Nyx pressed a palm against Puck’s jaw. “You’re pretty noble yourself, Robin Goodfellow,” she said softly. “I would love to see the Summer Court with you. And the rest of the Nevernever as well.”

  “Let’s get through this, then,” Puck said. “That is the plan, right? Because if I know our royal family, they’re not going to stand by and watch, either.”

  Keirran immediately nodded. “You already know I’ll do whatever it takes,” he said quietly. “The Forgotten...they’ve lost so much, but they know how to survive. If I don’t come back, they’ll be fine. But I can’t speak for the rulers of the Iron Realm. They have more to lose than I do.”

  Everything inside me constricted. Ash turned to me, his expression somber. “I’m willing,” he said simply. “But only if you are.” He stepped closer, taking both my hands. “I know the danger,” he said. “I can understand any hesitation you might have. This could put the Iron Realm in jeopardy, and risk everything we’ve worked for over the years in Faery. But you know that I will stand with you, whatever you decide.”

  “I don’t want to lose you,” I whispered. “Either of you.”

  It was a selfish plea, made by the part of me that was still a sixteen-year-old mortal, completely in love with a Winter prince. By a human mother who was terrified for her son. But Ash sighed, pressing closer and lowering his voice so that only I could hear.

  “I know,” he murmured. “I don’t want to lose you or Keirran, either. The thought of going back to the Iron Realm alone...” This close, I felt the tremor that went through him, saw the flash of anguish through his silver eyes, and clenched my fingers in his shirt. “If that happened,” he continued, and his voice broke just a little, “I would never recover. But...” He placed a gentle hand on my cheek, gazing down intently. “If the worst does come to pass, I want you to know that the Iron Kingdom will be safe. I will continue to protect our realm and our people as if you were there. Because I know that’s what you would do.”

  My eyes filled with tears. That Ash would continue on, taking care of the realm and the fey he had adopted as his own, made my heart ache with relief and love.

  “But I don’t think that will be a danger,” he went on. “Because this type of situation is all or nothing. Everyone here—you, me, Puck, Keirran, Nyx, even Grim—we’re going to give all that we have. No one is going to hold back. And we will either fail together, or we will succeed as one. Unless—” he paused, his gaze becoming even more serious “—you decide the risk is too great. We’ve come this far but...this is asking us to give up everything. No one would blame you for deciding it’s too much.”

  “No.” I swallowed hard. “We have to do this, Ash. How can we not? There’s no chance we can just walk away, not if it means bringing the Evenfey back to Faery. Everyone we’ve met—Gilleas, Nyx, Varyn, Anira, all of the Evenfey—they’re just as real as we are. They deserve a chance to live.”

  “I agree,” Ash said quietly. “So, we’ve all made the choice. We do this together. I assume you’re with us, Grimalkin?”

  The cait sith let out a heavy sigh. “I would not be here were I not.”

  “Brave souls,” whispered the Nightmare King. “You give up much, but do not make a final decision yet. One final choice remains. Perhaps the hardest decision of all.” He paused, briefly closing his eyes as if to gather his thoughts. “The glamour itself will not be enough,” he continued. “Someone must remain apart to summon the Evenfey into the real world. They must be the conduit to pull them from the Dream into reality. Be warned—the amount of will and magic this requires will be greater than anything they have faced before. They must be able to withstand all the glamour and memories as the Evenfey are pulled through them into the real world. The damage this will wreak on the body and the mind will be extreme. It is almost certain they will not survive the experience.”

  The ground dropped away, plunging me into a pool of despair. So, it seemed no matter what, someone was going to have to die tonight. Who would it be? Who could I ask to make that choice? My soulmate? My best friend? I looked around at my family, and on their faces, I saw what I feared. They were all willing to step forward and be that sacrifice. And my heart cried at the thought of losing any of them.

  No. I couldn’t watch that. I was the queen.

  This responsibility was mine.

  “You don’t have to do this, Meghan,” Ash said, his voice low and, though I was the only one who heard it, desperate. “It doesn’t have to be you.”

  I closed my eyes. “I am queen,” I whispered. “I can’t ask anyone else to make that choice. It has to be me.”

  “No.”

  Shocked, I glanced over as Nyx stepped forward, her expression steely. “Iron Queen,” she said, as Puck turned with her, the fear in his eyes clutching at my heart. “This is not your choice to make. You have a family, and a kingdom that depends on you. My Order is gone. There is no one...” She stumbled over the words, catching herself. “There are fewer who are waiting for me to come back. I would gladly sacrifice my existence to give my kin another chance to live.”

  “Nyx.” Puck’s voice was choked.

  “I’m sorry, Puck,” she whispered, glancing at the distraught Summer faery beside her. “I love you, but I have to do this. Please understand.” She gazed up at the tree, the lights of the candles reflected in her eyes. “This was my world, and these were my kin. I am Evenfey. This decision falls to me.”

  “It would make sense.” Grimalkin’s voice echoed strangely in the expanse, deeper and somehow terrible. “However, this sacrifice is not yours. You are the last Evenfaery. Your glamour is required for the ritual. But more important, you cannot withstand what is needed to pull the Evenfey out of the Dream. The conduit must be able to bear all the glamours within themselves. Summer, Winter, Iron, wyld, and the Nightmare magic of Evenfall. And out of all of us, there is only one who can.”

  No. I clenched my fists, feeling them start to shake. Please. I can’t lose him again.

  I looked over to where he was standing, and saw a small, sad smile cross his face. Keirran raised his head and sighed. “It’s me,” he said simply. “That’s what the crypt keeper meant. It’s always been me.”

  “Child of three worlds.” In the water, the Nightmare King turned fathomless black eyes on Keirran. “Prodigy of the Lady. I feared you would not make it this far. I feared you might be struck down before you ever breached the seal. The creature that sat the throne, even in the Dream, was powerful. Even in sleep, he could exert some measure of control over the Elder Nightmares. He did not even know why he wanted you dead, but he sent Nightmares into the mortal world and the Between, searching for you.”

  “Why?” Keirran asked. “Why destroy my city and the Forgotten just to get to me?”

  “Because you bear the mark of the Lady,” said the Nightmare King. “And like the Lady, you betrayed your own. You fought for one who destroyed a realm, who caused the extinction of an entire world.”

  Keirran’s jaw tightened, but he gave no other sign of what he felt. “I would take it all back if I could,” he said softly.

  “If only we could undo the past.” The Nightmare King’s voice held no bitterness, just weary acceptance. “I came here, to my throne room, as Evenfall Faded around me. And as I let sleep take me into oblivion, I heard the Nightmare Tree whisper one last time. The final prophecy for this world. It told me, ‘Only one who stood at the Lady’s side can bring the Evenfey out of the darkness again.’ For many years, I despaired in my dreams. The Lady’s circle was gone; the fey who stood beside her, who took part in sealing our world, were dead. But then, recently, I began to hear whispers from the world above in my dreams. I reached out, through the Nightmare Tree, and found the thinnest of cracks where the roots barely touched the outside world. Where the anger of the mortal realm, the hate and fear, reached me even in my dreams. By then, Evenfall was already gone, Faded away, but I heard whispers of the Lady’s return, and the one who stood beside her. Her new champion. And so, I waited. I was on the verge of giving up, of letting myself Fade, but I held out hope that, somehow, you would make your way to Evenfall and find me. To give my people the chance to exist once more.”

  Keirran bowed his head. “I would be honored,” he murmured, “to give the Evenfey back their lives, and correct what was done to them so long ago. To heal all the harm the Lady brought and make things right again.”

  The trembling had moved from my hands to my whole body. “Keirran,” I breathed, and my son looked up at me, the hope, grief, and resolve in his eyes making my throat close up.

  “Please,” he whispered, his gaze never leaving mine. “Let me do this. For everything I’ve done, all the mistakes I’ve made. Let me finally do something that matters.”

  I met my son’s crystal gaze, seeing all his wounds: the pain, the grief, and the past he could not forget. But beneath it all was a quiet acceptance, and a determination to set things right, once and for all.

  The tears flooding my eyes spilled over my cheeks at last, and I held back a muffled sob. Beside me, Ash let out a shaky breath.

  “We can’t stop you, Keirran,” my husband said, his own voice unsteady. “You are a king of Faery, and this is your decision. Any of us would do the same.”

  “I know.” Keirran bowed his head, then looked at me, his gaze pleading. “But I need to hear, before I do this... Please, I need you to let me go.”

  The tears continued to stream down my cheeks. I let them fall, meeting the anguished gaze of my son. “I understand,” I whispered, barely able to get the words out. “It’s all right, Keirran. You know what you have to do.” Just as I had, all those years ago. It was little comfort. Knowing I had done the same for the Iron fey, when I had willingly traded my life for theirs that day beneath the tree, did not shatter my heart any less.

  “Dammit, princeling.” Puck swiped at his face, giving Keirran a look that was angry and proud all at once. “I didn’t want to cry today. I don’t know why your whole family feels the need to make me bawl like a baby every few decades.” He sniffed loudly, managing to dredge up a shaky grin. “Ah, but it was a good run. We had some fun times, didn’t we? I guess now I’ll finally get to tell the story of you and me in the hydra nest.”

  “Try not to shock them too badly,” Keirran murmured with the faintest of smiles, and held out a hand. “You’re a good guy, Puck. I learned a lot.”

  “Not enough.” Puck took the hand and yanked Keirran into a brief, one-armed hug. “Apparently, I didn’t corrupt that sense of ultimate noble sacrifice that keeps plaguing your family.”

  “My king.” Nyx raised her head as Keirran pulled back. Her normally composed face was tormented, her golden eyes haunted as she met his gaze. “I’m so sorry,” she said, and looked at me and Ash as well. “This decision... It should have been me.”

  “No, Nyx.” Keirran put a hand on her arm. “Your whole world was taken from you. That’s enough loss for a lifetime. I want to give you the chance to start again.” He glanced at Puck, and a faint smile crossed his face. “Find happiness together. That’s my final order.”

  Nyx seemed on the verge of tears, but she drew herself up, composing herself with a quiet breath. “I think we can try that,” she whispered.

  Keirran smiled, though his own eyes were bright as he turned back to me and Ash. “I’m not afraid,” he said. “I’m happy that it’s me. That I’m the one who has to do this. I just...” He stammered to a halt, closing his eyes, as the tears finally spilled over. “I wish I could have gone home, one more time.”

  I opened my arms, and he stepped into them, clinging to me as tears streaked both our faces and a thousand memories replayed in my head. I remembered Ash holding his infant son for the first time, his eyes shining with both pride and terror as he gazed down at him. I remembered a silver-haired boy perched on the tallest ledge of the Iron palace, laughing as gremlins swarmed around him. And I remembered an icy stranger striding into a Faery council, looking me straight in the eye, and declaring war on us all. Even then, though his face had been cold and his expression completely blank as he stared at me, I hadn’t seen him as anything but my son.

  “I love you, Keirran,” I whispered. “That has never changed.”

  A shiver went through him, and the arms around me tightened. “Thank you,” he whispered back. “For everything. For not giving up on me, even when I deserved it. I couldn’t have had a better life than the one I had in the Iron Realm. I hope... I hope this last thing I do will make you proud.”

  Pulling back, he turned to face his father, who immediately reached out and drew him close. “I have always been proud of you,” I heard Ash murmur, causing fresh tears to burn my eyes. Keirran gave a muffled sob, bowing his head, but Ash’s soft, steady voice never wavered. “We are not our past,” he went on, uncaring of the streaks of moisture down his own face. “No one is unworthy of forgiveness. No one is truly so far gone that they cannot be saved. The hardest part is forgiving ourselves, and moving on.”

  “So people have told me,” Keirran whispered. “But... I think I finally understand.”

  “Forgotten King.” Grimalkin’s deep, quiet voice drifted into the emptiness. The cat stepped forward, his usual impatience gone, his golden eyes somber as he gazed up at us. “The Dream fades,” he told Keirran, who stiffened. “It is time.”

  29

  THE END OF THE DREAM

  “I’m ready.”

  I watched numbly as Keirran turned to the throne, gazing down at the figure in the water. With a start, I realized the real throne was already empty, and only the reflection of the king was left. Overhead in the branches, the thousands of candles flickered, growing dim, and a few winked out entirely. The Nightmare King had not said anything during our last exchange, and now gave us a solemn bow of his head.

  “The Dream is almost done,” he whispered. “I cannot hold on much longer. If you are prepared, I will send the final remnants of my power into the tree. Everyone but the conduit must then pour as much glamour into the tree as they can. When it is time, when it is enough, the conduit must summon all the memories through himself and into the real world again. What happens to the Evenfey beyond that is in your hands.”

  A ripple went through the still water at our feet, breaking the king’s reflection. When the ripples faded away, the throne sat empty. The Nightmare King was gone.

  Keirran drew in a deep breath. Silently, he walked up to the empty throne and ran his hand along the stone armrest. There was a moment of hesitation, the faintest hint of uncertainty crossing his face, before his eyes calmed and he slowly sat down on the throne.

  Leaning back, he closed his eyes, and a flutter of awe went through him. “I can feel them,” he whispered. “All their voices, all their memories. They’re all right here. And the roots of the tree touch all parts of Evenfall. Even...”

  A furrow creased his brow. “The Nevernever,” he breathed. “I can feel it. There are cracks in the seal, not enough to draw glamour in, but...it’s right on the other side.”

  For some reason, the thought of the Nevernever and home twisted my heart and caused my eyes to burn with tears once more. “All right,” I choked out. “The Dream is almost over, and we know what we have to do. Let’s finish this and bring everyone home. Keirran...” My throat closed on his name; I took a shaky breath to open it again. “Are you ready?”

  “Yes.” My son didn’t open his eyes, but a small, genuine smile crossed his face as he settled further onto the throne. “I love you all,” he said quietly. “The times we had, I will never forget.”

  As one, we spread out around the trunk, facing Keirran and the Nightmare Tree. Me, Ash, Puck, Nyx, and Grimalkin, our reflections shining clearly in the water beneath. I could see the branches of the tree spread out above and below, the candles flickering like dying stars. I saw Keirran on the throne, eyes closed, patiently waiting for the Dream to end. Suddenly I could hear voices around me, hundreds of whispers swirling through the limbs.

  Ash was behind me then, arms circling my waist. I could feel him shaking against my back, and I gripped his hand, feeling his fingers tighten on mine. Several yards away, I saw Puck step forward, reach for Nyx, and take her hand. Grimalkin sat alone, tail curled tightly around himself, facing the tree. Watching him, I wondered: Would Grimalkin be here if he knew there was a chance he could vanish? Or was he, too, risking everything to bring the Evenfey back? I supposed I would never know.

  A sigh seemed to echo through the void, and for a moment, everything, both above and below, was perfectly still.

  Now.

  I drew in a breath and brought my glamour to life. Summer and Iron magic rose, twin whirlwinds swirling around me, snapping at my hair and causing ripples to spread out at my feet. I felt Ash’s Winter magic rise to join mine, frost and icy wind mingling with the glamour of Summer and Iron. I raised one arm, seeing Ash do the same, pointing a hand at the Nightmare Tree and the figure seated below it. Not far away, Nyx and Puck stood together, eyes closed and arms also raised toward the trunk of the Nightmare Tree. On the other side, Grimalkin sat perfectly still except for his fur whipping about in the gale. Glamour swirled through the air, flashes of light and color sparking against the void, reflecting brilliantly in the water.

  I drew my magic to me, feeling it pulse and tingle beneath my skin, and hurled it in one concentrated blast at the trunk of the Nightmare Tree.

  The darkness around the trunk exploded with color, as five beams of light struck the tree with a roar of energy and magic. Lightning flickered, leaves spun in the wind, icicles grew and were instantly shattered in the maelstrom. The candles flared, glowing bright and adding to the brilliant luminance pushing back the darkness. On the throne, Keirran jerked, throwing his head back, as the storm of energy and glamour howled around him.