Page 77 of Holly

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Page 77 of Holly

She plunges the sword through his heart.

Sorcha and I give Aithinne a few moments to collect herself and retrieve her sword. I put my hand on her shoulder. “Are you all right?”

“No. But I will be.” She looks over at Sorcha. “Thank you.”

Sorcha is looking down at her brother’s body with an unreadable expression. “I know what it’s like to want revenge against the man who hurt me, and you showed him compassion. That was a kinder death than I gave mine.” Then her eyes meet mine, and she murmurs a single word, and I know it’s for me: “Different.”

Different. Aithinne is different. She’s not like Sorcha—not like me. I wanted to make Lonnrach suffer for the things he did; I wanted to make his death last. But Aithinne? She’s merciful. Even when she doesn’t have to be.

What does that make me, when a faery is capable of more humanity than I am?

The patter of faint footsteps distracts me. I look up and see the tattooed girl hurtling out of a building and into the street. She catches my gaze and without a moment’s hesitation, she takes off again.

“Wait!” I sprint after her.

“Falconer!”

I don’t stop. I have to catch that girl. Something about her calls to me.

A flash of her hair, just up ahead. My pace quickens. She enters a shadowed row of tenements and I go in after her. I’m gaining on her, close enough to hear her breath as she runs.

She heads around a building and I follow, calling out to her again. But just as I turn, I end up going through another portal.

I’m in a room. A room full of mirrors.

CHAPTER 38

ITURN TOescape, but the portal closes. Mirrors surround me.No way out.

I’m not here. Aithinne just killed Lonnrach. I’m not here. I whirl and sprint down the long line of mirrors, hating my reflections.Don’t look. Get out. You have to get out.

I slam against a mirror with a painful jolt, but I barely notice it. My pulse is racing, my breathing coming fast now. My vision is blurring.

This is an illusion. I strike the mirror with my fists.I have power now. I strike it again.He’s dead. I summon the Cailleach’s power, until it’s a great whirling storm through my veins created out of exhaustion and absolute desperation. I throw all that energy out against the mirrors.

They don’t break. They hardly even shimmer. A humiliating, pathetic cry escapes me. Then a deep, shuddering sob.One more time. Then again if you have to.

Again.

Again.

Again.

Blood streams down my face from my nose, my eyes, my ears, but I don’t care. My vision wobbles and stars pulse in front of my eyes, but I ignore it.Don’t stop. You can’t stop. I lurch forward to strike the mirror with my power again. It doesn’t do anything. Thoughts race through my brain. I’m too frantic to think clearly.

“You can still change your mind.”

I freeze at the sound of Lonnrach’s voice. My stomach knots with terror. My blood roars in my ears and I squeeze my eyes shut. “You’re not real. You’renotreal. You’re a memory. Aithinne just killed you and you’re dead.”

“Turn around, Aileana Kameron.”

I don’t. I can’t. I can’t look at him, not in this room.

“Turn around.” His voice is sharp, commanding.Don’t show your fear. I raise my chin and turn. Lonnrach’s face is staring back at me, but instead of his stormy gray irises, his eyes are glittering twin pools of liquid sapphire. The Morrigan’s eyes.

“I wanted you alone,” she says, staring down at Lonnrach’s hands. “I saw this room in his memories, what he did to you here. Lonnrach was such a clever boy, but too arrogant. Too demanding.” Her lip curls in disgust. “He didn’t even sing.”

“So youletus kill him.”


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