I leapt behind the wall and huddled down low so Sweyn wouldn’t see me. The last thing we needed was for her to find me here in the past. That would be overwhelmingly problematic. She and her army headed back in the direction they’d come from. Once they were out of sight, I crept back out from the shadow of the wall and looked to the pyre . . . just as Everest stumbled off the pyre. He made it about five feet before his body crumbled beneath him. He crashed down against that stone wall and fell apart.

I was moving before I even told myself to. But first a soul to seek in dire need, Relieve the hole then take his lead. I didn’t know exactly what that meant however I knew in my heart the soul in dire need was my soulmate. I needed to go to him, to hold him. But first I needed to see his wife. This was my only chance to see the first love of his life, the woman who gave him his daughter. Auryn’s mother. It was probably silly and a tad selfish, but I had to. I told myself if I wasn’t supposed to see who she was, to see her face with my own eyes, then the tunnel wouldn’t have dropped me in this exact moment to witness this whole heart-wrenching moment.

So I crept around the pyre and climbed up the ladder. Everest had his head in his hands as he sobbed. I would get to him in just a second. Once at the top, I pushed to my feet then carefully walked around the edge to avoid the flames. When I got to the far end where her head was perched almost as if on a pillow with her hair cascading around her shoulders. I flicked my wrists, pushing my magic into the fire. Go away, I silently willed them to part for me. Shockingly, they did. At least enough for me to crouch down to get a proper look.

This close, I realized her hair was strawberry blonde. Almost a pale pink, in fact. Despite everything, that made me smirk. I shook my head and reached out to press my hands to hers, her skin was soft but cold against mine. “I guess our man has a type, eh, pretty lady?” I whispered to her.

My gaze landed on a cluster of freckles on her right index finger. One big freckle that looked like Pac-man trying to eat the other freckles. It was the same as mine. I moved my right hand just over hers to line up our freckles—-they were identical. My pulse quickened.

I looked up at his wife’s face.

And found my own staring up at me.

CHAPTER FORTY-NINE

FRANKIE

It’s me.

Wait, but that’s me.

That’s . . . ME.