Epilogue

Epilogue

Ten years had passed since the day that Bram had led his charge upon Clan McFerguson, ten years since the moment the sisters had finally seen the end of the haunting that had consumed their lives. So many things had changed since then.

Jocelyn and Lachlan had settled into their new roles as Laird and Lady McFerguson, and had another son, Faolan, the little wolf. Jocelyn had started an informal lesson for women of the clan who wished to learn to read and write, and soon women from other clans had joined in—not many, but enough that a love of books was beginning to spread amongst them. Meanwhile, Lachlan spent much of his time training his replacement as James's right-hand man, even though Diarmid had long since earned the title of the new Wraith, with his wife, Gracie, by his side.

As for Liam and Aoife, the two of them had visited more countries than Deirdre could even count. Aoife had become fluent in several languages and seemed to always be learning another, and the name McLeod was now formidable in merchant circles. Aoife also turned her handiness to her work, and her dressmaking skills had seen sales all over the world. Together, Liam and Aoife had two children, a set of twins who had actually been born on the coast of Spain, but six-year-old Niall and Andrew both undoubtedly carried the strength of Scotland in their hearts.

Blair and James had continued to rule Clan McFerguson with fairness and strength. Blair's biggest enterprise in the last ten years had been opening the keep up to those children who had been orphaned or otherwise hurt by the war. Though they had never had any further children of their own than those they'd already had, Blair had established an impromptu orphanage for the children of her own and nearby clans, and many of them even called her Lady Mother. Though she laughed at the name, Deirdre could see how much it pleased her, and she couldn't think of anything more fitting.

As for Deirdre, she had found true happiness as Lady of the Brennan clan with her husband by her side. They'd reunited Rabbie with Marjorie and the rest of his family, and once Rabbie had retired, they'd set him up in a little cottage to live out the rest of his life in comfort. Marjorie had married, and now served as Deirdre's lady in waiting and another aunt to Ciaran and Deirdre's children.

Ciaran and Deirdre had welcomed four children over the past ten years—four daughters, four sisters, just as her mother had brought into this world. Their oldest, Anne, was named for the paternal uncle she'd never gotten to meet. At nine years old, she was already a strong leader, and fiercely protective of her sisters. Then came Siobhan, Niamh, and little Agatha, all of them with so close a bond that it brought happy tears and fond memories every time Deirdre saw them together. Agatha, or Aggie as they called her, was just a baby, but she was a favorite of the old woman who was her namesake, as the wise woman visited often.

And now all four of the McMillan sisters sat together in the grounds of the McFerguson keep, watching as their children played and laughed together with their husbands, giving them a rare moment of time to themselves, just the four of them.

"I can't believe it. Callum, already betrothed! But he's just a bairn!" Deirdre exclaimed when Blair finished describing her latest news.

Blair laughed. "He's seventeen years old, Deirdre. A little young for a lad, maybe, but hardly unheard of. He'll not wed the McVale lass until she returns from her visit abroad next year, anyway."

"An older woman, too!" Aoife teased. "Is she not already almost nineteen? Shocking!"

All of the sisters laughed. They'd all known Callum had been sweet on Saoirse McVale for many years, so the announcement of their engagement had been no real surprise. Still, for Deirdre, it felt strange that the little boy with the toy sword was now a man.

"Thank God we made this world for them to be happy in together," Jocelyn said quietly. "Faith asked me the other day what life was like when I was her age, and I had no answer for her. I see her, twelve and already so confident, and all I can think is that it was all worth it."

Aoife nodded. "Me boys have traveled the wide world. They've never been restrained a moment in their lives." She looked over to where her two rambunctious sons were both playfully yelling and tackling their uncle Ciaran to the ground, and smiled fondly. "Perhaps a wee bit too much so. But would ye have ever imagined, when we were bairns, I'd have been able to give that life tae them?"

Deirdre looked out too, watching as Lachlan sparred with some of the older boys, as James played with the younger children. She saw Anne and Siobhan, her two oldest daughters, pestering their uncle Liam for stories of his travels, their favorite thing to do. Her heart swelled with pride, joy, and contentment.

"We had each other, and that was all," she said quietly. "Blair, ye were a mother tae us, though ye never got a chance tae just be our sister. Jocelyn, ye had tae be the brave one, helpin' us escape even at the risk to our own life. Aoife and I, we nearly broke apart forever under the weight of the pressure upon us."

"Aye," Blair agreed. "But ye didn't break. We didn't break."

"That's right," Deirdre agreed. "Because we were stronger than that. Stronger than Bram, stronger than any prophecy. We only had each other, but that was enough—and we lived through it, long enough tae give our bairns so much more."

She gestured out to them, all those children who now made up the fabric of her life.

"Look at them, at our families. Ye're right, we could have never imagined them becomin' what they did, but what joy that we managed! Me four daughters are the echoes of us, but they'll get tae live the lives we didn't as bairns, and that's because each one of us made sure of it. We should be so, so proud of ourselves."

The four sisters each took each others hands in a circle, smiling at each other, joined together by their love for one another and the pride and hope they felt.

"Ye ken, when Agatha came tae see wee Aggie the other day, I asked her if she could see anythin' in our futures," Deirdre said.

All three of her sisters groaned. "Deirdre! Ye didn't!" Aoife protested. "How could ye! Have we not learned tae stay away from prophecies?"

Deirdre laughed, accepting the gentle and playful scolding with the good nature it was intended. She said, "Fine, I won't tell ye what she said, then."

"Tell us, ye monster," Jocelyn instructed with a grin.

"She told me that she might, or might not, but it doesn't matter," Deirdre replied. She looked around at each of her sisters' faces, one after the other. Brave, solid Blair. Clever, strong Jocelyn. Tenacious, kind Aoife. And she herself, Deirdre McMillan Brennan, molded by all of them into someone she loved to be. "Because she kens us well enough tae ken that we make our own fates."

Blair smiled at that. "The future's in our own hands, then?" she asked.

"As it always has been," Jocelyn agreed. "Our lives are ours tae live."

"So let's keep livin' them, then. For our husbands, for our bairns, and for ourselves," Aoife decreed.

Deirdre nodded, love flowing through her heart. "Aye. Let's chart our own course, our own magic, and our own fate. Together."

Thank you so much for reading my book!