Steal the Sun (Thieves #4)(45)

“It is a man who will die?” Miria asked, her voice thick with emotion.

“He is, indeed, male,” they said.

“Could you cough up a name, maybe?” I asked.

The three heads tilted, and Miria gave me a look that told me to behave. I had to try.

“He is important,” the maiden said.

“He is the second child of his mother, though she carried only once,” the matron continued.

“He will not be,” the crone finished.

Miria had fallen to her knees, and I heard her sob. “Devinshea.”

I felt my own tears because he was the second son of a mother who had only ever carried the twins. I reached out and felt her grab my hand. I faced the banshee even as the tears started to fall. I couldn’t fall apart. I had to figure out how to save him. “Is it my husband? How does it happen? Is someone going to try to kill him?” I used the word “try” because I couldn’t face anything else.

The matron stepped forward and looked at me not unkindly. “We have said what we can. I only know that Faery will mourn but in the spring life will come again.”

“The baby,” Miria said tearfully.

My baby. She was talking about my baby, who might be down one dad soon. I couldn’t let that happen. If I was this nexus point thing, then I had some say in this. They said my choices changed things. I was definitely choosing to not lose Dev. “What do I have to do to stop it?”

The matron, who was definitely in charge now, reached out to take my hand. Her flesh was cold against mine but her strength was steady. “There is nothing you can do this time. It is written.”

“Then why are you here?” I asked bitterly. Inside I was raging against the thought that it was written somewhere that Dev was going to die. I was going to find that damn book and do a rewrite. “Why bother with this show? Is it just to torture me, to make my last days with him hell? I’ll spend every minute waiting for him to die. How is that helpful?”

The crone and the maiden took steps forward, their faces darkening. The matron held one hand out while keeping mine in the other. “She loves. It is powerful and we should make allowances. After all, she is the only one in many years to brave our presence. She is a warrior. She will fight this battle no matter what we say.”

The crone looked sad as she watched me cry. “And she will lose.”

The tears were burning my eyes. “Why?” I asked more politely now. “If I can’t save him, why tell me he’s going to die?”

“You cannot save the one who will die,” the matron said, looking deeply into my eyes. “But you can stop the war his death will begin.”

“You are the only one who can stop it,” said the crone.

“You are the only one who can save both sides of Faery,” the maiden finished. “The sun and moon will meet in battle, and it will be the last one.”

“If you fail, something precious will fade from this plane forever,” the matron explained. “Find the Blood Stone. It will lead you to the truth. It will lead you back to yourself.”

“The Blood Stone?” Miria asked. “What does that have to do with anything?”

But the matron released me, taking a step back to join the others. “You must go now. We have work to do. You will figure it out, Your Highness, and you will make your own fate.”

“Wait,” I called out because I couldn’t leave it.

Miria was on her feet, using her strength to drag me away. “No, daughter, they are done. You will not help Devinshea by angering them. Think of your child.”

But I wasn’t thinking of my child. I turned from the river where the women took up their washing once more, and their mournful song could be heard through the valley. I turned from my mother-in-law and I ran. I ran up the hill, holding that dress up so I didn’t fall because I had one thing I needed to do. I had to hold him. I had to know that he was alive. The banshees were wrong about me. I wouldn’t give a crap about Faery if Dev died. They could fight all they liked if he died here. They could take their war and shove it because I would be gone.

I tripped halfway up the hill and the sobbing started. I let loose, my grief making the banshee wails seem a weak thing. Daniel got to me first. He pulled me up and looked me in the eyes. His blue ones registered my loss, and he pulled me close.

“Tell me it’s not Dev.” I could feel him shake. “Zoey, tell me it’s not Dev.”

“She can’t, Daniel,” Dev said quietly from behind. “Everyone stay calm. It will be all right.”

Padric ran up and Miria threw herself into his arms, sobbing her grief as well. Declan looked pale and shaken as he fell to his knees. He looked even worse than he had when he thought it was him.

I pushed away from Daniel and he let me go because I needed Dev in that moment. He wrapped his big arms around me and held me so tightly, I could feel his heartbeat against mine. I wept into his chest. I held onto him with such force I was sure I would leave marks.

“You’ll be all right, Zoey,” Dev said, stroking my hair. “I love you so much, my wife. Daniel will take good care of you.”

“Screw that,” Daniel said. “You aren’t dead. Just because some weird women say it doesn’t make it so.”

“History disagrees with you, Dan,” Dev said quietly, the only calm one on the lawn.