So far, there were several warriors in the locked room awaiting immortality. The wounded accounted for the majority of the inhabitants of the citadel, the dead totaling a fraction of such. Those they had not had the strength and good timing to save would have their lives celebrated the following day. Many of the sentinels were beyond saving, including Lauren, Cynthia, and Pire. Vera would live, though she might never regain the use of her legs. Isabella was adamant that Renee would have a ceremony in her honor after the proper respects were shown to the deceased. She’d saved their home nearly single-handedly. But first, they had to fix those among the living.
Esme slept nearest the sword and her eldest daughter. She’d received what would have been a mortal wound for anyone else, and Carlisle had yet to leave her side. Magwyn had a shiny new necklace healing her wounds, and Irina sat with her in the sword room with the others. Isabella wept with gratitude and relief when Edward regained consciousness sometime in the first hour, though his brother remained in a restoring slumber. Rosalie had reassured Isabella that Garrett would recover with some rest, as long as he never removed his cuff. He would receive a new one once she had thoroughly blessed it in his name, but in the meantime, he wore Edward’s. Edward wore Isabella’s drakkar necklace until he had his own cuff returned to him with added blessings.
Isabella gathered Edward in her arms the second his moss green eyes blinked open. “Edward, oh, my love.”
He ran his tongue over his cracked lips. “Garrett?”
“He lives.” Isabella helped him get a sip of water and fluffed the pillows behind him.
Edward cleared his dry throat, somewhat soothed by the cool water. “Is that likely to be a permanent state?”
Fighting tears, Isabella rested her forehead to his and felt his hand stroke down her hair. “Rosalie has done all she can. He’ll receive a cuff of his own which he can never remove.”
He sighed. “And me?”
“I gave you my necklace when it looked as though you might bleed to death.”
“What?” Coughing, he attempted to sit up further. Isabella got him more water and insisted he lay back.
“Fret not, I received no more than a scratch.”
He looked up at her face as she hovered over his prone form. “You have a black eye and a nasty cut, wife.”
She shrugged that off. “Neither of which are deadly.”
“So we’ll switch out elements and live happily ever after?” he asked in his raspy voice.
“Once The Purifier is done with them, aye.”
He squeezed his eyes closed. “I thought he’d died.”
The words were quietly spoken and lanced through her heart. “I know.”
“I apologize for scaring you.”
Her breath hitched. “I thought—I thought you—”
“Hey.”
Isabella slumped until she was stretched out on top of him, and he threw his arms around her to hold on tight. “I thought I lost you, Edward.”
“I feel wretched for hurting you the way I did, but I would make the same choice a second time.” When she shuddered, he squeezed her closer. “I don’t remember much after I put my cuff on Garrett. What happened when we left?”
Isabella sat up once more, wiping tears from her cheeks. “I took Mikael hostage, and we came back home to find The Forsaken had broken down the gate. The sentinels were fighting them off, but they were losing. Caius attacked Mother, but I don’t know why. Father was infuriated, and he essentially hacked him to death.”
Edward grimaced. “That’s awful. Why would he attack the chieftess?”
“Athenodora doesn't know what happened, and neither does anyone else.”
Edward hugged her again. “Is she—is Mother going to be okay?”
She pulled back to speak to him. “Aye, she’ll live the same way your brother will; without ever taking off her necklace. She’s healing as we speak.”
“So much transpired in such a short time.”
“Aye.”
They remained silent for several more moments, both reflecting on what they almost lost.
“I love you, Isabella. I apologize for not obeying your command to remain where I stood when Alise was taken.”
“It hardly matters now. I love you too, Edward, and I wouldn't have had the ability to watch you leave either. I apologize for putting you in that position in the first place.” She gripped his hands between hers. “Thank you for having the courage to come get us.”
He winced as he shifted his position. “I couldn't spend one more moment without you. You are my life, until the sun turns black in the sky.”
She kissed his temple and stroked his hair as his breathing evened out and he slept.
Isabella stumbled from the room, making her way outside and walking as far from the citadel as she could. Finally falling to her knees, she let her head drop back and screamed until her throat turned raw and her voice went hoarse. She screamed out her sorrow, her relief, and her frustrations. When she swiped angrily at her face, tears had collided with dirt and blood, staining her hands.
They'd won the fight, but only by a narrow margin. She’d nearly lost her brother-in-law, her mother, and her spouse. They had lost several warriors, women and men who’d agreed to protect the sword and the royal family without having all the facts about who they were protecting. The sword came at a cost, and she had only recently come to understand what that cost equaled. There was a reason they'd been chosen to protect it and given the rights to accept the gifts it bestowed, but she didn't entirely understand what those reasons were. If they were worthy, why had they lied about the sword for decades? Were they just as bad as those who sought to steal it, using the powers for their own good and not sharing it with others? Some days, Isabella felt as though she would break under the weight of her responsibilities.
She had to decide what to do with Mikael. As her prisoner, it was her duty to mete out his punishment. At the same time, Tanja vowed to punish him if it turned out he was the traitor. She might wait until her mother woke and allow her to take the decision off her hands. She had to ask Alise what she’d been doing in the hole under the manor house with the sorcerer, and assure herself he hadn't accomplished any magic before they stopped him. She needed to tend to the wounded and see that everyone was cared for properly. She needed to see that Charles was sufficiently staffed to run the kitchens, and that the attendants all fared well after enduring an attack on their home. She had to investigate why the senior attendants didn’t think to assist in the fight when she knew they were capable. She needed to interrogate Athenodora about the attack on her mother’s life and determine the woman’s culpability.
Sobbing, Isabella bent over until her forehead touched the ground. It was simply too much to bear.
“Isabella?”
Hastily, she wiped her face and sat up. “Hm?”
“Emmett insisted I take a break.” Rosalie crouched by her sister. “Are you unwell?”
“Overwhelmed.”
“Understandable.” She sat down and wrapped an arm around Isabella. “I need a moment to simply be me, not The Purifier or Rage-Scream, not a wife or a sister, a daughter or a sorceress.”
“How did you find me?” Isabella rested her head on her eldest sister’s shoulder.
“The sentinels saw you leave.”
Isabella hummed. There was no use in being annoyed that she couldn't be alone.
“Edward will heal, I promise you.”
“I know.”
“Then what’s amiss?”
Isabella paused, unsure if she was able to form it into words.
“What are you two doing out here?”
They looked up to find Alise approaching. “Well, I thought I came out here to be alone,” Isabella answered wryly.
Alise snorted. “No such thing.”
“I was telling Isabella how I needed a minute to be me, to not worry about expectations.”
Alise plopped on the ground next to her blonde sister, crushing the tall grass under her pants. “I feel as if I failed the family.”
Isabella whipped her head around. “Why?”
“I couldn't find a prophecy to reveal what The Forsaken had in mind. I couldn't stop Khor from making preparations to steal our magic.”
“But you did stop him,” Rosalie pointed out.
“Maybe, but he’d already caused so much damage with those shadow beings. He’d given The Forsaken the upper hand before I could do anything.”
“Ź¼Twas not your fault.” Isabella shook her head. “Seems we all feel inadequate today.”
“I know I often give you a hard time, but I love you, Isabella.” Rosalie pulled her sister more tightly to her, wrapping the other arm around Alise. “I love you both.”
“You proved to be invaluable in the war, Rosalie. You kept your head and you fought well.” Isabella could afford to forgive all the times her sister had antagonized her. After all, they’d almost died.
“We aren't always sweet to each other, but there will never come a time when we won’t have each other’s backs,” Alise said.
“There’s so much to do,” Isabella whispered.
“We’ll split up the duties.”
Isabella nodded at Alise. “Maybe, but Rosalie has enough on her hands.”
“Still, it isn’t just the three of us, though it feels that way at this very moment.”
“A minute ago it felt as if it was all on my shoulders,” Isabella admitted. “It’s overwhelming.”
“With everyone healing, we are left with the burden of what to do next,” Alise agreed. “Speaking of which, I discovered the senior attendants were locked into the cellar.”
“What?” Isabella leaned around Rosalie to gape at Alise.
“Aye, they were barricaded in. It appears that Caius thought he would make a bargain with The Forsaken if he gave them Mother’s head on a platter.”
Rosalie shivered. “How did we have such rampant treason running through our own citadel and not know it?”
“There will always be those who crave the power the sword affords its holder.”
Though Alise was obviously correct, Isabella wondered yet again how they were to proceed safely. “Which brings up my point. If we tell our secrets, will it make things worse, or will more desire to come to our defense?”
Rosalie let go of her sisters to scrub at her gritty eyes. “It’s too hard to know.”
“I don't think that such deep secrets saved our asses or the sword. And too many had to be told or perish defending us.” Alise looked at Isabella. “Khor was trying to cast another spell when I was there with him. I prevented him from finishing it, but he was going to summon a horde of shadow beings to rain down on Sandhorne Stronghold.”
“To what end? Do they think the sword holds untold power?” Rosalie asked.
“With my magic and yours added to it, maybe so.”
Isabella shook her head. “It’s too much to process. This is why Mother is in charge.”
“She’s built her wisdom as time goes on, as will we.” Alise stretched out her legs, then stood. “Will you come back inside with me?”
“Aye.” Isabella accepted the outstretched hand and joined Alise. Rosalie stood as well, and the three of them made their way back inside their home with their arms linked around each other.
Isabella mused over what Alise had said. There would never be a time when they wouldn’t fight for each other, die for each other, or kill for each other. That was what The Forsaken hadn’t counted on. But would one victory lead to another?
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