beckoning the spirit of my grandmother. Lifting from the body lying next to me,
she accepted the outstretched hand. Gram looked over her shoulder at us and smiled before she walked into the light.
Suddenly, the room around us glowed even brighter. The radiant white light
was overpowering. Then, it was replaced with hundreds of small, colored lights,
and I knew we were surrounded by the elementals.
Crying harder, Meg held onto Gram's body.
Taking her hand, I whispered, “She's gone, Meg, but she went to a better
place. One full of love and light. One day, when it is our time, we'll join her.”
Picking up my sister, I hugged her tightly. "She will always be in our hearts."
When I set her back on her feet, she took my hand in mine, and we left the
room to rejoin our grieving family.
Epilogue
Gram left us more than the food she prepared and basic necessities.
Somehow, she managed to leave notes around the house to remind us
how much she loved us. Despite those things, the house was not the
same without her.
The night we went to get Meg and Miles, she knew how everything would
end. Gram had foreseen the future and done her best to prepare us for life without her. The reality of that fact was both admirable and heartbreaking.
Just where she told me, I found the small key to my grandfather's safe in the
lavender journal she was always writing in. As I turned the cover to read it, a small envelope fell out. On the outside of it, my name was written in Gram's handwriting. I inhaled the sweet scent of lavender and vanilla, and I began to read her letter:
My Dear Mara,
In Chester's workshop, you will find a safe behind my
grandmother's armoire. Chester made sure there was enough money
for us to live comfortably, and I have only added to it. The amount
in there would make the Drygens look poor, but no one must know
about it. Money makes people act funny. You will be safer to live
your life simply, as we always have done.
When I thought I would never have any more children, my heart
was saddened. However, I knew the Goddess had something better
in store for me. Little did I know, it would be in the form of a dark-
haired girl with more magic in her heart than I had in my whole
body. And a sassy ball of fire, who reminded me to savor every bit
of life. A boy with a heart of gold that showed me love could be
endless. And, the boy – who I had loved even before we met…the
same child who will need you now, more than ever.
You have all blessed my life and my heart. Keep your promise
to protect the magic and you will never go wrong.
Love Always,
