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I hope the winds are wrong about many things, but they rarely are.

Those are the words she had spoken the night they had retrieved her from Alaric.

Her eyes opened, filled with sorrow and tears.

“It will work,” Sawyer said softly. “The winds told you.”

Ashtine swallowed thickly before she nodded. “I did not know when. Only that a choice would be made. A Prince of Water would fall. There were three.” Her hand rubbed at her stomach. “I didn’t know…”

“Then I am glad it is me, Ashtine,” he said gently.

“It does not have to be,” she whispered through her tears.

“I promised him I would keep you safe,” Sawyer answered. “Let me keep that promise.” He lifted a hand, his palm resting on her stomach. “Let me do this one last thing for the people I love most in this world.”

“I am sorry,” Nuri said, her voice thick with emotion. “I cannot wait much longer.”

“Can it be him?” Mordecai asked. Eliza scarcely noticed the hand he brought to Nuri’s lower back.

“It can,” she answered.

“Then step away from her.”

With a shaky breath, Nuri moved from Ashtine to Sawyer. The daggers had barely cleared her when Ashtine dropped to her knees before the Water Fae, clasping his hands in hers. “They will know of you, Sawyer. The realm will know of you.”

“Tell Briar it was duty to serve as his Second, but it was an honor to call him brother.”

A choked sob escaped from the Wind Princess, and she nodded, bringing her palm to his face. “I will, Sawyer. I will.”

“I’m sorry,” Nuri whispered. “I will make it fast. That is the only mercy I can offer.”

Talwyn had moved to stand behind Ashtine. Eliza tried to move closer, but Razik was holding her back. From where she stood, she could see the dagger Nuri had poised at Sawyer’s neck, right where the spine met the skull. The move would kill him instantly and painlessly, just like she’d offered.

“You served this life well, Sawyer Drayce,” Ashtine whispered. “I was blessed by the Fates to know you. Thank you for this gift of life.”

Nuri struck, and the cry that ripped from Ashtine had Talwyn dropping down beside her and pulling her into her arms. Sobs shook her small frame to the point she was gasping for breath.

Mordecai caught Sawyer as he slumped forward. He gently lowered his body to the ground before he carefully pried the dagger from Nuri’s hand as she stared blankly at the blood pooling on the ground.

“We do not belong here, Cai,” Death’s Shadow whispered, pulling her hood up over head.

She said nothing else as Mordecai scooped her into his arms. But before he launched into the sky, he turned to face them. “Know that she is not the monster Alaric turned her into.”

No one spoke when they were gone. The only sound was Ashtine’s gasped sobs as Talwyn held her friend. And when there was a piercing, sorrowful cry and a silver hawk came to rest on the ground between Ashtine and Sawyer, the princess’s cries became inconsolable.

“You need to breathe, Ashtine,” Talwyn ordered softly. “For the babes, you need to breathe.”

“I need Briar,” Ashtine cried. “I need to tell him! I need Briar! I want for nothing else. Only him.”

“We need to go,” Arantxa said grimly.

It was only then that Eliza realized everyone had formed a small circle around them. Arianna. Stellan. Jamahl, Sariah, and Ilyas. All the Shifters were on a knee, heads bowed for the sacrifice made.

“Go where?” Stellan asked.

“The High Witch awaits our return. We have Wards prepared to keep her Highness protected.”

Talwyn looked at Arianna and Stellan. “Thank you. For letting her stay here.”