Siobhan was there.
The woman kicked her hard then, in the face, and sent her rolling.
Rocky had hold of Gary—the storyteller was no match for the honed agent.
“Let him go,” Siobhan said. She triggered on a small light; the vault was illuminated. Devin could see the living and the shadows and the dead.
They were twisted, some covered, some not. Some down to bone. A few in tattered clothing still.
They heard Siobhan click the trigger of the gun.
“Let Gary go—now.”
Rocky did so. They all stared at one another.
“What in God’s name do you have to do with this?” Devin asked.
“What?” Siobhan seemed confused by the question. “Don’t be stupid. I’ll rule the castle—rather than work my buns off at it!”
“No, how could you? Gary means to marry Kelly,” Devin said.
“Don’t be ridiculous,” Siobhan said. “I’ve helped him along. I’ve been up at the pub, slipping down to him what he needed, telling him when it was safe, when it was not. Gary—tell them. It’s me you’ll be marrying when they’re all gone.”
“Of course,” Gary said.
“He’s lying,” Rocky said. “You’re a fool. He’s lying! You can tell.”
“He wouldn’t have lied to me when he intended to kill me,” Devin said flatly.
Siobhan pointed the gun at Gary.
“You’ve played me, man?”
“No!” Gary protested.
Devin felt a cold wind and then a shadow.
“She’s coming!” she said suddenly.
Siobhan turned the gun on her.
“Who’s coming?” she demanded.
“The sheriff is on his way and a host of county police and other agents,” Rocky said. Devin knew he was trying to force her to turn the gun on him.
“And the banshee,” Devin said.
“Don’t be daft, lass, I was the banshee!” Gary said.
“You were the fake banshee, but there’s a real banshee for the Karney family. She’s not evil—she helps with the transition,” Devin said. “And I feel her; she’s coming. She’s behind you—coming this way. Can’t you feel her?”
Gary turned to look back into the darkness.
“There is something, someone, something!” Gary cried. He turned back to Siobhan. “Shoot, shoot, shoot now! Shoot it!” he screamed.
Siobhan took aim. Her hand was starting to tremble.
“Woman, you’re an idiot!” Gary raged, turning to come for her.
But, just as he did, Siobhan managed to fire. She caught Gary dead center in the chest.
The explosion seemed to rattle the bones…
Of the living and the dead.
Gary went down. He stared at Siobhan in disbelief and fell to his knees.
“No!” Siobhan screamed.
Devin saw the darkness coming behind Gary.
Deirdre was there. Her arms went around Gary as he fell the rest of the way to the earth.
“Ah, lad, too greedy, too cruel, and now, you must answer to your Maker,” Deirdre said.
In her beautiful black mourning, she was on her knees, holding Gary. She looked over at Devin. “I knew one of them was leaving this earth tonight; I did not know which—ah, sadly, aye—he is of Karney blood!” she said.
And then, it seemed she was gone.
Rocky instantly rushed Siobhan, wrenching the gun from her. There were more footsteps pounding toward them.
Michael reached them first. “My brother, my brother!” he shouted.
Devin managed to point to the slab where Aidan lay—silent and still.
Michael fell to his knees by the slab. “Oh, Aidan!”
Before he could burst fully into tears, Devin touched his shoulders. “Michael, he’s fine. He just passed out. He’ll be all right.”
Sheriff Murphy and more men were coming.
Devin looked over at Rocky.
He was as covered in tomb dust as she was. She didn’t care. She went into his arms.
He held her there, and then he took her hand, and they walked out into the graveyard and the night.
There might be a darkness come St. Patrick’s Day night, but the Karney family would be alive in good number and for the moment, the moon cast down a magnificent light.
“Idiot, I was terrified that I’d lost you!” Rocky said, shaking.
“I’m pretty dangerous with a thighbone,” she told him.
“You went off alone. You can’t do that. Not because you’re my wife or a woman, but because we all know to call for backup,” he told her.
“I thought it was Aidan. I was afraid I was going to lose him.”
“I was afraid I was going to lose you!”
“But you didn’t and…I’m sorry. I truly have no excuse. But, we found the truth. We’re both here and…did you see her, Rocky? Did you see her—the banshee?”
“I did,” he told her. “She was beautiful.” He smiled. “And I could use a cold one. I don’t think Allen is too busy anymore. I think we cleared the place out, coming up from the crypt and looking like this. But, if he is, I can pour my own. Sheriff Murphy isn’t a bad fellow at all. He has this handled. Shall we?”
Hand in hand, looking as if they were ghosts risen from their graves, they left the graveyard behind.