Hugging him tightly, I said, “Cole, I can't ask you to get any more involved
in what will happen next. It will not be safe. We don't know what she is capable
of doing.”
“Stop. I couldn't be any more involved than I already am. I love you, Mara. I
love your family as if they were my own. Soon, they will officially be mine.
Together, we'll stand against Eliza and whatever she throws at us. We'll get Meg
back. You and me.”
“And me.” Gram took both of our hands.
“I'll be there, too, Caterpillar,” a voice promised. Standing on the bottom step
behind us, Elliott stood watching.
Chapter
Twenty-Three
Elliott walked towards us with a long, confident stride. “All of the boxes
are unloaded. I put them in your room, Mara.” He held his hand out to
me.
My heart stopped when I saw what rested on his palm.
“This was on the floor under the loft ladder. I believe it’s yours.”
In the chaos of being woken by the fire, it must have fallen out of its hiding
place. I took the small, silver cylinder from him, trying to act nonchalant.
“Thank you. Did you happen to open it?” Please, please, please, say no. Why didn’t you put it somewhere safer than a pillowcase? I scolded myself. As the words repeated in my head, I hoped he would say no, but life was never that simple.
“I did look inside, and I understand why you have it. There isn't anything I
can do to change the decisions I made in the past, but I'll do whatever it takes to
make it up to you. I'll not fail you, again,” Elliott asserted. His words seemed so
sincere, but as much as I wanted to believe him, I wasn’t ready to risk trusting
him, yet. “If you want, we can make the potion, right now. I'll do whatever is necessary to earn your trust.”
“A conversation for later, Elliott. Let's leave Cole and Mara to finish up here,” Gram said, stopping him.
I was thankful that Gram was not one to dwell on the 'should-haves' and,
instead, focused on taking action. At the same time, I wanted to run to Elliott and
throw my arms around him. In the end, I was comforted by the warm hug of my
grandmother.
Hugging her back tightly, I breathed in the familiar scents of vanilla,
cinnamon, and lavender.
She whispered in my ear, “It will be ok, love, but Cole needs you. I'll handle
this. You have always been strong and now isn't the time to forget that.”
Releasing her hold on me, Gram turned to Cole with open arms. “A hug for an
old lady?” she teased.
Cole welcomed the hug, just as I had. “I always have a hug available for an
old lady. Since it's just us here, you'll have to do.”
I could not make out what Gram said to Cole, but whatever it was, it made
