She flung herself into his arms and held onto him. “I don’t care where I live, as long as I get to be with you.”
“Are you sure? I don’t know if—or when—you’ll be able to see your family again.”
Sorcha thought about that for a moment. “This is my father’s home. It’s the place he and my mother were supposed to be. As much as I like it here, it’s not mine. I know it’s my inheritance, but others in the family probably deserve it more than I do.”
“It was meant to protect you. His wife would never be able to harm you here.”
Sorcha nodded slowly. “As for Skye, it’s the only home I’ve ever known. It was my mother’s land, and I stayed because I punished myself. I’ve not been a part of the Skye Druids in a long time. And now, knowing that I’m a Halfling…I don’t feel as if I belong there anymore.”
A slight frown marred Cathal’s brow. “Do you understand that you can’t tell anyone where you’re going if you come with me?”
“I do. All I’ve thought about these last few days is you and what a life with you would be like. Granted, I didn’t know you were a Reaper, but I don’t care. I want my life to be with you, whatever that entails and wherever that is.”
Cathal touched her face gently. “I’ve never been happier than I am in this moment. Tell me when you’re ready, and we’ll go.”
“I’ve got some things to do before we can. First, I need to relinquish everything my father gave me. Then, I need to speak to Rhona.”
Cathal bowed his head, a smile still in place. “All right.”
“Will you come with me?”
“I always want to be with you.”
It didn’t take long for Sorcha to find Eddie and tell him that she needed to relinquish her inheritance. There were questions in her uncle’s eyes, but after he glanced at Cathal, it seemed he decided to keep them to himself. In less than two hours, everything that Sorcha had gained through her father had been divided up between the rest of her relatives—which were numerous.
It felt good—and right—to hand it all back. Not that she didn’t want any of it. She very much did. But she couldn’t see herself living in Ireland, even though her father had done everything in his power to keep her safe. She would love him forever for that. She didn’t need the material possessions to remember him.
As she walked out of the manor holding Cathal’s hand, she glanced over her shoulder at it one more time. “I wonder what my life would’ve been like had my mother been able to marry my father.”
“I think you would’ve been loved, just as you were.”
She smiled at him. “You’re right.”
“Ready to go to Skye?”
She swallowed and gave him a nod. In the next instant, they were at her cottage. It felt as if she had been gone for years, not days. Sorcha used her mobile and called Rhona to ask her cousin to come and visit. While she waited, Sorcha walked through the house, letting the memories fill her—and taking the bad with the good.
“We don’t have to do this now,” Cathal said.
She turned around as she stood in her bedroom and found him leaning against the doorframe. “It’s time. I think I realized I needed to move on when Rhona sent me to Ireland to spy for her. I tried to deny it, but it was there all along.”
Cathal’s head jerked around at the sound of a car door.
“Don’t veil yourself,” Sorcha said as she grabbed his hand on her way to the front of the house.
She opened the door before Rhona could reach it. Her cousin’s green eyes went straight to Cathal.
“Hello,” Rhona said hesitantly.
Sorcha stepped aside to let her cousin enter. “Thanks for coming. There are some things you need to know.”
Rhona said nothing as she walked into the house and turned to face them. “You mean that you’re half-Fae.”
“What?” Sorcha asked in surprise.
Rhona shrugged, her lips twisting as she cut her eyes to Cathal. “Sorry. I saw him and realized that you must know the truth now.”
“How long have you known?” Cathal asked Rhona.
Her cousin pressed her lips together. “My mum told me before she died. She made it sound as if you already knew, so I didn’t bring it up.”
“I don’t understand.” Sorcha moved to the chair so she could hold onto it. “How did you know? I just learned of it a few days ago from Cathal. Mum didn’t even tell me.”
“Your mum and mine had lunch together about a week before the accident,” Rhona said. “Apparently, your mum told mine everything about your father and how he was Light Fae.”
Sorcha blinked rapidly to keep the tears from spilling over her eyes. “I got to meet him before he died. It’s a long story, but he had a wife that he wanted to divorce for mum, but the woman wouldn’t let him. She was the one who killed Mum and Molly.”
Rhona rushed to her and enveloped Sorcha in a hug. “I’m so sorry. But you have to know, none of us ever blamed you.”
“I know.” Sorcha sniffed and dashed the tears away before she pulled back. “And thank you for that.”
“So,” Rhona said as she looked between Sorcha and Cathal. “I’m guessing this means you’re leaving.”
Sorcha smiled and took Cathal’s hand. “Rhona, this is Cathal. And, yes. I am leaving with him to start a new life. I’m not sure when I’ll be back.”
“It’s nice to meet you, Cathal,” Rhona said with a smile. “If you hurt my cousin, I’ll find you and cut out your heart.”
There was a wide smile on Cathal’s face when he said, “You won’t ever have to do that, but I respect you more because you said it.”
“And this house will always be yours,” Rhona told Sorcha. “We’ll keep it up in case you ever need a place to go.”
Sorcha hugged Rhona again. “I love you, and I’m going to miss you.”
“Same.” Rhona sniffed and quickly turned her head away to hide the tears. When she had herself under control, she looked back at them. “So, is this farewell?”
“For now,” Cathal said.
Sorcha suddenly looked at Cathal. “Before the Others were defeated, Rhona and many Druids here fought Moreann.”
“Just proves how powerful all of you are,” Cathal said to Rhona. Then he blinked. “Wait. You’re the Druids who found Moreann?”
Rhona nodded with a smile. “That was us, yes. Thanks to Corann leading us to her.”
“That means you know where Usaeil was.”
Sorcha felt the tension vibrating off Cathal. She wasn’t sure what was going on, but whatever it was, it was important.
Rhona was more hesitant now as she said, “We did.”
Cathal took a step toward her, his chest rising and falling rapidly. “Did you find a Fae there named Xaneth? He’s Usaeil’s nephew. She captured him months ago. We’ve been looking for him ever since.”
“We looked through the entire estate. We didn’t find any Light Fae there. Only Usaeil’s Trackers,” Rhona told him.
Cathal sighed heavily. “It was worth a shot to think that Xaneth might be there.”