She, Finten, and Aoibh had gone after Alvie and her men as quickly as they could. Finten kept looking over at Maigred as they hurried towards the manor with awe in his eyes, but he didn't ask any questions. They just hurried along, his stride as long and sure as it had been in her dream.
When they got to the door, the guards moved to block them.
"Move." Finten said.
"But, mistress Alvie said-"
"Do you want Hadeaon to take his wrath out on you for keeping him waiting?" Finten thundered.
The two men looked at each other uncertainly, then moved out of the way. Finten opened the door so that Maigred could pass through.
She heard a female voice cry out in pain and followed the sound as quickly as she could to the main hall.
Sinead was standing proud and tall near the fireplace, her fists clenched, in front of Cathal, who was kneeling, his hands bound behind his back. There was blood running down his face and his nose was crooked and puffy. One of his eyes was purple and swollen shut. Two of Hadeaon's men had their hands on his shoulders, several more were grouped around him and Sinead.
Hadeaon was standing in the middle of the hall, a furious expression on his face. Alvie was kneeling on the ground in front of him, her face stark white, her hands clutching at her stomach, blood was bubbling out between her fingers and spreading across the front of her white robes.
"How could you let this happen?" Hadeaon screamed.
"I- I'm sorry, my lord." Alvie choked out. "Your poison should have ended the pregnancy, it should have killed her. I meant for her to die."
"But she didn't, and you didn't tell me you switched out your potion," He snarled, reaching down and grabbing Alvie by the collar. He jerked her up off the floor. "Instead she kept her magic, she lived, and she bore my children! I've had dozens of men out searching for any progeny I might have spawned, and here I find them growing right under my very nose!"
"Please, my lord, have mercy. Share your power with me." Alvie cried. Her eyes were wide with terror. "I made one mistake. You need me still."
Maigred stared at the unfolding scene in front of her. Apparently Alvie hadn't given her the antidote to Hadeaon's poison twelve years ago, like she was supposed to. It was Maigred's own magic that had saved her from his poison. Maigred's magic had saved her brother had saved her children. Her own power had protected her and the people she loved most.
Maigred swallowed. Doom through love, love for his child. She knew what she had to do. She stepped into the room and began walking towards Hadeaon. "You don't need the witch anymore."
Hadeaon turned to look at Maigred. He grinned and let go of Alvie who collapsed on the floor with a groan. "What are you doing here, Maigred? Come to offer yourself in place of your brother again, or perhaps, in place of your daughter, my daughter?"
"No." She unbuckled her belt and dropped it on the floor. "I've come to offer you myself." She pulled her dress over her head and dropped it to the floor as well.
She heard Finten make a choked noise behind her.
Please, have faith. She loosened the tie at the top of her chemise. "I know what your doom is, doom through love of your child. But I can stop it. I'm the only one who can stop it."
"What do you mean?" Hadeaon snarled.
Maigred walked over to a large table that was close to Hadeaon. Then she turned and smiled at him. "I'm the last of the hearth maiden's attached to this land. I've hidden myself and my daughter from you for years, hoping we could escape from you, but, you found us. Escape from you is impossible.
She let her chemise fall to the floor. The chilly air kissed her bare skin. "I'll do anything to protect my children, even if that means that our land will never be free from you. I'll give myself to you, connect you to the land properly, and Caevah's curse will never be able to land on you." She put her hands on the edge of the table and leaned back pulling herself up to sit on the smooth wooden surface, letting her knees spread open.
Hadeaon's eyes skittered down her exposed body then back up to her face. He swallowed and licked his lips. "What do you mean?"
"Promise that you'll let my children live and I'll be your hearth maiden, Hadeaon. I'll protect you from the gods' wrath."
"Mama?" Sinead called in a scared voice.
"Maig, No!" Cathal cried at the same time that Finten said, "Maig, please, don't." Finten was coming towards her. There was the sound of a struggle from both where Finten was and where Cathal was being held. Maigred didn't dare look at either of them.
A slow cruel smile spread across Hadeaon's face. "Hold those two here, don't take them away."
Finten let out a grunt, then he wheezed, "Maig, please."
"I looks like I don't need you after all, witch." Hadeaon gloated as he unbuckled his belt and walked passed Alvie's crumpled form.
"My lord, please!" Alvie wheezed.
Maigred held Hadeaon's gaze as he stalked towards her opening his pants. Finally he was standing between her legs, poised to violate her once again. He grabbed the hair at the nape of her neck and leaned close to speak directly into her ear. "I'll take you and I'll kill your children. You can't stop me, slut."
Maigred smiled. "Yes, I can." She reached up and cupped the back of his head in one of her hands. "I love your children, Hadeaon.
"I am your doom."
She could feel his fear. She could feel his body starting to transform to his wyrm form. She shut her eyes and let go of the power inside her.
It rushed out of her and into Hadeaon's body. She could feel his power beating against hers frantically like a bird caught in a net. He went ridged. She cupped his face in her hands as he crumpled to his knees.
"NO!" He screamed.
Maigred leaned over and looked down at him. His silver eyes were wide and terrified, the red flames in his pupils intensified. His mouth was wide, he was breathing hard, she could see a tiny blue flame at the back of his throat. She closed her eyes and focused on all the love she had for her children, for her people, the small beginnings of love that she was starting to have for Finten. She could feel the power inside her swell as it continued flowing into Hadeaon.
"No!" He cried again, He gurgled, choked, retched.
She opened her eyes and looked down at him. Water was pouring out of his mouth, streaming from his eyes. The flames in his eyes flickered and went out. His hands clutched weakly at Maigred's arms.
Every wrong Hadeaon had done to Maigred, her family and her people filled her mind, she could feel her powers growing hotter. "You are worthless to us Hadeaon, you give us nothing we cannot provide for ourselves. You have taken from us, you have tortured us, you have taught us to live in fear. We reject your so-called protection, we reject you.
"We ask the earth sister to cleanse our land of your filth and the fire brother to scourge our land of your evil." Maigred let go of Hadeaon. If she continued on, she would cross a line that she could never come back from. Her powers were meant to bring life, not death and if she killed Hadeaon now, it would be out of anger and retribution, not love. She would cross the line and become a witch, forever cutting her self off from the earth.
Hadeaon collapsed to the ground. He vomited water on the carpet.
Sinead ran to Maigred's side. "Mama! I was so scared."
Maigred hugged her close. "I'm sorry, sweetheart. He'll never hurt or frighten you again."
Sinead nodded against her chest.
Aoibh came over to Maigred, she handed her her dress, Maigred's chemise was under Hadeaon, soaked from all the water coming out of him. Maigred let go of Sinead and slipped the dress over her head, then pulled Sinead close again.
Aoibh held Maigred's knife out to her.
Maigred looked down at it. "I didn't know you brought that." She looked up at Aoibh, then over at Finten.
The men holding him, quickly released him and scrambled out of the room. She could hear the other men around Cathal leaving quickly as well.
Maigred took the knife and brought it over to Finten, pulling Sinead along with her. He stayed there on his knees, staring up at her. She held the knife out to him. "This is the same knife he used to end Caevah."
He looked down at the knife then back up at her, his expression numb. "Y-you meant to trick him?"
She crouched in front of him. "Yes, Finten. I'm sorry. There was no way to tell you without tipping him off."
He blinked and nodded. "If he changed into his wyrm form before you could get to him, you were afraid you wouldn't be able to fight him, and I'm still too weak to fight him."
Maigred nodded. "I'm sorry." She repeated.
He shook his head. "You saw what needed to be done and you did it. You have nothing to be sorry for." He swallowed and looked down at the knife again. "He used this to kill Caevah?"
"Yes."
He took the knife and got to his feet. He went to where Hadeaon was still on his hands and knees, coughing and choking. Aoibh was standing there looking down at him. Finten stood there beside her for a moment watching Hadeaon, then he held the knife out to her. "He's taken the most from the women of this town."
Aoibh looked at the knife, then up at Finten. She smiled and took the knife. "Thank you."
She went to where Cathal was still on his knees. She went behind him and carefully cut the ropes binding him, then she helped him to his feet. She held the knife out to him. "Will you accept my offer of courtship? Will you be my protector, Cathal?"
He blinked down at her with his one good eye and swallowed. "Yes. I'm sorry I made you wait so long."
Aoibh smiled. "It's fine, Cathal. I understand."
Cathal took the knife. "I accept your offer, Aoibh." He lifted her hand and brushed the back of it with his lips, then led her over to where Hadeaon was struggling to his feet.
Finten looked up at Maigred. Maigred took Sinead's hand and went to him, he met her half way and took her other hand, then they turned to see what Cathal and Aoibh would do.
Hadeaon's hands were clutching at the edge of the table like claws. He was still coughing and struggling to breath. He let go of the table and tried to stumble towards the doorway.
They all watched him as he crumpled to his knees.
Cathal let go of Aoibh, grabbed Hadeaon by the collar with one hand and dragged him back to the table, then lifted him and dropped him on the table's surface on his back. Hadeaon tried to get up again, but Cathal pushed him back down.
"Please!" Hadeaon choked. He held his hands up to protect himself. His face was an awful shade of puce. "Please, don't make me suffer."
Maigred pulled Sinead close. "You don't have to watch this."
"I know," she replied.
Cathal motioned Aoibh to come to his side. He gripped the knife and placed her hand on top of his. "Are you ready to end this?" He asked.
She nodded.
They stood side by side, their joined hands raised over Hadeaon. "I'm not a monster like you," Cathal said to Hadeaon. Then he and Aoibh drove the dagger into Hadeaon's heart.
"Clabhsúr," Aoibh said. "Return to the earth who birthed you."
Hadeaon's whole body jerked. He eyes flared wide and a long breath released from his body, a little puff of grey smoke rising above his mouth.
He didn't move again.