The Iron Legends: Winter's Passage\Summer's Crossing\Iron's Prophecy (18 page)

BOOK: The Iron Legends: Winter's Passage\Summer's Crossing\Iron's Prophecy

12.11Mb size Format: txt, pdf, ePub

ads

The oracle sighed. “To save your brother, you must—”

A deafening crack ripped the branches of the tree behind us,
and a giant limb came smashing down, barely three feet from where we stood. I
flinched, taking my eyes off the oracle for the briefest of seconds—

* * *

—and the scene disappeared. Blinking, I gazed around,
wondering what had happened, where we were. Ash and Puck stood close by, also
glancing around in confusion. The oracle was nowhere to be seen.

“What the hell?” Puck exclaimed, throwing up his hands. “What
the heck just happened there? I’m getting a little tired of being
poofed
about whenever it strikes someone’s fancy.”

I saw an arched stone bridge standing a few yards away and drew
in a short breath. “We’re back in the wyldwood,” I said, stunned. “At the edge
of the Iron Realm. But…how?” I looked at Ash and Puck. “We were in the Briars,
the Dreaming Pool. The oracle was just about to tell us how to save Ethan.”

Ash let out a long sigh and sheathed his blade. “The Wishing
Tree,” he said, and I frowned in confusion. “There’s always a cost for using
it,” he went on. “Something unexpected and unexplained that happens at the worst
possible moment. This was the price that it took.”

“Mmm, not a bad price if you ask me,” came Grimalkin’s voice
from the top of the bridge railing. The cat perched on a post like he’d been
there all morning, licking a paw. “Usually the cost is much more entertaining.
But then, I was the one who voiced the wish, after all. There was very little
room for error.”

“So that’s it?” I asked. “The oracle gets away, we don’t know
where she is and I still don’t know anything about Ethan or my son. Or how to
save them.” I rubbed my temples, feeling a headache pound behind my eyes. “Why
did we come here?” I whispered, feeling the dark unknown loom up before me. “It
seems kind of pointless now. I’m going to be a paranoid wreck from now on.”

“That is the danger of too much knowledge, human,” Grimalkin
said quietly. “Knowing the future is far too great a burden for most of your
kind. However, once you do possess a bit of that knowledge, the question
becomes, what do you do with it?”

“Nothing today,” Ash said, drawing me against him. Surprised, I
glanced up, and he gave me a weary smile. “Right now, I think we should go home.
We can deal with whatever this brings, tomorrow.”

I nodded and sagged against him. “Yeah, you’re right. Glitch is
probably having a minor breakdown about now. We should head back.” I pulled away
and looked at Puck, watching us with a small smirk and his hands behind his
head. “What about you, Puck? I’ve missed you. Are you going to be sticking
around?”

“Well, I was thinking of heading up to the Alps and tracking
down this yeti tribe that’s been seen around the area.” Puck grinned and
shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets. “But, with all the excitement
cropping up, I think I might hang around. For a little while, anyway.” He
sniffed and made a face. “Wonder if Titania has cooled down any? I’ll have to
visit Arcadia and see what’s been going on in my absence. I’m sure they’ll be
thrilled to have me back.”

Smiling, I walked up to him, and he opened his arms. “Don’t be
a stranger, Puck,” I whispered in his ear, pulling him into a hug. “It’s not the
same without you.”

“Oh, I know,” he replied cheerfully. “I don’t see how anyone
survives without me, it must be terribly dull.” He pulled back and kissed my
cheek. “I’ll be around, princess. If you ever need me, just send a note. Or a
gremlin. Or whatever.” Stepping back, he raised a hand to Ash, who nodded
solemnly. “Catch ya later, ice-boy. Maybe next time I see you, you’ll be
changing diapers and reading bedtime stories.” He snickered and shook his head.
“Ah, who would’ve thought you’d be the one tied down with a family, prince? How
the mighty have fallen.”

I smacked his arm, but Ash only shook his head. “I wouldn’t
want to be anywhere else,” he said calmly. “Maybe you should try it,
Goodfellow.”

Puck laughed and backed away. “Me? Robin Goodfellow, a family
man? Ha, not likely, ice-boy. I mean, think of what that would do to my
reputation.” Glamour shimmered around him, and he gave us a wink. “Later,
lovebirds. Gimme a heads-up when the kid arrives. ‘Uncle Puck’ will be
waiting.”

With a cascade of glamour and black feathers, Puck transformed
into a huge raven. Beating powerful wings, he rose above us with a mocking caw,
swooped into the branches of the wyldwood and was lost from view.

I didn’t have to turn around to know Grimalkin had vanished, as
well. The railing was empty, both Grim and Puck were gone, but I wasn’t sad. We
would see them again, both of them. We had forever to catch up.

Ash held out a hand, and I stepped into him with a sigh,
feeling his arms wrap around me. I closed my eyes, and he kissed the top of my
head.

“Let’s go home,” he whispered.

Epilogue

I stood on the balcony of my room, letting
the cool night breeze toss my hair, gazing down at Mag Tuiredh, far below. Beau
sat beside me, tall German shepherd ears pricked to the wind, wary and alert. It
was near midnight, and most of Mag Tuiredh was still. Peaceful. I wished I could
find some of that tranquility.

Soft footsteps came onto the balcony, and a moment later Ash
slipped his arms around me from behind. I reached back and buried a hand in his
silky hair, and he nuzzled my neck, making me sigh. Beau gave me a sideways
glance, huffed and padded back to the room, leaving us alone on the balcony.

“What are you thinking about?” my knight murmured against my
skin.

“Oh, you know.” I tilted my head as his lips trailed down my
shoulder. “Oracles and prophecies and futures and such. Ash, can I ask you
something?”

“Anything.”

I turned to face him, taking his hands, and he waited patiently
as I struggled with the question, wondering if I should really bring this up.
But he did say I could ask him, and I didn’t want us to hide anything from each
other. “I…I know we haven’t talked much about your quest at the End of the
World,” I began. “But…did you…see anything, when you lived that future life with
me? Did you see anything about our son…destroying the courts?”

“Ah.” Ash leaned back against the railing, drawing me with him.
“I was wondering when that would come up.”

“I’m sorry, Ash,” I said quickly. “If you don’t want to talk
about it, I understand. I just thought…you’ve been so calm through all of this.
I wondered…if you had seen anything…”

“No.” Ash tightened his grip, stopping me from leaving. He met
my gaze and smiled. “I didn’t see anything of the oracle’s prophecy, Meghan. If
I did, if anything like that had happened to us, even in that dream, I would
have told you. I swear.”

“Oh.” I was relieved, though a tiny bit disappointed, as well.
If Ash had seen that future, we might know what was coming, what to expect. We
might be able to prevent it.

Ash ran his hands up my arms, his gaze thoughtful. “It’s
strange,” he mused, looking past me at the distant lights of Mag Tuiredh. “I can
barely remember anything of that life anymore. I remember you, and our son, and
ruling Mag Tuiredh, but…it’s fading. I lose more of it every day.” He gave his
head a tiny shake, looking back at me. “I think that’s how it’s supposed to be.
That life, it wasn’t real. This…” He framed my cheek, his silver eyes intense as
they met mine. “This is real. This is what’s important to me now. I’m not
worried about the future, whatever it brings. I have all I need, right
here.”

“I wish I had your confidence.” I sighed.

Ash pulled me closer, his eyes gentle as they gazed into mine.
“Meghan, I’m going to tell you something someone once told me, when I was afraid
of what was to come.” He lowered his head, soft strands of his hair brushing my
skin. “Nothing is certain,” he murmured. “The future is constantly changing, and
no one can predict what happens next. We have the power to change our destiny,
because fate is not set in stone, and we are always free to make a choice.” His
fingers came up to brush my hair back, tucking it behind one ear. “A very
powerful seer told me that, once. And she was right. That’s why I’m not afraid
of the oracle’s prophecy, or the future. We are only slaves to fate if we let it
control us. There is always a choice.”

I sniffed. “I wish you had told me that earlier,” I mock
grumbled at him. “It would’ve saved me a lot of freaking out.”

Ash chuckled, low and deep. “I didn’t know it would shake you
so badly. The Meghan I know doesn’t let small things like oracles and Prophecies
of Doom stand in her way.” I pinched his ribs, and he grunted a laugh. “I do
know one thing,” he continued. “Whatever this child will be, whatever it grows
into, it will be loved. No prophecy, oracle, warning or premonition will ever
change that.”

He was right, and in that moment, I didn’t think it was
possible to love him more than I did right then. Leaning into him, I closed my
eyes, and he gathered me close. Tilting my chin up, he kissed me gently, and I
wrapped my arms around his waist. No matter what happened, if he was beside me,
if we stood beside each other, we could face whatever the world threw at us.

“Ash,” I whispered, my heart soaring with happiness, with
relief and love, as I pulled back to face him. “Can you believe it? You’re going
to be a father.”

His hand slipped down to my belly, palm gently pressing against
my stomach, as his eyes shone with wonder and awe. He was going to be a father.
We were going to be a family. “So,” I ventured, smiling at him through my tears.
“I guess the only question left is, what are we going to name him?”

Ash raised his head, meeting my gaze, and smiled back.

“I’ve always liked the name Keirran.”