by Suzy Turner
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
I had been home for just over three weeks. It was strange living in the house without Gabriel, but I had accepted the fact that he was meant to be with the Elders and I would see him again soon. Sammy and I had decided that once Jo was strong enough to come back to see us all, we would return with her to visit the Elders, Gabriel in particular.
I had hoped that when Vivian had died, her curse on Sammy would be lifted. Even the witches with the Elders had said that the curse should disappear but when I finally returned home, Sammy was still the same. A man with two big black beautiful wings. Wings to be proud of, I told him. We were all confused why the curse had not disappeared, but nobody had the answer.
The curse on Charlie, however, had vanished and he was now a free man. Carmelo saw to it that he had found his way back to London safely. I had seen his return home on the news on TV. He maintained that he had absolutely no idea what had happened to him or where he had been.
His family were shocked and amazed when he came home safe and well and I was happy for him. Truly. Vivian was responsible, not him.
I was adjusting to life without Gabriel at home. It was a strange time in my life, especially considering that Sammy and I were now living with two others. Tabitha and Zoltan had moved in, making it an unusual household – a changeling, a werewolf, part raven part human and a potential changeling in the making! Although we were an odd combination of people, we got on tremendously well together.
Rose had been ecstatic to see me when I came back. I'd decided not to mention my momentous discovery until Tabitha was there with me. I knew she would arrive a day later so Rose and I just enjoyed some time together, just the two of us. We spoke about Gabriel, Jo and Carmelo and of Vivian's death. When I left her that night, I was so excited about what would happen the next day.
I had knocked on Rose's front door later the following day and greeted her with a hug before she noticed I wasn't alone.
“I've brought someone to meet you, Rose,” and Tabitha stepped forward with the biggest grin on her face. Rose's face changed immediately and she had to sit down, “Oh my goodness,” she said, knowing immediately that she had a strong connection with this young girl.
“This is Tabitha... your grand-daughter.”
Rose let out a gasp, both her hands moving to her cheeks.
“My... grand-daughter? You are Lori's child?” she whispered and Tabitha nodded. Crying, Rose stood up, steadied herself and took her in her arms. “Lori is alive?” she asked and again, Tabitha nodded and smiled. “I have a picture of her,” and she put her hands in her coat pocket and pulled out a small wallet. Opening it, she revealed the face of a woman smiling happily and Rose began to cry tears of joy as she hugged her long lost grand-daughter for what seemed like ages.
We spent hours and hours talking about our lives, Tabitha explaining to Rose what had happened to Walter and to Lori and how she had come to be in Canada again. When we finally called it a night, we had left Rose looking more peaceful and happy than she had ever looked before, eager to get to know the grand-daughter she never even knew existed. And ecstatic that she would finally get her daughter back after all these years. The daughter that she had never given up hope on, and the daughter she had never stopped loving.
A few days later I visited the graves of my mother and sister. It was my first visit there and, although Tabitha had driven me there, I had wanted to be alone by their graveside. As I bent to place a single red rose on each of their tombstones, I thought about my father.
Although I had still not discovered what had happened to him, I was one step closer. I knew that he had not died at the hands of Vivian. There was still a chance that he was alive and I knew that one day, I would find out the truth.
Read on for an excerpt of Book II in
THE RAVEN SAGA: DECEMBER MOON
AVAILABLE NOW!