Chapter 194: Or is it?
"I am sorry about your brother." Ares said.
They were both now standing in what used to be Lucius study. Cassian remained by the door, his arms folded across his chest.
"Thank you." Alistair muttered, clearing his throat. "So," he said quietly. "What happens now?"
This territory has lost enough. An alliance between us is the best way forward for everyone. Besides, we still have the Alpha Council to think about. If they are truly a coalition of Alphas from the other packs, then this war is far from over. They wanted the Omega Dualis for themselves so they will not simply walk away because Lucius is no longer in the picture."
Alistair nodded at this and extended a hand to Ares.
"You have my word that Emberfall will remain an ally to the Northern Territory."
Ares took it. "And you have mine."
Their hands remained clasped for a moment before Ares released him.
"There is one more thing." he said.
"Your family’s status and story will be erased. You will no longer be known as traitors. I cannot change what happened to them. It was a tragedy and it should never have happened."
Alistair swallowed, too stunned to speak.
His entire life had been built around the shadow of that accusation. He and his brother had been where they were today because of that accusation.
Alistair’s eyes burned.
"My father would have wanted that."
Ares nodded.
"Then let that be what comes next."
"Thank you." Alistair said softly.
"You don’t have to thank me."
"But I do. For the first time in my life, I feel like my family might finally be allowed to rest."
Cassian looked away.
Even he seemed affected by the words.
Ares nodded at Alistair.
"We should leave before night falls" Ares said. The men have been marching for days, and Ayla needs rest that a camp bed will not give her. We will ride until the border, and then we will go home."
"I will walk you out," Alistair said.
Ares reached the door of the study and opened it, and there stood Willow, her hand raised mid-knock.
"Oh." She dropped her hand, her cheeks flooding with color.
Her eyes went from Alistair to Ares to Cassian, and she straightened her shoulders with visible effort.
"Willow," Ares said. "You should be with Ayla now, ready for our departure. We ride within the hour."
"About that." She lifted her chin. "I would like to stay in Emberfall."
Cassian’s eyebrows lifted but Ares wasn’t surprised.
He had noticed when Willow had walked out of the courtyard with Alistair. The way their hands had been linked and the way she had looked at him.
It was obvious something was happening between them.
"Are you sure, little sister?" he asked gently.
"Yes," Willow nodded. "With your permission."
Ares stared at her for a moment then he smiled.
He stepped forward and pulled her into his arms. For a moment she was stiff with surprise before she melted against him, her hands gripping the back of his coat.
"I would have loved more time to get to know this new you, Willow," he murmured into her hair. "But you have my permission and my blessing, if you want it."
"Thank you," she whispered.
When they pulled apart, her eyes were wet, but she was smiling. She turned to Alistair, and the look that passed between them was warm enough that Ares felt like an intruder just by standing there.
"Take care of yourself."
"I will and you."
"We should go," Cassian said quietly.
Ares clasped Alistair’s shoulder once.
"We can walk ourselves out. I am sure you both have a lot to talk about."
He and Cassian walked away down the corridor, leaving the two of them alone.
...
"You want to stay?" Alistair stared at Willow who was standing by the door with both hands clasped around her.
"Why do you sound so surprised?" she smiled.
"I don’t know, Willow. I thought with everything that has happened, and now that you are finally on the best of terms with Ayla, you would want to return to your pack."
Willow frowned.
"Do you not want me here?"
"That isn’t what I said."
Willow pouted. "If you do not, then I will leave. I will catch up with them and leave your sight."
"I do want you here." Alistair walked toward her. "I just never thought you would choose me."
"I choose you, Alistair."
His eyes softened.
"You do?"
"I do." She stepped closer. "I have spent so much of my life trying to be what everyone else wanted me to be. I don’t want to do that anymore."
She reached for his hand.
"I want to stay because I want you."
Alistair stared down at their joined hands.
For once, he had no clever response...just a strange warmth spreading through his chest.
"You make this very difficult."
Willow laughed softly.
"How?"
"Because I had prepared myself to let you go."
Her smile faded.
"Alistair..."
He lifted her hand to his lips and kissed her knuckles.
"I don’t have a grand speech. I have spent most of my life watching my brother chase power and watching it all fall apart but then I met you..."
His eyes met hers.
"Stay with me, Willow Hale. Marry me."
...
They had gone perhaps twenty paces when Cassian spoke.
"Little sister?" He smirked. "You wanted to throttle her some weeks ago over that letter."
Ares laughed. "I know. Who would have thought?"
They emerged into the courtyard, where the last of the wounded were being loaded onto carts and the horses were being watered, and they were halfway to the gates when Amara stepped into their path.
"If it is acceptable to you," she said, "I would like to come with Ayla."
Ares studied her. "Why?"
"She has been training her powers as you could see back there"
Ares had seen Ayla’s powers... he had felt it too when she tried to save them after they were ambushed by Lucius’ forces when they tried to escape.
It had been unlike anything he had ever experienced. Even now, remembering it made something uneasy twist in his stomach.
"That was your doing?" he asked.
"It was indeed." Amara nodded. "But she needs more training and I will be more than happy to help her as I have been doing so here."
Ares exchanged a look with Cassian which he understood immediately.
They both knew Ayla needed help. She was too powerful and she didn’t fully understand what she could do yet.
Ares still didn’t know how much of Miranda’s stories about Morgana were true but if Ayla ever truly lost control of herself...
The world as they knew it could be over.
"Come on, then." Ares finally said.
Amara bowed her head once, and fell into step beside them.
They reached the gathered soldiers, and Ares looked around the courtyard, scanning the faces of the men who had marched with him.
"Where is Miranda?" Ares asked.
One of his men glanced around, frowning. "She was just here, my lord. Standing by the horses not a quarter of an hour ago."
Ares looked around again but did not catch any sight of the priestess.
"Do you want us to find her?" the guard asked.
For a brief moment, he considered it then he shook his head.
"No," Ares said. "Leave her. It is for the best that she knows she is no longer welcome in the Northern territory."
...
The chambers were empty when Miranda reached them, and she stood in the doorway for a moment, listening to the small sounds of her own breathing.
The bookshelf stood open, revealing the dark passage behind it.
Miranda stepped into the passage. The darkness pressed around her and she welcomed it. She walked slowly, her footsteps echoing.
She emerged into the beautiful garden but Miranda did not stop to look at any of it. she was here for another purpose entirely.
She had overheard the conversation with Amara about this place... a cave where no one could walk into unless invited in and then the thought of what she was going to do had entered her mind.
She would simply disappear from their lives.
The last thing she would give them was the courtesy of doubt that they would not throw her into the dungeons the first chance they get as soon as they were back home.
At least here in Emberfall... within these palace walls, she was unknown.
Miranda walked the pathway to the low cliff and gathered her robes in one hand before climbing it.
Soon, she was at the mouth of the cave.
She stood there, staring into it, at Lucius, the knife still in his chest.
𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚
"So," she said softly. "He really is dead."
Amara had said something about the magic being absolute.
Miranda chuckled.
One thing every magic had was a loophole.
Amara would have figured it eventually given the time.
That every boundary magic’s loophole was death.
Miranda took one step forward, into the cave.