword into Bran’s back. Fintan smiled, joy filling him at the thought of their enemy being vanquished and life returning to normal.
But it wasn’t Bran’s cry of pain that was heard. It was his bark of laughter. And it ceased the battle immediately. Bran looked down at the sword protruding from his chest and laughed louder.
Cael twisted the blade, but nothing seemed to faze Bran. It was like he didn’t feel pain.
As if he couldn’t be killed.
Cael withdrew the sword and struck again. But once more, nothing happened.
“Enough!” Bran bellowed as he took a step forward, extracting himself from the weapon. He held his hand high and turned in a circle.
Fintan watched as Bran’s army faded away, leaving only him and Searlas against seven Reapers. There was movement behind Kyran. Fintan held his breath as he waited to see if it was Cat.
As soon as he spotted her red hair, he wanted to go to her. Fintan held himself in check and returned his attention to Bran, who was shaking his head at them.
“Don’t any of you get it?” Bran asked. “I’m in charge now.”
Cael gave a loud, derisive snort. “Not as long as Death is alive.”
“Oh, that will be taken care of soon,” Bran stated.
Fintan saw how Kyran and Talin were shielding Cat from Bran’s view. If he couldn’t get to Death, and Death couldn’t get to him, then each had to have someone kill the other for them.
“Once more jumping the gun, aye?” Cael asked.
Bran looked down and touched the hole in his clothes from Cael’s sword. “You can try to kill me all you want. It isn’t going to happen. My strength equals Erith’s now. Soon, I’ll have more. She’ll only be able to hide for so long.”
“You think she’s hiding?” Neve asked.
Bran’s head swung to her. His nostrils flared as anger sizzled in his eyes. “It looks like you got all you wanted.”
Neve rolled her eyes. “You’re an idiot. A complete and utter imbecile.”
“Because I gave you the ability to be a Reaper?”
Fintan glanced at Talin to see his hands clenched and his teeth bared. It was only Kyran’s hand on his arm that held Talin back.
“You’re an idiot if you really think you did me a favor,” Neve stated. “You slaughtered my parents in front of me. You turned my brother Dark and had him kill me.”
Bran laughed as he walked toward her. “Ah. That was a brilliant plan. Seeing it come together was perfection.”
“Neve,” Cael said when she made to lunge at Bran.
Bran wagged his finger at her. “I can’t die. But you can. Think about that before you attack.”
“Liar,” Cat declared.
Fintan briefly closed his eyes when he heard Cat’s voice. She pushed Talin and Kyran aside and went to Bran, not stopping until she was a foot from him.
Bran raised a brow as he gazed down at her curiously. “For someone just coming into this game, you sure presume to know a lot, little Halfling.”
“You brought me into this. You’re to blame.”
Fintan really wished she’d stop provoking Bran. She moved to walk around Bran, much as he had done with her earlier, and her gaze met Fintan’s.
In that brief second in time, Finan saw much in her emerald eyes. Regret for lying to him, grief for her grandfather’s death, sadness at sacrificing him, and an eagerness for revenge.
He gave her a slight nod to let her know he trusted her. He always had, and he should’ve told her that from the beginning. She wasn’t the only one who had apologies to make, but that was for later.
Cat had put much together already that none of them had. Apparently, she’d figured something else out. It was easier for her since she saw the big picture while the rest of them were hampered with the past and focused on Bran.
It had given Bran an advantage until now. And Fintan inwardly smiled as he realized Bran was probably regretting approaching Cat.
Bran’s smile didn’t appear as carefree as before. His head swiveled as he watched Cat walk around him. “What do you think you know?”
“A lot.”
Bran folded his arms over his chest as he gave Cat an indifferent look. “I doubt that. Now, stop this foolishness and come with me.”
“Or you’ll kill Fintan?” she asked curiously.
There was a small hesitation before he replied, “Exactly.”
“If you want to wipe out the Reapers, why haven’t you already? You had him,” she said, pointing to Fintan.
And then it struck Fintan.
Bran couldn’t kill them. It’s why in their clashes, none of the Reapers had been killed.
“Yes,” Fintan said as he stepped forward. “Why didn’t you kill me?”
Bran looked from Cat to him. “You can’t be that dumb. I was using you as leverage against her.”
“You did with her grandfather, as well. That was her blood, her family, and she wouldn’t join you. You didn’t really think she would cave for me, did you?” Fintan watched the way Bran began to look uncomfortable.
Bran dropped his arms to his sides. “Of course, I did.”
“Liar,” Cat said again.
Cael’s sword vanished as he walked to Bran, forcing him to face Cael until they were nose to nose. “You are a speck of dust beneath Death’s shoe. You betrayed your brothers and our cause. You should’ve died that day. I should’ve killed you.”
“But Erith stopped you,” Bran said with a small grin.
Cael’s lips peeled back. “Everything Cat said is true. Neither you nor Death can find the other. We can’t kill your army, and you can’t kill us because we’re Death’s.”
“Shall I clap for you for figuring it all out with the help of a Halfling?” Bran asked. He snorted. “If it weren’t for Cat, none of you would know any of this.”
Fintan’s lips parted when he saw the glint of light off a blade as Cat turned the hilt over so the dagger pointed down.
Without vacillating, she thrust the blade up and between Bran’s ribs. Fintan rushed to her, tackling her to the ground and shielding her body with his, as Searlas and Bran both directed magic at her.
Fintan didn’t care how excruciating the orbs of magic were as they landed upon him. He was looking into clear, emerald eyes. There were shouts around him, but he heard none of it. He was sinking into a sea of green.
He didn’t feel the pain. Not when he was touching Cat again. She had seen him for a man and not a monster. She had touched not just his skin, but also his soul. She had accepted everything he was without judgment or question.
If he’d known how to react, he might have said or done the right thing so she would trust him. Even as he wished things were different between them, he knew it was for the best.
He couldn’t contain or control the emotions she brought out in him. Too many centuries had passed with him burying them for him to dig them out now.
When he’d been locked in the cage and listening to her with Bran, Fintan had realized that Cat was meant for so much more than him. She was clever and powerful. Because of her association with him, she no longer had any family.
He’d said his good-byes to her then. With her magic returned and no one to stand in her way, there was much she could accomplish for herself and others. No matter how much he wanted to stay with her, he had to let her go.
A
nd it was going to kill him to do it.
It was the quiet that finally penetrated his thoughts. He looked over his shoulder to find the others watching him. Fintan rolled off Cat and stood before giving her a hand up.
“What happened?” she asked.
Neve rolled her eyes. “The arse got away.”
“But you wounded him,” Cael said. “How did you know it would work?”
Cat grinned sheepishly. “I’m not part of Death’s army. Since he was so adamant that I bring Death here, I began to think he might want me to kill her, as well.”
“So you took a chance?” Fintan asked.
She nodded. “I figured there was a very good chance I was right.”
“We’re lucky you thought of that,” Kyran said.
Daire looked to Cael. “I think Bran is going after Rhi soon.”
“Go to her,” Cael ordered.
With that, Daire teleported out. Now that Bran was gone, his spell no longer held. Which meant they could all return home.
Home. That word meant something different now. He associated it with Cat. It was those damn emotions again. He couldn’t even look at her without being sucked under.
“We need to get back,” Kyran said. “River and Jordyn are going to be worried.”
Fintan saw Cael about to agree, so he hurried and said, “I have some things to attend to. Can someone escort Cat home?”
“I’ll do it,” Cael said.
It took two tries before Fintan was able to look her way. He bowed his head but didn’t attempt any words. They would sound foolish even if he could get them out. It was better if he kept them locked inside with his emotions.
When he turned around, Cael was watching him intently. No doubt he would have questions later. And when Fintan had his emotions buried once more, he would be able to answer them.
Fintan turned his back to Cat and everything they’d share. Being with her and nearly losing her to Bran had shown him that he couldn’t allow any feelings to rise—not even the love he had for her.
It was too painful, too . . . agonizing. To have any sort of joy with her only to lose her would rip him in two. He silenced his heart with a single thought, though he could do nothing about the anguish that reverberated within him.
