never be able to defeat her. She is stronger than you.”
Those were the last words she spoke. She slowly closed her eyes and as her
final breath left her body, sadness washed over me. The sorrow I felt was not because she was gone, but rather, it was for Miles and Meg. My pain was, also,
for my grandmother, who had lost her only daughter.
I remembered how broken I felt when my father had died, and when Eliza had disappeared. My father stood over my mother’s body, and the grass around
her grew. Soon, she was surrounded by flowers. “Goodbye, Eliza,” he said, his
voice slightly cracking.
“Is he dead, too?” Miles tugged at the bottom of my father's jacket as he
pointed at Cedric. His green eyes filled with fear.
“No, Miles.” My father picked him up. “He's just sleeping.”
“He won't let me stay with you.” Miles began to cry. “Grandmother Blanche
won’t let him.”
“No, son, you are never going back there.” My father hugged him tightly.
“Gram, Mara, Cole, Meg, and I will never let you go.” He turned to face my grandmother. "Isn't that right, Mae?”
Seeing his face turn white with fear, I looked to see what had alarmed him.
My grandmother was lying on the ground.
"No," I screamed and ran to her. I fell to the earth next to her. She was ghost-white and shivering. “Gram, tell me what to do. How can I help?”
Gram gripped my hand. I could feel Eliza's dark magic running through her. I
hugged her tightly, ignoring the electricity.
“Please, Goddess, help me,” I pleaded through my tears.
Cole took her from me. She looked like a small child in his arms. “You're going to be fine, Mae. Let's get you home.” Turning towards my father, I stopped
him from trying to pick up Cedric. “Leave him, Elliott.”
“Come on, Daddy.” Meg took his hand.
Flowers grew around Cedric and vines secured him to the ground. I watched
as a crown of pink flowers surrounded his head. Glancing up, I caught the smirk
on my little sister’s face.
Noticing I was staring at her, Meg smiled and shrugged.
Chapter
Thirty-Eight
When we arrived home, Gram insisted on being laid on the couch. I
covered her with blankets and sat next to her. I held her icy hands
tightly in mine.
“What can we do to stop the magic running through you?” I
questioned. “Tell me which spell to cast or what potion to make.”
Panic filled me. It was horrific to watch my strong grandmother in such a feeble state. There had never been a day in my life when I’d seen her sick or unable to take action. She was my rock. I needed her strength. Worse, it was my
fault she was…dying.
“Mara, love, there isn't anything you can do to stop this. The only thing you
need to do is to take care of them for me.” Gram weakly motioned to my family,
scattered around the living room. She grimaced as she saw their somber
expressions. “Help me up,” she insisted. “My last moments in this world will not
