Page 113 of Beauty

A sob threatens to escape my throat. “Father.”

He smiles down at me. A ghostly hand reaches out to touch myface. “We have so little time. The hags are waking. You’ve figured out what youare? And what you can do?”

I nod. “I’m a conduit. That’s what they called me.”

“Your mind works on a frequency that every bondmate canhear, and you can access your brothers’ powers.” His voice, not quite above awhisper, tightens. “If you’ve tapped into power, I have to assume your brothersare here. Beck and Cian have come into their powers, then? They’ve formed atrue triad?”

I stare at my father. “No. I mean yes. They have bonded andhave power, but they aren’t here yet.”

The ghostly figure in front of me frowns. “Then whose powerhave you accessed? It should only work with a true triad.”

“My husbands,” I reply. “Lachlan and Shim McIver, princes ofthe Unseelie Fae. My Dark Ones.”

My father’s image shimmers for a moment and then becomes abit more solid. “They were real.”

So real. “Yes. And they’re here. They’re going to Aoibhneasto gather the troops.”

My father is silent for a moment. “So many things to havegotten wrong. It doesn’t matter anymore. All that matters is they will come. Ifthey came for you each night in your dreams, they will come for you now. Youhave to be brave, my daughter. You have to be the princess I never taught youto be. I am so sorry to require this of you, but you can’t do what you need todo until the battlefield is set.”

Niall steps in when my father becomes quiet. He pulls aknife from his belt. My knife. “I didn’t do what I should have done. I didn’tfind another to take your place. I came back here to wait for you. There isonly one Princess Bronwyn, and I knew she would come here. This is for you whenwe win the day. We have to kill Torin and the hags, too. We get one shot atthis. They’ve become very powerful.”

“They control the guards for Torin,” Maris explains. “If youdon’t kill the guards as well, even with the hags gone, they will continue tofight and continue with their mission to kill you and your brothers andeveryone who is against them. Even now Torin is pulling them back fromAoibhneas since you’re here. They will guard the palace now and they will be inplace when the kings arrive. Goddess, tell me they’re bringing an army withthem.”

I hope so, too. “I know the Unseelie are sending a force.And from what Lachlan told me the village will come.”

Maris groans. “I hate that village. They’re all insane.Aoibhneas is where the crazies go. The mountains do something to their brains.And I heard some of them prefer to walk about naked. I pray they bringweapons.”

I want a few answers. “Why are you doing this?”

Maris’s cornflower-blue eyes turn down. “I was a foolishgirl.”

“You hated my brothers.”

She shakes her head. “I hated the fact that my father soldme to them. I was chattel and nothing more, and Cian couldn’t stand the sightof me. And quite frankly, Beckett Finn scared me. I’d heard rumors that heliked to hurt his partners.”

“I explained that, Maris.” Father’s voice is a torturedgroan.

“I know, but I didn’t understand at the time. I wanted a wayout. I was in love, you see. I loved my maid. We grew up together and somewherealong the way, I realized she was everything to me. We kissed when we weresixteen. The day before I was sold to your brothers. I was scared I would loseher. I thought Torin would be easier. He would reward me for helping him andsend me on my way and Anna and I could be happy.” She takes a deep breath. “Idid it all because I loved a girl. A girl who Torin killed because she wasn’tpure. Your father found me. He forgave me. I don’t know why.”

“Because death clarifies all things in life, Maris,” myfather says, his voice warm. “And I know that forgiveness is the greatest giftwe have to give and a thing we should pray to receive. Hating you wouldn’t havesolved anything, but reaching out and offering absolution did. It brought ushere. It will bring us victory.” His gaze turns back to me. “Do notmisunderstand me, daughter. I have not given up the after with your motherbecause I want vengeance. I gave it up because I want my children to knowpeace.”

Maris frowns. “Well, I want the bastard dead, and I don’tcare how it happens. I would have done it myself but killing Torin doesn’t takecare of the hags, and they’re worse. Your father figured out what you are longago and set Niall out to find you. I’ve done my duty and kept that bastardbusy, but I’m ready to be finished. I’m ready to face Beck and Cian and whoeverthey’ve married and accept their judgment.”

Maris wants to die.

My father cocks his head sideways as though he hearssomething the rest of us can’t. “They’re coming. All of you out. Bron has toface this alone. Bronwyn, they won’t kill you. Stay strong. They think that byeating bondmates’ souls they can take the psychic power into themselves, butthey can’t hear you. When they’re through, reach out and find strength in yourbrothers and sisters. They wait for you.”

Niall and Maris are already out the door and my fatherfades.

I reach out, but to a different mind. I reach out to Lachand Shim. I feel their love before the door opens and the hags fill my world.

I shut it down because my husbands don’t need to know whatis happening to me.

Deep in the night, when the agony is done, I wonderhow much more I can take. They bombarded me again and again with spells. Sometake my strength, some my will. The worst is the one that robs me of all myjoy.

Call to them.

My father told me to. Apparently I called all of my life, soit makes sense to do so again. I can’t call to Lach and Shim. They would beterrified. I have to find strength another way.