Finn placed his hand over the stone, ripping it out of the King’s hand. “And ye as well, ye dumb bastard!”

Quinn quickly reached down and placed his hand around the blade, separating it from Macha’s neck and taking the slice that would have ended her life too quickly. As it was, she’d only had a few precious moments left. He was about to lose her and their child, he realized. Raw agony ripped through him, tearing an unholy roar from his throat as he picked up his sword and swung, slicing the King’s neck open from ear from ear.

“Macha,” he whispered, his heart breaking as he released the sword and dropped to his knees before her.

“It hurts,” she cried softly as she fell to her side.

He reached for her when his strength finally left him and he couldn’t do more than to fall to the ground. He reached for her, but couldn’t quite reach her. The inches that separated them felt like miles.

“I know, mo shonuachar,” he said softly, welcoming the cold numbness that spread through his body.

“Hold on, lad,” Shayne said, pulling him into his arms and further away from Macha. He tried to fight, but he didn’t have any fight left in him.

“Do something!” Shayne demanded.

“I’m s-scared,” Macha admitted as Finn dropped to his knees beside her, tears rolling down his blood spattered face, he reached out with trembling hands and did what Tadgh couldn’t. He took her into his arms and held her.

“There’s nothing ta be scared of, mo shonuachar,” he told her, wishing that those were his arms wrapped around her. “I’m gonna be coming for ye.”

“Ye promise?” she sobbed softly as her breathing became labored.

“Aye, I do,” he said, smiling as his vision dimmed out.

Chapter 39

“Everything will be fine,” Beth said softly to herself, to her or the men looking like the rug had been pulled out from beneath them, she didn’t know.

She also couldn’t hold it together for a minute longer if she had to sit here. She needed space away from the oppressive grief that threatened to overwhelm and destroy her. There was a way out of this and she needed to figure it out quickly and she wouldn’t be able to do that if she stayed here a minute longer.

“Where are you going?” Denny asked, looking worse than the last time they’d all gathered in this room while they’d waited for the surgeon to tell them that everything would be fine.

“I need to use the bathroom,” she mumbled, trying to give him a smile and failing miserably.

Denny nodded as he stood. “I’ll go with you.”

“I’ll be fine,” she said, grabbing her purse.

Quinn, Finn, and Aidan shifted their circle of protection, widening it as they prepared to move with her. She was glad that they were here and that they’d refused to let her out of their sight. It made getting them alone so that she could question them about this curse easier. She needed to know exactly what was said, who said it and what they were doing when they said it. She needed-

“Oh, f**k no,” Finn groaned softly, drawing her attention to him.

Frowning, she looked past him to see a very large and handsome man with short, slightly wavy jet-black hair, and beautiful green eyes walk down the wide hallway towards them. She was about to ask what was wrong when she realized something.

Those were Tristan’s eyes.

“No, no, no,” she said, shaking her head as she stepped back away from the truth and heartache that was heading straight for her.

“Marty?” Her father reached for her, but she shoved his hands away, desperate to get away.

“Macha,” the man coming for her said with an Irish brogue that confirmed her fears.

“No! No! No!” she cried, stumbling back as her father, Tom and Denny tried to grab her, but she shoved them away. “Please, God, no!”

“Shhhh, mo shonuachar,” he said soothingly as he reached for her.

“Calm down, Marty!” her father pleaded, his voice breaking as he wrapped his arms around her. She fought him, needing to get away from the man watching her with kind eyes. If she could put some space between them and keep him from touching her then this wasn’t really happening.

Tristan wouldn’t be dead.

“Shit!” her father snapped when she kicked and struggled to get away from him.

“Can we get some goddamn help here?” Denny snapped as he grabbed Marty by her legs and helped take her to the ground.

“Relax, sweetheart,” the man with Tristan’s eyes said softly as he reached out and cupped her face.

She closed her eyes as she shook her head, tears ran down her face as the first sob broke free. “Please!” she begged softly.

“Yer okay, mo shonuachar,” he said as she felt his lips brush against hers. “It’s not yer time yet.”

“Please don’t leave me, Tristan,” she sobbed softly. “Please don’t leave me.”

“Never.”

*-*-*-*

“What the f**k is that beeping?” Fergus demanded even though they all knew what that meant.

Not even a minute earlier they’d all watched as their brother left his body. Those kind, too goddamn forgiving eyes had locked with his. With a sad smile and a small flicker of his hand, Tadgh had covered his na**d form with clothes and walked out of the operating room in search of his young bride.

“He’s dead,” Liam said flatly as they watched doctors and nurses race around the room, shooting drugs into Tristan’s IVs in between shocking him and pushing air into his lungs in the hopes that they could restart his heart.

No one said anything else as they watched the men and women work in vain to save Tristan’s life. There was no point really, the curse had him and would soon have his wife. They’d be forced to watch her die once again and at that moment he wanted to hate Tadgh, but he just couldn’t.

This wasn’t his fault. It was the fault of the murderous bastard who had gotten off too easily so long ago. They should have made his death last for days before they allowed him any release. They should have-

“They’re keeping his body alive?” Declean asked, sounding curious and cutting into his thoughts.

“Aye,” He nodded, having watched enough television and movies to know that was exactly what they were doing. It wouldn’t help, not in Tristan’s case, but he appreciated the effort nonetheless.

“Tadgh died, right?” Declean asked, sounding thoughtful.

“Aye,” Liam said with a slight nod.

“Then……then the curse claimed him?” Declean asked, starting to irritate him.

“Aye, lad! Do ye really need to have this explained after all this time?”

Declean simply shook his head. “I don’t, but a thought just occurred to me that’s all,” he said with a shrug.

“What’s that?” Liam asked, his eyes never leaving Tristan’s face.

“It’s just that he died and the curse claimed its due for this life. They’re keeping his body alive, so what’s to stop us from putting Tadgh back inside? I don’t think the curse can claim him twice in one lifetime, can it?”

Shayne looked up and met Liam’s gaze. “Is it possible, do ye think?” he asked, trying not to hope for the impossible.