gaze watched Cole wearily. “I'm pleased to meet you, Cos. Meg has told me all
about you.”
Cole grinned and bowed. “I'm glad to meet you, too, Miles. Now, we should
be on our way. This place gives me the willies.”
Miles crooked his eyebrow and studied my fiancé as if he was from another
planet.
Meg took Miles by the hand and whispered to him, “You don't have to be so
proper now. We aren’t like the Drygens. You are in our family now, and we like
to hug.”
Miles beamed at his new sister. "I have a lot to learn."
"It's ok. I’ll teach you. Now, come on." Tugging on their clasped hands, Meg moved to action.
Cole guided us off the property and down the path.
Turning to look at the mansion, I felt relieved to see it was still dark. No one
was chasing us. “Thank you, Goddess, for your blessings and protection,” I said
clearly, as I looked at the bright moon.
As if in response to my gratitude, the stars seemed to twinkle.
We reached the flat area where we’d received our blessings earlier that night.
There was no sign of Gram or my father. My heart, once again, felt like it had
dropped. Anxiously, I searched for any signs of them. There were none.
Cole must have sensed my apprehension because he said, “They’re probably
down the mountain, keeping watch by the four-wheelers.” He gave me a
reassuring touch. “Don't worry, Mar. They will be waiting for us below.”
The trek down the mountain seemed longer than the trip up had been. I
wanted to run ahead to check on Gram and my father, but my somber mood
appeared to have rubbed off onto my siblings. Miles and Meg were quiet, and their melancholy reminded me they were just little kids.
My realization made me feel contrite. I needed to protect them, not add to their worry. They already knew we were in danger. I didn’t need to add to their
concerns.
Focusing on my breathing, I tried to lighten the mood. “Miles,” I said, “Did
Meg tell you about Gram's delicious cooking?”
His eyes lit up as he said, “She did. She said Grandmother makes the best cookies in the entire world and that she even makes licorice ice cream with red… sprinkles.” He hesitated before saying the word ‘sprinkles’ like it was a bad word.
“Yep, I told him she’s a good cook,” Meg confirmed. “I can't wait to have some, again. The Drygens forgot to add flavor to the meals they fed me, and the
veggies were not like Gram’s.”
Amused, I asked, “Meg, won't it be fun to have a little brother? You'll be busy showing Miles so many new things.”
Continuing our walk, I held Cole's hand and listened to Meg describe all of
the things she planned to show Miles. He responded with many questions, and I
could hear the excitement in his voice. It made me sad to think of the life he had
before Meg was brought to him. No child should have to endure such an empty
and cold existence, I thought.
As we approached the end of the path, I saw movement and stopped
abruptly.
