Relieved by my response, her face lit up, and she hugged me.
“Lily,” Daisy addressed the girl, “now that you have apologized, don't you
think we should let Mara get ready for tonight’s celebration?”
Blaze pushed through the Earth elementals and grabbed my hand. “Come
with me, Mara. You have one final stop." Turning towards Daisy, she said,
"Gather Bay and Breeze."
I turned and looked back at the Earth elementals. They smiled and waved at
me. In the few minutes we had spent together, they already felt like family. Tears
filled my eyes as I was reminded of Meg. The thought of her being scared and
alone stole my breath.
Sensing my sudden mood shift, Blaze squeezed my hand. “We are almost
there.”
For the first time since I arrived here, I felt slightly comforted by her. I blinked away the tears forming in my eyes and took a deep breath.
Chapter
Twenty-Eight
Blaze and I walked through the forest, deep into the serenity of the
chestnut brown and green trees. If I wanted to hug the trunks, I would
need arms that were ten times the length they were now. The long
branches held emerald leaves that were as big as my head. The familiar sound of
birds chirping and the soft clicking of the silver moss beetles comforted me.
Reaching the edge of the woods, we stood before a wall of transparent
multicolored water that flowed from an unknown source. Blaze reached out,
parted the liquid sheet as if moving a curtain and walked through it. Following
close behind her, I felt the soft mist of the waterfall as we entered a room that stilled my heart.
The room was wide-open, packed with silver framed mirrors, much like the
one in my grandmother's bedroom. Like her looking-glass, the silver frames had
a nest-like design surrounding the polished metal centers. Additionally, the room
smelled of lavender, cinnamon, and fresh-cut grass mixed with the hint of a summer rainstorm. The scents alternately filled my senses without overpowering
them or bleeding together into one complicated fragrance.
In the center of the room, there were four silver chairs. Each seat had a unique design engraved on its high back representing an element. They were
positioned around a large, granite stone. The smooth top was a lilac color with
streaks of dark blue, yellow, pink, and white running through it.
Blaze walked towards the seat with the flames on it and sat down. “Mara,
come sit in the center.”
I was afraid to speak. Instead, I nodded and did as she directed.
Out of nowhere Daisy, Breeze, and Bay appeared. They took their
corresponding places in the circle.
“Mara, you are at the seat of Danu. Close your eyes and focus your thoughts
on connecting with the spirit around you." Daisy gave me a smile of
