“Now, take this and sprinkle it around the floor outside Elliott's door. It will
dry quickly, so he shouldn't be alerted. It will warn us of anyone crossing the
boundary you outline, and it will last until the next sunset.” Gram began to clean up the table. When I didn't move, she said, "Go on."
“I don't understand why Blaze and the others can't be here to watch him,” I
argued.
“Mara, go on. The Goddess sent them to teach us to trust the magic we have
inside us. They cannot interfere with our path.” Gram let out a long sigh of frustration before grabbing my hand. “There are many things that can't be
explained. You just have to begin to trust your instincts.
Squeezing her hand, I nodded and left to complete the task I was given. I stopped outside the bedroom door, listening. I heard soft snoring, so I began to
sprinkle the liquid. Each red drop that fell was absorbed into the wood quickly.
The herbal metallic smell filled my senses.
Just as I finished creating the barrier outside of my parents' room, Cole came
down the stairs. “I'm officially moved into the loft. What do you need now?”
“If you could go start the kettle, we can make a cup of tea before we go to
sleep.” I cupped the potion bottle in my hand. Quickly kissing him, I sent him on
his way smiling.
Once I knew he was gone, I continued to sprinkle the potion in front of
Gram's bedroom door and went outside. The crisp night air felt pleasant on my
skin. A small breeze picked up, and I inhaled the sweet scent of the various trees
in bloom. It had a calming effect on me.
Renewed, I warded all the barriers to our house, beginning with the patio
door and onto encircling all the downstairs windows. When I reached the
bedroom my father was in, I stopped and stared at him through the part in the curtains. He was lying under a deep chocolate-colored bedspread, and his chest
slowly lifted as he breathed. He looked at peace.
I hated myself because of my desire for the sleeping man to really be my father. Seeking peace of my own, I called out, “Air, blow away my fear and give
me the wisdom to follow the truth.” When the response I wanted didn’t come, I
sighed and tried again, “Breeze, I need you. Please, tell me you’re still with me.”
Sadly, there was no warm gust of wind to tell me the elemental was present.
Instead, I heard the click of the moss beetles, and the crackle of leaves as the
birds settled into their nests.
Looking towards the sky, I spoke to the crescent moon before me. “Goddess,
please send them back to me.” Taking a deep breath, I reminded myself to be strong and continued my task alone.
Once all the downstairs windows and doors were protected, I went back into
the house. The warmth of the kitchen comforted me. Cole and Gram had already
poured themselves some tea and sounded as if they were having a serious
conversation. I stayed quiet and listened, not wanting to interrupt. And, truth be
told, I wanted to hear what my boyfriend was thinking about everything.
“Mae, we can't just let someone stay here simply because he claims to be
their father. How do we know he’s telling the truth?” Cole asked heatedly.
Grabbing his wrist, she said, “This isn't the time for you to become
