“As you wish, my king, my liege, my all.”
Do that, Breen thought. Because it all ends here.
“My grandmother brings her death. No seal will stop Mairghread O’Ceallaigh.”
“Perhaps not.” Smiling, he flicked a careless hand. “But as I said, there are always more. Such creatures as Yseult serve us, and when they’re of no more use, we discard them. I offered you worlds, powers, the worlds and powers of gods.”
“You lied.”
He laughed and shook back his gilded mane. “Lies serve us as well. Come inside now, into my castle, and we’ll begin.”
“I think I’ll stay here, and we’ll end.”
Yanking the sword free, she plunged it into him.
It took him a step back, but that, she realized, came from surprise, as he only sighed, a sound of disappointment, and drew the sword free.
He didn’t bleed. Her mistake, she admitted, but not unexpected. Just one last hope.
“A sword? Are you so foolish to think a blade, a common blade, can kill me, can so much as mark me? Here, I am all!”
He raised his arms and shot lightning across the sky, turned his wrist to spear it down and strike a winged demon to send it burning into the lashing sea.
Now, with eyes dark as onyx, he faced her. “I’ll drain your powers, but slowly, so you learn, and you feel the loss of them, until you beg to worship me. And when your light flickers dim, I’ll keep you as a pet. For a time.”
He could, she knew, and would if she allowed it. If she allowed it, Talamh would burn, and the worlds beyond it fall.
“That’s not my destiny. I’ve seen my destiny. I’ve seen it in the smoke and fire. I see it now. I am Breen Siobhan O’Ceallaigh. I am the key, but not to open. To close, for all time. And with me ends the line.”
She threw out power, what she had to stop him. And stepped off the cliff.
One life for all life, she thought as she fell. One light for all light. For Talamh and all the worlds. This is my choice.
She heard Odran’s scream of rage, and closed her eyes.
Keegan swooped her out of midair, feet from the killing rock.
“What the bloody hell are you about?”
The world spun. “I didn’t see this coming.” Her head lolled on his shoulder, and she might have laughed to see Bollocks behind him on the dragon but was too dizzy.
“I had to… keep the vow. I—”
Then she saw Marg leap from her own dragon to face Yseult.
“Oh God, Nan.”
“She needs her justice, and you need to be on the other side of this hell.”
“No, no, wait.” Think, she ordered. This time think, don’t act. Think. “The sword, it can’t hurt him, not here. It’s why, it’s always been why it didn’t end.”
She gripped his bloodied shirt. She’d offered her life, willingly, but that hadn’t been her destiny. So she remained the key.
“It’s the staff, Keegan, not the sword. It’s the staff, it’s justice. You have to bring it here. Call it. Bring it here. It’s your staff.”
“Best be right on it.” Eyes on hers, he held out a hand.
And below, Marg slid off her dragon.