Page 55 of The Queen of Ash and Magic

“Stop,” he says flatly and points for her to leave the cave. She nods and drops her head. I think she understands what is about to happen. She looks defeated.

“Well, that was fun,” I say.

“Oh… just wait,” Drake smiles at me. “Thank you for your help, Unika.”

“Of course. Anything for Lysa and her mates,” I say with a smile.

Chapter Nineteen

Lysa

We watch as Juliannawalks out first and Eyrx tenses up. Drake and my mom walk out after and Drake smiles at me. “He’s dead?” I ask.

“Yep. He lost his head, actually,” Drake laughs.

Mom and Petra stand on either side of me as Drake goes to Eyrx. We join hands and cast a spell to keep Julianna from shifting, rendering her helpless when Eyrx gets his revenge for Erin. Drake hugs Eyrx and talks to him for a second before coming over to stand behind me.

“Eyrx, please,” Julianna says tearfully. “Please forgive me. I’m so…”

“You are not worthy of forgiveness,” Eyrx says as his voice shakes with both rage and sadness. Everyone is silent as we watch him fight to hold himself together. “Did you think for a second to just give her to me?”

“No, I… Eyrx, please. I’m begging you. I am your mate,” she cries.

“You are nothing!”Eyrx screams as he grabs her by the throat. “Lysa is my mate. She is carrying our baby, and she is already ten times the mother you ever would have been.”

“Eyrx,” she repeats, her voice quivering.

“How,” he shouts. “How did you kill my little girl, Julianna?”

“Eyrx, you’re hurting me,” Julianna chokes out.

“Tell me,” Eyrx growls. “How did you murder my daughter?”

“I… put a knife through her heart,” she says quietly. When she drops her head, Eyrx laughs dryly and stumbles back a few steps. Tears are streaming down my face. I can’t imagine hurting my baby like that. I truly don’t understand how someone could grow a life just to take it so cruelly.

“Did she suffer?” Eyrx asks after a beat of silence.

“No. It was instant,” Julianna says quietly, no longer meeting his eyes.

Drake steps away from me and goes to Eyrx. He doesn’t even glance at his sister as he lays a ceremonial knife meant for when there is a sacrifice to be made to the Gods. It is meant to symbolize rebirth. We know that nothing will ever replace Erin, but by sacrificing Julianna to give Erin justice, we are praying to the Gods to pass Erin’s energy into our unborn baby however theGods deem appropriate. It’s not commonly done, but it requires complete support and an unwavering agreement that this sacrifice is deserving.

Drake returns to us as Eyrx steps back up to Julianna. “We gather in prayer today to bring the Gods a sacrifice,” Eyrx says to everyone with his voice shaking and tears rolling down his cheeks. He looks at me and Drake and I go to his side. “We bring this sacrifice to seek justice for the lives broken. We ask that baby Erin’s energy find a home in our unborn child and her memory to be carried on… Our sacrifice will be one with the earth and to never be offered peace.”

“Eyrx,” Julianna whimpers when Eyrx looks back to her.

“My baby’s death might have been instant, but yours won’t be,” Eyrx says as he gently lifts her chin. She is sniveling and hiccupping, understanding her fate. She stopped fighting the hold minutes ago, but we keep the spell in place.

“May the Gods be merciful,” Eyrx says.

“May the Gods be merciful,” we all repeat.

“May you never find peace, Julianna,” Eyrx says as he slowly pushes the knife into her abdomen and twists. Her eyes are wide, and she is frozen as he stumbles back a few steps and drops to her knees. Julianna coughs when she tries to speak, and blood run down her chin as he leaks out of her mouth. Eyrx leans down and pulls the knife out and she falls back. He simply squats down and gently touches her forehead and closes his eyes. I know he isn’t prayingfor her; he is taking this moment to say goodbye to his daughter as all our people watch. Her breaths are coming on short bursts as she tries to gasp for air. Her hand is covering the wound but as the light leaves her eyes, her body goes limp and her hand falls to her side.

Eyrx stands and walks over to me. He kisses me before going to his knees. I smile down at him as he gently grabs my hips and lifts my shirt to gently kiss my belly. When he stands, he cups my face and smiles.

“Let’s go home,” he says softly.

“Uh,” Keril speak up. “Are we… do you want us to cremate her remains?”

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