What other choice was there? Living without Tamsyn? Seeing her sacrifice herself for a mess all of his making? If he hadn’t felt so guilty about Declan, if he hadn’t been at the wedding in the first place, she wouldn’t have been distracted, would’ve gotten her hands on Y Seren before the first night was out, no doubt.
If anyone was going to lose their life over this, it had to be him.
But then Elspeth said, “And you’re sure of that, Tamsyn?”
Bowen looked over, stunned to see Tamsyn at his side, one hand raised.
“One hundred percent,” she said, and Bowen shook his head, furious.
“Absolutely not. I said ‘me’ first.”
“I raised my hand before you said that.”
“It’s my fault we’re here.”
“It’s my fault for taking a stupid job just because I wanted enough money not to work for you anymore. And I only wanted not to work for you anymore so I didn’t feel guilty about doing all the sex to you, which I’ve now done anyway. So seriously, this is all on me, and also my vagina.”
“Good lord,” Harri muttered faintly, but Bowen was focused only on Tamsyn right now.
“I won’t let you.”
“Will you let Emerald stay trapped like that just because she was trying to help us?”
Bowen wanted to tear his hair out, because good god, he didn’t want any of this. He wanted Tamsyn home and safe, he wanted Emerald home and safe, and if he had to die to get those things, then so be it.
“Ignore her,” he told Elspeth. “If anyone’s life force needs to be drained for this spell, it’s going to be mine.”
“Fuck you, no, it’s not!” Tamsyn said, hip-checking him. “I called it first, and that counts for something!”
“If you think I’m letting the woman I love die to fix my own cock-up, you’re madder than I ever thought, Tamsyn Bligh. And after you explained the plot of that one movie to me, I already thought you were mad.”
“Midsommar is a classic, and I’m sorry you don’t have taste. But I am gonna die for this if anyone has to die. Also . . . did you just call me the woman you love?”
“Yes!” Bowen shouted. Rhiannon’s tits, he never shouted, and now he’d done it multiple times in one night. “I love you, of course I do! What kind of idiot would meet the most beautiful, smartest, funniest, sexiest woman on the Goddess’s entire fucking green fucking earth and not fall instantly in love with her?”
“Well, I love you, too!” she shouted back. “Even when your facial hair is out of control! Especially when your facial hair is out of control, which has been really weird for me and made me wonder if I have certain kinks or something! But you’re kind and gentle and hot, and oh my god, do you know what a unicorn that makes you? And you might know actual unicorns, which is a whole other thing I’ve had to deal with, but here I am! All in love with you and shit!”
By the end of their joint monologues, they were both panting, and if Bowen’s grandparents hadn’t been standing right there, he was fairly certain he would have swooped Tamsyn into his arms and kissed the bloody hell out of her.
But they were standing there, both of them staring wide-eyed, and finally Elspeth said, “Oh, for the love of all the saints, neither of you are going to die. I am an amazing witch, I can do this spell in my sleep. I just wanted to make sure you two really cared for each other. And it could not be clearer that you do. Now. Everyone stand back because I’m about to be bloody fantastic.”
“Christ, I love you, blodyn tatws,” Harri murmured, and Elspeth threw him a fond look over her shoulder before concentrating on Y Seren, indecipherable words falling from her lips.
The wailing faded, and Bowen felt the air begin to shift and change, colder and stiller, as power grew around Elspeth.
“When this spell is over, this brooch will be mightily powerful,” Elspeth said, taking a deep breath as Y Seren began to glow in her hands. “Promise me you’ll use it well, the both of you.”
She looked up then, her face slightly hazy as Bowen realized he was fading away.
“My grandson,” Elspeth said softly. “Fy wyr. Bowen.”
Elspeth was growing fainter now, the whole house shimmering around him, and as she stepped close, Bowen tried to reach for her, only to see his hand go through the place where her shoulder should’ve been.
“I won’t see you again if this works,” he told her, and she smiled, Rhys suddenly appearing in her face.
“It’s going to work. Your bloodline is powerful because of me, Bowen Penhallow. Never forget it.”
“I won’t,” he promised, wrapping an arm around Tamsyn’s waist and holding her close. “But . . . Elspeth. Nain. When you die—”
Elspeth reached out, covering Bowen’s lips with one finger even though he couldn’t even feel the pressure now. “Are we together?” she asked him. “Me and your taid?”
She glanced back at Harri, who still stood on the stairs, one hand on the banister, his expression full of awe for his wife.
“You are,” Bowen told her truthfully, and her smile was sad but sweet.
“Then that’s all that matters to me. Be well, fy wyr. I’m glad I got to know you. And your bride.”
“We weren’t really—” Tamsyn started to say, but Elspeth just smiled again and shook her head.
“Oh, but you are, wyres. Now back you go. To your own time. I have a feeling our Emerald will meet you there.”
Bowen wanted to ask what she meant by that, wanted to ask a million things, but that sliding sensation was taking hold again,
pulling him in, and with a sudden flash of light, everything went dark.
Chapter 25
Oh, I guess I died after all.
That sucks.
