Traitor (40 page)

“Touch him! Touch him!” she shrieked. “You’re going to implode if you don’t!”

Implode. Lovely. It would be great if they gave me the surgeon general’s warning before I did something stupid.

I slammed my hands against his chest, and it was like someone had used a defibrillator on him. His body heaved when the magic poured into him, spilling over his body and onto the grass. It seeped through his clothes and into the gaping wound in his stomach.

Every inch of my body ached as I continued trying to think of positive things. When I’d run out, I started thinking of Ashlyn. How happy she was with Liam in her life. It killed me in a way, but I knew this was the only way I could take care of her right now. She needed Liam like she needed air. It was evident when she sat there, holding him in her arms. They needed each other.

I’d protect that.

After a few minutes, the magic simply ran out. I slumped to my side, exhausted. Everything swam in front of me in a haze. People, I couldn’t figure out who, but people were around me. Around Liam.

I hoped to God I’d done that right.

It seemed like after something amazing happened, everyone cheered and applauded the hero.

I just mumbled something incoherent and passed out.

M
ARY REFUSED TO
uncover my eyes, and despite her petite frame, she was deceptively strong. She wrestled me to the ground against my will. “Just wait a second,
wait a second
! Give him time, Ash.”

I wasn’t having it. I thrashed and screamed and made all kinds of noises that probably sounded like a cat being murdered.

“Ashlyn McVean, shut up and wait,” Memaw ordered.

I fell silent.

“We need to go for a two point conversion,” I heard Reese ramble, and I looked up. He slumped over on himself, and Desmond was there for him before his head hit the ground.

My eyes searched for Liam. I found him.

His body was completely covered in baby blue light, and he hovered barely an inch off the ground. There was a slight hum that emanated from his very being.

It scared me.

I was so tired from everything that I couldn’t bring my voice above a whisper. “What’s wrong with him?”

Rueben’s deep, throaty voice answered. “He’s healing. He’s becoming a Glaistig.”

Just then his body arched, and his eyes flew open. The light disappeared, and he fell to the ground with a thump. He sucked in a shocked breath, then ran his hands all over his body. “What… what just happened? Aiden…”

“Tried to kill you,” uttered Tess between sobs. Issac was trying to comfort her, but wasn’t doing a very good job of it.

Liam’s head was on a swivel. “Ashlyn. Where’s Ashlyn?”

Mary finally released her hold on me and I burst off the ground with renewed vigor. I didn’t mean to, but I tackled Liam in my excitement.

He had about enough time to realize it was me before I was on top of him kissing him.

“Ashlyn!” he exclaimed.

That was the only word he got out. It didn’t matter that everyone was standing there, shocked. It didn’t matter that he’d almost died.

The only thing that mattered was that his warm lips were against mine, and I could feel his heart thrumming wildly in his chest.

He was alive.

***

“Do you feel any different?” I whispered, curling up even closer to Liam’s body.

He obliged and pulled me into a tighter embrace. I could hear his smile in his words. “Not really, no, but I just came back to the land of the living not three hours ago. Give me a minute to figure out if I can do anything cool like you.”

“I bet you’re like Superman or something.”

We both laughed. I’m pretty sure anything would have been funny after nearly losing him. My fingers traced figure eights on the back of his hand. “Roslin can’t believe you came to so quickly. She said Reese took two days to wake up.”

“That’s because Reese isn’t made of the kind of awesome that I am,” Liam said jokingly. His eyes were reverent as he stared at the ceiling. “I owe him my life. He saved me.”

“He did.”

There wasn’t much that could be said after something so heavy. Words couldn’t fully express the gratitude that I owed Reese for saving Liam, and Liam had sworn he’d never be able to tell Reese thank you enough.

Liam sighed and rolled to his side, facing me full on. “I can’t believe Aiden betrayed us.”

I nodded. “Memaw said he fed Ankou all the information. When we left Ireland and the Pooka attacked our house? Aiden ordered that attack. Then at your football game, he informed Ankou we would all be there. That’s why MaKenna showed up.”

“MaKenna…” Liam’s voice trailed off.

“She’s still alive. I stopped Memaw from killing her.”

He propped his head up and looked at me quizzically. “Why would you do that?”

“No one should have to choose between two people they love.”

He nodded, sage-like, and laid his head back on the pillow. “Well, I’m just glad I didn’t lose you today.”

“That makes two of us,” I agreed.

“Ashlyn, I need you now,” Memaw said through the half-open door as she knocked but didn’t wait for the answer. Her tone was urgent, and she opened the door and grabbed my hand.

Liam leapt from the bed as well. “What’s going on?”

Memaw didn’t answer him; she just kept dragging me along on my now-casted arm. “It’s your father,” she finally said.

It felt like my stomach fell out of me.

He’d told me to go spend time with Liam and that he’d be with Mom. I didn’t think twice. Why now did it seem like something happened?

Then I saw him.

Chris was sitting at his feet, a look of horror on his face.

Dad’s very essence flickered like a bad TV as he looked down at his own hands. Mom had one of her hands on his as tears streamed down her face.

But it wasn’t. It went straight through him.

He looked at me sympathetically when he realized I was there. “I’m so sorry, Ashlyn. I need to go.”

Air hitched in my throat as I attempted to make sense of what was in front of me. Even in the few moments I’d been here in the room, Dad began to flicker in and out even more. He looked at me sadly. “I’m not meant for this world anymore, Ash.”

“But,” I started, taken aback by his words “But I did everything for you. All of this, everything was to bring you back. What are you saying?”

I’d never seen my dad truly cry, but today I saw the anguish he felt by the tears that began to fall. He shook his head. “I don’t know what this is. I don’t know what’s going on, but I think it’s my time to go.”

Mom tried to pat his back, but her hand went through him once more. He was nothing more than a ghost. He turned to her and put his hand against her face. I wondered if she could feel it. “Sarah, I love you more than you’ll ever know. You’re stronger than you think, and the fact that Ashlyn and Chris have become who they are is a testament to that.” He looked down to Chris, and a tear fell from his cheek. It splattered on the floor like a real tear would. “Chris, you’re the man of the house now. Respect your mother and look out for Ashlyn.”

Chris nodded and looked away. He was trying to be strong.

Dad got off the couch and walked over to where Memaw, Liam, and I stood. “Mom,” he said, smiling at Memaw. “You are by far the best mother anyone could have asked for. Thank you for everything you did and continue to do for our family, and never, ever think this was your fault.”

Memaw’s eyes were shut tight. She nodded before she opened her eyes once more and smiled at him. “You are the best son I could have asked for.”

Dad leaned closer to Liam and continued his goodbyes. “Liam, you take care of my daughter. I’m sure I have the ability to haunt you if you don’t.” He laughed, but continued on as he clapped Liam on the shoulder. I wondered if Liam could feel it. “You’re a strong man, and she needs a strong man beside her. She has good taste.”

And before I could think of anything to say, Dad’s full attention was on me. “Ashlyn, I love you more than words can ever express. You saved me.”

“No, I didn’t,” I choked out between sobs, “you’re leaving us again.”

“But this time it’s on my terms, and I can say goodbye,” he said, a peace lighting his eyes. “You’ve given me the dignity to say goodbye to my family. You can’t save the world, Ashlyn, but you can save the people in it.”

I smiled. “I’ll keep that in mind from now on.”

He nodded. “Just pick and choose the battles that are really worth it.”

I thought he was done, but he turned toward Jamie, who was standing in the kitchen doorway with Reese, completely shocked. She dropped her plate of food.

Dad chuckled. “Jamie, I forgive you. You need to forgive yourself.”

His eyes returned to me. “Never lose yourself, Ashlyn. You’re a good person. I love you.”

He leaned in to kiss my cheek, and even though he was nothing more than a ghost, I could have sworn I felt his kiss. Before I could say anything else, he disappeared.

“H
OW DO YOU
give a second funeral for someone?” I asked without any true expectation of an answer.

Reese answered anyway as his toes skimmed the clear surface of the pristine lake in Adaire. “You don’t. You celebrate the borrowed time you had with them.”

Mary had promised to look after Mom and Chris while the rest of us left for Adaire to sort out what our next move would be. Jamie insisted she could look after herself, while Desmond and Issac insisted that Mary and Jamie needed men to look after them. The girls were willing to let them think that, which allowed the rest of us to travel in confidence that they would be safe while we were gone.

Memaw, Tess, Roslin, and Liam were out on the lake, giving Reese and I a bit of time alone. I appreciated Liam’s willingness to share me in a sense. I continued to pick at the loose splinters of wood on the dock in silence.

Reese took my hand and stopped me. “You did everything you could, just like your dad said. You had no idea what would happen.”

“I wouldn’t have put everyone in danger if that was all I was going to get out of it.”

“’All you would get out of it?’” Reese repeated, incredulous. “Don’t you see what you got? You gave your family peace, you gave your dad a chance to say goodbye, and Liam is immortal now. You guys can actually be together.”

“Last time I checked, I’m not immortal,” I muttered.

“I think Memaw has intentions of fixing that.”

“Maybe I don’t want to be immortal.”

Reese shrugged, unwilling to argue. Or maybe he just knew it was pointless to fight with me in such a dour mood. “Maybe you don’t. But I think you’d miss me.”

I smiled. “I just might.”

We sat in silence while I mulled things over in my head. “You know what I don’t get?”

Reese turned and focused on me. “Hmm?”

“I don’t understand why Memaw made Liam my Protector to begin with. Humans are fragile, and there’s no way he was going to really protect me from anything. It makes more sense that you’re my Protector…now that you’re a Glaistig, I mean.”

“I asked her about that, actually,” Reese admitted, “and she said she was hoping if she surrounded you with humans, that Ankou wouldn’t catch on to you as quickly. Didn’t seem to work.”

I nodded dully. No, it didn’t seem to work. My brain turned to another thought that had been running on warp speed. “After everything, after all the warnings of not being able to trust faeries, you know who turned out to be most trustworthy? Dalbach.”

Reese chuckled and tossed a small pebble into the lake, scattering the fish in the surrounding area. “You know, you’re right. And Jamie might have been a close second, actually.”

“Funny how the people we thought were enemies turned out to be the ones who helped us.”

“I wouldn’t go hugging every Changeling I came in contact with,” Reese said, blithely watching Liam cannonball into the water from the floating dock in the lake, “but I probably owe Dalbach a hearty handshake.”

I laughed. “That’s a good start. Speaking of which, why’d you save Liam?”

“You love him,” he said simply.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t – “

“No, it really does,” Reese said, cutting me off. “It matters to me because it matters to you. I’m supposed to protect you. Keep you safe. Keep you happy. To do that best, it means keeping Liam safe, too. I saw the way you looked when he was…” He trailed off, unable to put into words what he was thinking. “Well, when he was indisposed. You have no idea how much pain you looked like you were in. I wasn’t okay with that. There’s no way I could have sat idly by when I had a way to fix it. I will always fix what I can, especially for you.”

“Even if it means saving Liam? I mean, you and him haven’t ever really been the best of buds.”

His eyes twinkled. “Like I said, I have an eternity to find a hot faerie. I like my chances to find someone to make me as happy as Liam makes you.”

Liam swam up to the dock and put his hands in between where Reese and I were seated. His smile told me he was just doing it to get under Reese’s skin, but I had a feeling that they actually might become friends at some point. Way down the road. In a century or two.

“Can I borrow my girl?” Liam asked Reese politely.

“Sure, I’ll just steal her later at an inopportune time for you,” Reese said as he tore off his shirt and leapt into the water. I tried to dodge the tidal wave that crashed into the dock, but to no avail.

Liam laughed and pulled himself out of the water to sit by me. “Why aren’t you swimming?”

I wrinkled up my nose and shrugged. “I don’t know, I just don’t feel like it.”

“Well, then I’ll sit right beside you until you decide to.”

We sat there like that, side by side, for a while. Liam finally turned and smiled. “Ready for school to start?”

“Oh God, school starts tomorrow, doesn’t it?”

“Indeed it does.”

I leaned back to take the blow. “I’m so not ready.”

“Not ready for what? Normalcy? Humans? Homework?”

We both laughed. “Can it be all of the above?”

He pulled me close to him and took a deep breath. “It can be all of the above.”