Exton

Nekron and Raina are with me when Bloodstone, Rowan and Alise arrive at the cemetery.

"Milady Alise, Milady Raina, Milady Rowan… I am quite certain you will wish to witness this… Nekron, Bloodstone… if you will come this way?"

I lead my companions to an abandoned quarry on the grounds, Bloodstone pushing Alise ahead of him in a wheelchair. Jean-Marc's body and those of his fellow malefactors have been laid out far more respectfully than their deserts. I turn to Nekron.

"Nicholas - if I might impose…?" He nods. "The author of all this woe - if you would be good enough to decapitate the corpse?"

He nods again and calls his blade into his hand. We watch while he walks unhurriedly to the quarry, lifts Jean-Marc's head by the hair and completes the process begun by Alise. He drops the head at the edge of the pit, as far from the body as possible. From the pocket of his duster he produces a handkerchief which he uses to wipe the blood from his blade; then his sword vanishes from sight. He walks back to our little group, as somber as ever I have seen him. He hands the neatly folded scrap of linen to Bloodstone.

"When the nightmares come - and they will - it may help to have proof that he's really gone."

Bloodstone nods grimly. We are standing on a small hill; the quarry is downslope, so we have an excellent view.

No theatrics, just a simple phrase -

"Er if ym th'gil yb abno em oc."

- and the bodies erupt into flame, or flame arises from the ground and engulfs them. We watch, speaking in hushed tones until nothing remains but ash. I speak the phrase a second time, and again the flames come. This time, when they die, nothing remains, not even ash. I turn to look at Alise; her face is filled with an emotion I cannot begin to define.

"He is gone," I tell her solemnly. "He can never return to haunt you, Milady Alise. You have my word."

I move to kiss her unwounded fingers, but she holds up her hand. With Rowan's careful help, she stands and walks a step forward. She lifts the edge of my hood, just enough to uncover my mouth, and presses her lips to my cheek.

She steps back after a moment and sits. Her voice is small and somewhat unsteady. "Thank you."