The Four Horsemen(36)

“It’s broken?”

I look at the dark haired witch, “I killed the queen.”

She looks sickened by it, “You murdered the queen of the fae? The most harmless of creatures in the world?”

I nod.

She raises her eyebrows, “Wow. That’s harsh, sin eater.”

Wyatt looks down on me, “Doesn’t change the fact the white stag spoke to her.”

I scowl, “He wasn’t a stag when he talked to me.”

The witch sighs, “So they are all flowers?”

I nod, “Just like you all, they turn to flowers when they die.”

The witch looks around the field at the other witches. The form a circle, holding hands in the field. The sun shines down on them. It looks like Shakespeare in the park. The dresses are so old fashioned. Wyatt and I step back.

They look to the sky, as they chant everything grows brighter and lusher. The garden, which I already felt was lovely, is incredible. Flowers bloom everywhere and trees stand taller and straighter. The whole place comes to life. Birds chirp, and insects buzz about. It’s like summer arrives in a matter of seconds and we get to watch it.

I see a cloud moving quickly towards us. It’s white and massive. When it gets closer I gasp. It’s the flowers of the fallen.

The witches, holding hands still, walk to the gate. They leave and stand on the shores of the river and the ocean. They chanted and the most amazing thing I have ever seen occurs. Each flower joins a small group. They form a person and then the person fills in with sparkles, and then they are standing there as if nothing ever changed.

The queen of the fae, with her cake hair and creepy white eyes, looks for me the moment she is alive again. She points at me, “You are a betrayer of your own kind.”

I shake my head, still in the gates of the garden.

She walks past the chanting witches but something happens. The gate slams shut, keeping her out. She grabs the bars and screams at me, “WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?”

I jump, seeing her white eyes turn evil.

Wyatt grimaces, “The garden just locked out the queen of the fae.”

I smile, “Her heart is not pure. It’s probably why she never left, she knew there was a risk she might not ever get back in.”

He smirks at her, “Funny how the garden accepts you and not her.”

She is raging and screaming, but the gate is made of something stronger than any magic she has. It is made of belief.

When the gate opens, I am a bit scared, but it’s not her that comes through. It is all the other fae. She stands there weeping as they file past her, leaving her outside of the gates. I imagine they feel the way Gill did, grateful she was dead.

She looks weak and defeated but angry, in a way I know I will pay for later, when she turns and walks from the gate. The nixie snub her, not even looking at her when they walk up the shores to the gate in their jerky way of moving. When they cross through the gate, they walk normally. They don’t jerk or float and their dresses lie limp like normal dresses.

The redhead comes to me, “Thank you, sin eater.”

I shake my head, “What did I do?”

She smiles brightly, “You saved them. You saved our people.”

The earth witches walk through the gates too. The nixie and earth witches speak, as if it is a normal occurrence. The redhead kisses my cheek and walks past me to the forest path.

Wyatt pulls me through the gate. I spread my wings and fly us back to the castle.

When we land, he looks at me, “That was crazy.”

I laugh, “So crazy.”

Constantine comes to the door as we walk up to it. He looks at Wyatt, “You will remember everything you have been asked to forget and forget everything you were made to believe.”

Wyatt drops to his knee, taking a sharp inhale.

Constantine gives me a defeated smile, “You will remember everything you have ever been asked to forget and forget everything you have been made to remember.”

My eyes close as stabbing pain fills my head. I drop to my knees too, but I cry out. I grab my head as the images of five lives fill me. I cannot hear them any more, and I cannot feel them, but I remember my soul sisters. I remember each of their lives. I remember every second I spent being tortured and murdered. The pain is there, searing my flesh as even the tiniest details fill my head.

It is a horrible flash of agony, and then as if it was a cloud passing over, it is gone. My eyes open and I am me again. I am Rayne. I am not any of them. My feelings are my own and my heart is empty of the heavy weight it has lugged around. I look at Wyatt, smiling at him. He is the boy, leaning against the light post, giving me that shitty grin. He makes my stomach flip and flop and flutter. Everything else is gone.

I remember being a child with Willow. I remember every act I have committed as myself and no other.

I look at Constantine and smile. My attraction to him is undeniable, but my heart doesn’t have him in it at all, except as a friend.

I know he sees it. He winces and turns and walks away.

“Thank you.”

He waves a hand and vanishes.

My heart doesn’t break. I turn and smile at Wyatt, “Hi.”

He looks lost for a second, “Maggie, Ellie, and Rayne.”

I smile wider. He shakes his head, “There is so much.” He lifts my hand and kisses the back of it.

Gill walks up to me, “I wish you to take me and Mona home.” I scowl, “What?”

He nods, “I have to go to my people. I am the ruler now. Mona will be my queen.”

I look at Mona. She nods, “We have to. He felt the moment you fixed the gate. He knew he had to go home. This way, we can be together forever. I will be immortal in the gates.”

I swallow hard, “But, what if I can’t come in?”

She shakes her head, “You will always be welcome.”

Gill looks at me and he knows what I mean. He gives me a desperate look. I offer them my hands, “I don’t know if I can fly two people.”

Mona pulls her hand back, “Take him first and then come back for me.”

I nod. I fly him to the gate. It’s a long, hard journey. There is no joy in my choice.

When I land him on the riverbank, he hugs me. I moan when I smell him. He chuckles, “I will take care of her.”

I look up at him, “I know you will. You have to protect her at all costs. She is all I have left that’s real, besides Wyatt.”

He runs a hand down my face, “If I can aid you, sin eater, I will do whatever I can. But keeping her safe within the gates is my main focus.”

I smile, “Good. If I fail, never open them again.”

He nods and turns to the gate that appears. It opens and when he walks through, I feel myself lose a small piece of my heart.

I jump up and fly back to the castle. Tears slip down my cheeks as I land in the courtyard. Stella’s eyes dart from Mona in the courtyard to the stables where hundreds of her finest are kept. They would eat Mona in a heartbeat.

Mona looks excited. My heart is crumbling and she is excited.

She takes my hand and hugs me tightly. I jump into the air, “Did you say goodbye to everyone?”

She sighs, “I did. Constantine cried I think. It was weird. Michelle was a complete bitch. Wyatt acted like he couldn’t give a shit, and Stella made me promise to find a way to get her inside. Maria cried and Tom nodded at me.”

I laugh and the flying becomes a little easier. “I am going to miss you.” I mutter.

She squeezes tighter, “Me too.”

I can’t look down so I have to wait until we have landed on the riverbank before I can look at her. “If you need me, tell the dead. They will come for me, and I will come for you. Just whisper it. My sisters feel like you are their sister. It is the only thing we agree on. Tell the dead in a whisper on the wind, and I will be at the gate as fast as I can fly here.”

Her eyes fill with tears, “Rayne…”

I shake my head, “Never trust them all. Just because they’re in the gates doesn’t mean they would get back in if they ever left. I watched as the gates closed on the queen. She is alive again. She may have those who are loyal to her in those gates. Trust me and Gill. And even Gill has to think of his people. He may have to put you second to them.”

Her eyes widen, “Why are you trying to scare me? Why can’t you just be happy?”

Tears fill my eyes, “I am so happy for you. But I’m scared for you the way I’m scared for me. I trust you—in this whole world of people, I trust you and the dead. That’s it.”

Her lower lip quivers, “I trust you too.”

“I love you.”

She wraps her arms around me, “I love you too.” She pushes off and takes off for the gates. They open and she vanishes. My heart crumbles. I jump into the air and just flying myself back to England is hard. There is no joy in me at all. When my feet touch down on the cobblestone, I have to drag my weepy self into the castle. Stella meets me at the door. She wraps her arms around me, “I know we will never be true sisters, but you will always be like one to me.”

I cry for no reason into her shirt.

She pats me on the back, “Mona will be safe, be grateful for that.”

I sniff, “I know. I wish you could go there and be safe too.”

She nods against my cheek, “Me too.” She pulls me back, “Constantine told me what he did, to your memory.”

I flinch, “It wasn’t mine. It was Ellie’s and Maggie’s.”