Page 45

It was half-past one in the morning.

Hours ago, Connor had gone to find Jonathan’s body on the beach.

Then he reported to the police that he’d found it, which was technically true.

He didn’t mention Haera and Madeleine, however, nor the shotgun.

Madeleine had no idea what he’d done with it.

The police came out to recover the body for a post-mortem, and it seemed there was nothing else to do for the moment.

“Heart attack, right enough,” Connor had said when he’d returned to the house, his shoulders slumped.

“My uncle went the same way and looked just like that. Coroner’ll say for sure. Poor bugger. Still, he looked peaceful enough.”

Now Madeleine, Connor, Isla, and Jim all sat in the living room of the main house; the broken back door made the cottage a non-starter.

Battery-powered lanterns provided the only lighting.

Madeleine had changed her filthy clothes and used just enough reserved water to wash her face and hands.

Haera was in her bedroom, hopefully asleep.

Hopefully not dreaming.

Madeleine had guided her straight into her bed and she’d gone without a protest, losing consciousness the moment she lay down.

As for Madeleine, she didn’t know what to feel.

Or how to feel.

The adrenaline had worn off, and she was completely drained.

The last few hours seemed like a dream, especially right now, in an ordinary cottage with ordinary people.

Even as she was recounting the story, she thought: Could that really have happened?

“Bloody hell.” Jim took a long pull of one of the beers he’d brought from home.

“That’s a story, isn’t it?”

He didn’t sound doubtful.

Madeleine had been right.

Not a single one of them had been as shocked or skeptical as Haera had expected.

“It sure is.” She rested her elbows on her knees.

Good grief, she could sleep for a year.

It was amazing she’d been able to talk to the three of them with any coherency.

Thank God she hadn’t had to speak to the police.

“Some things I’m keeping to myself, but you’ve got the gist of it.”

The gist: that Haera had been an Each-uisge, that she was now human, and she’d had a brother who’d tried to kill her before dying himself.

That she and Madeleine had met when Madeleine was a nun, and years later Madeleine had come back to learn more.

No need to say they’d become lovers.

That seemed pretty obvious to everyone.

Connor rubbed the back of his neck.

“Fuck. Poor Jon. You don’t know why the other beast grabbed him?”

This Q it pounded with every beat of her heart.

“What question did you ask?”

Madeleine looked to the window again.

“I’ll tell you later. That’s not the point. I’m saying I saw her. She was real. I…don’t know exactly how I feel about that, but it’s certainly in keeping with everything else that’s happened to me. She said the world is full of wonder.”

Right now, Great Mare or not, the world only seemed full of pain—and exhaustion.

Haera’s human body was staging a rebellion against consciousness.

She couldn’t think about faith, gods, or grief.

She lowered her head back to the pillow.

Her eyelids were too heavy to keep open.

“I’m so tired.”

“Of course you are.” Madeleine rubbed her thumb against the back of Haera’s hand.

“Sleep. We’ll figure things out tomorrow.”

Haera was weak.

So weak. That must be the only reason she said, “Don’t go.”

Ever, she meant.

That couldn’t be. Madeleine couldn’t stay on Jorsay forever, it wasn’t legal, and even if it was, she wouldn’t want to.

“I won’t,” Madeleine replied, to Haera’s shock.

“Scoot over. I think there’s room for both of us.”

Oh.

Madeleine thought Haera meant just for tonight.

Well, tonight was better than nothing at all, and even with the sweatshirt, Haera was still so cold.

She moved back, and Madeleine kicked off her shoes and eased into bed, fully clothed.

“Roll over?” she suggested.

Haera did. Now apparently it was her turn to be the “little spoon,” as Madeleine called it.

Madeleine’s warm body pressed against her, and Madeleine’s arm slid around her waist.

“I’ve got you,” she said quietly.

“I’ll keep you safe. Like you kept me.”

“But…” The world was fading.

“I put you in danger…Asgall, my mother …”

“You saved me. From drowning before, and from them tonight.” Madeleine kissed her hair, still stiff with ocean salt.

“Sleep now.”

Lacking any other choice, Haera did.

She dreamed of ocean currents carrying her from shore while her human body fought uselessly against them.

She dreamed Madeleine was chasing after her in a boat, calling out for her to stay above water just long enough to be rescued.

She woke up before she could decide whether to be saved or drown.

Madeleine was asleep.

She still held Haera.

She was still warm.

Saved, then, for one more night.

Haera closed her eyes, returned to sleep, and didn’t dream.