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Hale’s brows twisted and furrowed in pain. The gray of his eyes was almost invisible through his tears. She had died in his arms once before, but this—this was different. He was her Fated now. He was her soul living outside her body. They were so intertwined she knew that even in death she would live on through him.

The agonizing, stabbing pain was all that kept her conscious. The shock had worn off. The brutal acceptance that this was a mortal wound hit her.

Remy’s head felt light: everything around her seemed to spin, Hale’s tear-stained face blurred, and nausea crept up slowly. She knew the Twin Eagles stood over her, too, and she ached with regret that she couldn’t say goodbye.

Why had she thought she could overthrow the Northern King?

Remy’s body demanded she rest. Her eyes fluttered closed, only to widen again at the rolling waves of stabbing pain through her chest. She fell into numbness only for the searing pain to mercilessly revive her again and again

Remy whimpered, and Hale’s face crumpled. It would not be Remy who had to scrub away all the images of horror from this day. It would be Hale. She knew he would never forget this moment or her dying face.

She reached up a bloody hand and placed it on his cheek. The tremors of her arm barely held it steady.

Remy wanted to tell him she knew this was it. She wanted him to comfort her and tell her it wasn’t true. She wanted to beg to be saved and cry that she wasn’t ready to die and that there was so much of their life to live together.

But she didn’t.

As the tears fell from her eyes into her hair, all she said was, “I love you.”

Hale sobbed as he bent to her and placed a tear-covered kiss on her lips. Remy tasted the salt of his tears. When Hale pulled back, the corner of his mouth was bloody. He didn’t wipe the blood away.

Remy coughed up more blood. The end was near, then. Remy closed her eyes and relaxed her muscles. She tried to take a deep breath and then another, but every breath was a stabbing pain.

She couldn’t breathe.

Her chest felt so heavy as she panted. Then everything went numb. She couldn’t feel any more pain or panic to catch a breath, and it was a sweet relief. Soon everything would be over, and she would rest forever.

“Remy.” The word was a trembling whisper, but it was not from Hale.

Remy opened her eyes to see Heather hovering over her. Heather wore servants’ garb like Fenrin. Tear tracks stained her cheeks, but she smiled down at Remy. And Remy, despite everything, smiled back at her.

To see her mother one last time. Because that’s what she was and always had been, her mother. It did not matter if they shared the same blood. They were family.

Then Remy spotted a dagger clenched in Heather’s hand, and she knew what was about to happen.

Remy shook her head as more tears fell, mouthing the word “No” though no sound came out of her bloodied mouth.

Heather nodded with a calm, loving smile. This was the last time they’d see each other, sure enough, but it would not be Remy leaving this world.

“I loved you from the moment I first saw you, my Remy,” Heather said. So many tears poured down her cheeks as she smiled at her daughter. “I meant it when I said I would give my life for yours.”

Remy scrambled to speak, but Heather placed a steadying hand on her shoulder.

“Help lead this world into a better future, Remy. Be brave and kind and strong and clever, as you’ve always been.” Heather’s lips quirked up. “Be all the things I tried to teach you to be, but most of all, my Remy, be loved.”

With that, she looked up. And with a chant of “Midon Brik Dzaraas,” she plunged the dagger into her heart. Remy couldn’t move, couldn’t scream. Her body and mind numbed as she faded away.