Merida's POV
I watched in horror as he looked down at the darkness protruding from his ribs, then back up at shadow-Maeve with something that might have been understanding. Maybe even forgiveness.
"Catherine," he whispered, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth. "Tell her... tell her I'm sorry."
Then he collapsed.
Just like that. Another death. Another person who had died trying to protect others from what my daughter had become.
Shadow-Maeve cackled like this was the funniest thing she'd ever seen. "Oops," she said, not sounding sorry at all. "Did I do that?"
"No," Lucian breathed, staring at Nicklaus's still form. "No, she just killed Nicklaus. Maeve, what the fuck have you done?"
But it wasn't Maeve anymore. Whatever was wearing my daughter's face, it wasn't her. It was something else, something that fed on death and chaos and pain.
