by Cate, Marnie
Stepping into the center of the stone nest, I felt the usual rush of air. Everything around me changed. I was no longer in the forest. I was standing in the center of a large nest of silver twigs. The ground covering was a white that shimmered with pastel colors and flecks of silver. The moon was almost full and it glowed down on me.
The soft light from above brightened and became so strong that I was forced to shield my eyes. A caress of my cheek encouraged me to open my eyes. Standing before me was Danu. Her long silvery hair swayed in the breeze. A small brown cat jumped out of her arms and began to rub against my legs. The cat purred as it circled me.
“My child, you have come here once again with fear in your heart,” the silky voice of the Goddess purred. “Release your fear, you are safe here.”
Setting the box down, I said, “Danu, my family is not safe. Snowystra…”
“I am aware of my sister's intentions child. They are neither here nor there to me,” Danu said. “It is your heart and your intentions that I am interested in.”
Not understanding, I stammered, “I-I have promised to protect the magic and I will keep this promise.”
Laughing she said, “Of course you will, Mara. Your heart is as pure as your grandmother's is. You will keep your promise but is that what you truly want?”
“Yes,” I proclaimed without thinking. “I will protect it at all costs. I just beg you to save my family from her.”
“I cannot interfere with the choices each of you will make,” she said. “Follow your heart and it will guide you.”
With those cryptic words, she faded away and I was back in the middle of the circle. The box in front of me was no longer black. It glowed a neon green. Clawing at the dirt next to it, I could feel the electricity emitting from it. My father's face appeared before me.
“Bury the box in the circle. Don't open it, Caterpillar,” he cautioned as the box began to pulse.
The shocks of the dark magic emitting from it brought me back to my mother's attack on me after her power was restored. The cold look on her face flashed before me, followed by an image of my grandmother falling to the ground after blocking the ball of cursed magic meant for me.
Digging harder, I stopped once the hole was large enough. Sending a gust of air magic at the box and knocking it into a hole, I frantically began to kick the dirt over it. The brown soil liquefied as it touched the green magic. The green and purple colors swirled as if dancing underwater until they froze into a solid stone. Continuing to kick dirt over it, I stopped when a flash of light erupted from the hole sending me backwards. The earth under me began to shake. A crack in the ground formed.
The cat that Danu had been holding appeared and ran out of the circle as the ground continued to shake. My instinct to follow her was strong.
“Listen to your heart,” the voice of Danu whispered in my ear.
Without any more hesitation, I took her advice and followed the small animal out of the circle. The cat went to the casting stone where she laid down and began to purr.
“What are you trying to tell me?” I questioned, as I petted her gently.
Rolling onto her back and rubbing on the stone, she let out a small meow.
“You aren't going to answer me are you?”
The earth under me began to shake violently and a crumbling sound came from behind us. Jumping into my arms, the cat meowed. Turning to see the origin of the noise, I watched as the circle and the outer twigs and leaves sunk in towards the hole I had just dug and covered.
When the shaking stopped, I walked carefully towards the light emitting from the ground. In the circle, there was no longer dirt and leaves. It was now filled with a light purple water that sparkled with specks of red, green, yellow and blue. Small colorful fish swam around and sporadically splashed out of the shimmery pond.
“Well, I guess the box is buried. I hope Danu's magic is strong enough to contain it,” I whispered to the cat in my arms. It nuzzled me as if in agreement and I smiled. “It is time to go home. Will you be joining me?”
Rubbing against my cheek, I took that as a yes and I began my return to my home.
Chapter 14
When I arrived back on the property, the house was dark except for the light of the kitchen. Jumping out of my arms, the cat followed closely behind me. The ground was still damp from the melted ice but the puddles had disappeared.
Cautiously, I entered the house. The hallway had an eerie glow to it. When I entered the kitchen, the small lamp on the bookshelf was on but no one was there. The crackle of the fireplace suggested they were in the living room.
I found my father and Cole on the long couch. My father was ghost white and shivering, lying under thick layers of blankets. Cole sat beside him, wrapped in a blanket. Neither looked well.
“I buried it,” I said. “It is gone.”
Sitting beside my father, I touched his head. He felt like ice. The cat jumped up on the back of the couch and then delicately walked the length of my father's body before stopping and laying down near his head.
“I tried to warm him up. After you left, he collapsed,” Cole said. Noticing the cat, he wore an odd expression. “What's up with the cat?”
“Later,” I said. “He feels like ice.” Reaching out, I felt Cole's face. His eyes were still a whitish shade of blue. “Cole, you are like ice, too.”
“Dad,” I said trying to awaken him. “Elliott, wake up. We need you.”
Slowly opening his now frosted green colored eyes, he gazed at me in confusion, “Caterpillar? Are you here?”
“I am here, Daddy. I did what you asked,” I soothed.
“The box is gone?” he questioned.
Telling him the events that had taken place when I buried the box, my father held my hand tighter. When I finished, his eyes were welling with tears.
“I am fine. I made it there and back with no harm,” I comforted. “And look, Danu's cat guided me home.”
Struggling to lift his arm, he reached back and scratched the cat on the chin. He smiled and said in a hoarse voice, “Thank you for guiding my little girl home.”
“What happened outside? Do you remember any of it?” I prodded.
“I found the box in the place you said Meg was. When I picked it up, Snowystra surprised me. I felt confused and couldn't remember why I was there. She told me that she had been watching me and that she had given me Eliza. She said that she had been tempted to keep me for her own but she knew that the children that Eliza and I would have would be more useful to her. Then, she kissed me and told me to open the box. When I hesitated, she kissed me again. This time her kiss felt like I was breathing in liquid ice. Unable to move, she laughed and then she opened the box.”
He stopped as if he couldn't go on. I squeezed his hand. “You are safe now.”
“What was inside was horrible. It showed me everything that you had seen and more. I saw her forcing Eliza to leave Cedric bleeding on the floor. I even watched her plotting with Cedric to get rid of me,” he said.
“You knew all of that already,” I said interrupting. His breath had become shallow. “You can't let that hurt you. Let's get you warm first and then you can tell me the rest.”
As I started to get up, he gripped my hand tightly. “No, stay. Mara, I haven't even told you what you need to know. We don't have time to waste.”
Sitting back down, I turned to Cole. He looked weak. “Okay, I am here. Continue your story.”
Through ragged breath, he continued, “The worst part…the worst part.” Gasping and sucking in air, he whispered, “It showed Blanche and Cedric planning to attack us. They want Miles back and they are not going to stop until they get him. We are not safe here anymore.”
Closing his eyes, his breath slowed.
“What did you see them planning?” Cole asked, trying to keep him awake. “What aren't you telling us?”
“Cole, I need to get something to help him,” I said.
With his eyes closed, my father said in a voice ba
rely above a whisper, “No, don't go. They have planned to attack on your wedding day. They are going to kill everyone in attendance and take Meg and Miles. She showed me it all.”
Sobbing now, he mumbled, “It was horrible. They killed everyone. They killed you and I didn't save you.”
“That is not real,” I said. “That is just something Snowystra was showing you to scare you. She's just trying to confuse us.”
Closing his eyes, his breathing stopped. Shaking my father, I pleaded, “Don't go to sleep. Stay awake with me. Tell me what happened next.”
“Cole, he's not breathing,” I said. I ran to the pantry to find something to help him. “I don't know what to do.”
Returning to my father with the first thing I found, I unwrapped him from the blankets and unbuttoned his shirt. His skin was a light blue.
Panic filled me as I began to smooth the purple healing salve over his chest. “No, not now. You can't take him now.” I cried. “Hang on, Daddy. This will work. Stay with me.”
Taking more of the ointment, I rubbed it on his neck and face desperate for it to work. Cole took some from me and began to rub it on his feet. Closing my eyes, I focused all the magic I had inside me onto him. With a gasp, he jolted up only to collapse back down again. His skin streaked with red and blue was fading but his breathing was still shallow.
“This is not going to save him!” I shouted, “We have to find a way to pull the dark magic out of him.”
Holding out my hands towards the ceiling, I called Fire and Air. The response was immediate. Soon, I had filled the room with a blazing wind. The heat uncomfortably licked at my cheeks but I continued to call more. After a few minutes, I checked to see if the heat had helped but there was no improvement.
Going to the pantry, I began digging through all of Gram's books and journals searching for anything that would help. Taking another jar of the healing salve, I brought it to Cole.
“I can't find anything else to help,” I said crying now. “Let's just keep trying this.”
Cole and I began covering my father's body with the purple paste. As we coated him, small bursts of air would leave his mouth. It was only a temporary fix. Almost as quickly as his breathing started, it stopped. As I scraped the last bit from the jar, I closed my eyes and begged the Goddess not to let him die.
My silent prayer was interrupted by a loud bang and a strong gust of wind blowing the front door open. Stepping into the house, a gray haired woman rushed in and began inspecting the room. Wearing a long black jacket and a fur cap, she looked like a Drygen. Preparing to attack, I called Fire.
Loudly, she said, “Where is my son?”
Sounds of cheering came from the loft followed by Meg and Miles scrambling down the ladder. “Hazel,” Meg and Miles shouted as they threw themselves into the open arms of the intruder.
“Hello, my loves,” she said, kissing them on their heads. “I'm glad to see you but I need to find Elliott.”
Fear covered her face as she realized that he was lying on the couch. Going to him, she kissed him on the cheek, “Elliott, sweetie, don't close your eyes. Stay with us, love. Mommy is here.”
“What's wrong with Daddy?” Meg said, as she stared at him. “Why are you saying mommy is here, Hazel?”
“Who are you?” I said, unable to hold back my anger. “Get away from my father.”
“Mara, there is no time for proper introductions,” the woman the kids called Hazel said. “We need to save my son.”
Standing up, she walked to me. “Take my hand,” she demanded. As I shrank back from her touch, she said, “Please take my hand.”
Miles nodded at me as if telling me that I could trust her. Cautiously, I let her take my hand. “I need you to invoke the Goddess and the elements.”
As I started to tell her that I couldn't, she said, “Mae has taught you. You must do it now Mara or we will lose Elliott.”
Releasing her hand, I held my hands high above me, “Goddess, I ask for your protection and guidance on this night and ask for the aid the elements that guide.”
“With my hands to the east, I call upon you, Air and ask you to blow away any dark magic that has entered this home. I request you cleanse me of doubt and fear.” A rush of Air zipped about me and swirled my hair.
“With my hand to the south, Fire, I call upon you and ask you to burn away the magic that has been called to harm.” Small, red embers fell from the ceiling. The sparking shower quickly died out when it landed.
“With my hand to the west, Water, I call upon you and ask you to wash away and cleanse the cursed magic.” Droplets of water fell on us. Cole tipped his head back and let the rainfall into his eyes and mouth.
“With my hands to the north, I call upon you, Earth, and ask you to strengthen us to fight what has been cast upon us.” The wood floor began to shake and green trailing plants grew up from between the floorboards.
My father stirred as the smell of fresh grass and dirt filled the room. The long vines twisted and turned until they reached him where they began to cover him. As they slipped around his limbs and then his center, he moaned in pain. Carefully, he was lifted from the couch and spun until he was wrapped in a tight cocoon of emerald green.
“Goddess, my request is complete. Your blessings and gifts are acknowledged and appreciated,” I said through tears. Silently, I pleaded that my request would save my father.
Taking my hand, Hazel squeezed it tightly as we watched the shell holding my father lower and gently set him down on the couch. The hard vines changed to a green liquid that began a trail of droplets leading into my father's mouth. Greedily, he swallowed and began to try to sit up. By the time the last drop was gone, he had sat up completely.
He was dazed but no longer on death's door. The color of his skin had returned to a golden tan. His vibrant green eyes now sparkled like an emerald in the sun.
Sitting down between Cole and my father, I took each of their hands. They had warmed up. Hazel wrapped her arms around my father and began to cry.
With a look of shock, my father whispered, “Am I dreaming? Mom? How? Why?”
The cat jumped onto Hazel's lap and began to purr.
“I came to help, son,” she whispered. “I am not going to ever leave you again.”
Chapter 15
With everyone sitting in the living room with a cup of tea and cookies for the kids, Cole and my father appeared to be healthy again. Miles and Meg sat on each side of Hazel telling her everything that had happened since they left the Drygen Estate.
Still not sure that she was honest about who she really was, I began to question her, “You have convinced everyone that you are Elliott's mother but I do not have a grandmother named Hazel.”
“You are so much like your great grandmother, Michelle. She wouldn't believe me either without proof,” she chuckled. “You are correct that you do not have a grandmother named Hazel. You do have one named Eva though. I have gone by Hazel for the last eighteen years to be able to watch over my son and you girls.”
Rising, she came to me and pulled me up into her arms. The warmth of her hug calmed me. Pressing her cheek to mine, she said. “I have watched you for many years Mara and I have waited for the day when I would be able to do this.”
As she held me, I felt the anger that I was holding begin to release. “Why are you back now?”
Sitting back down between Meg and Miles, she tried to explain. “My mother was friends with Lucy Andrews…” Stopping, she brightened her smile at Cole. “Camille Black and Genevieve Silver. Your great-grandmother, Michelle Elliott, was my mother,” she explained. “As I told you, my name is Eva.”
The shock of meeting this grandmother and worry over my father filled me with such fatigue. The room began to spin.
“Steady, Caterpillar,” my father said, putting his arms on my shoulders to support me. “Come sit and sip the tea you made.”
Taking a seat on the couch between Cole and Elliott, I just wanted to drift off to sleep. Hazel watched m
e with a look of concern as Meg and Miles clung to her.
“If you feel well enough, Mara. I can explain,” she said.
Nodding, I sipped the tea and prepared myself for her story.
“When I knew it was time for Elliott to return to Starten, I followed not soon after he left,” she explained.
“Why did you hide this from me,” my father questioned.
“Elliott, I needed to keep you safe. Not long after I sent you to live here, I was able to find a job as a maid at the Drygen Estate. Pretending to be one of them was worth it. All of it was worth being able to protect you.”
“I saw what they had planned,” he responded, his face turning pale again.
“Cedric has not been right since Eliza died. He refused to let her be buried and stayed with her body for almost a week. Each day he begged Blanche to bring her back from the dead. Finally, Blanche ordered Eliza be taken away. Since she was placed in her resting spot, he has been on an angry rampage. He is a mad man now. When Eliza died, she took whatever bit of humanity he had,” she said, hugging Miles.
“We know they are coming,” I said. “Now what? We prepare to fight them? If Snowystra is helping them, we have no chance.”
“Snowystra?” Hazel said with a dark glare. “How do you know that name?”
“She almost killed your son tonight. She has been trying to force us to break our vow to Danu and follow her,” I explained. “She is the one that destroyed my mother.”
“Oh, this is not as I expected,” Hazel said. “I thought the Drygen's were responsible for this. We need to take you somewhere safe.”
“Where are we going to go that she won't be able to find us?” I snapped. “She is a goddess. She knows everything.”
“She may know everything but she is bound by rules. Rules that let her tempt you and threaten you and even hurt you,” she stated. “However, she cannot kill you or imprison you. If she did, there would be repercussions.”
“Then where do we go?” I said. Looking to Cole, he shook his head and shrugged his shoulders.