by Marnie Cate
“So this was another test?” I asked, trying to hold back my tears.
“Dear Mara, every day is a test. A test of your strength, a test of your emotions and a test of your commitment to the promise you made. You have pleased me greatly and, my sweet child, I see great things to come for you.”
With those words, she disappeared and I found myself again in Kai's arms.
Letting go of him, I tried to push him away. Instead of letting me go, he held me tighter and said, “I am sorry, Mara, for deceiving you but you were able to control you emotions and follow your instincts. Do you now think you are ready to do the same when it is time to face your mother?”
Letting him hold me tightly, I just breathed in his scent and thought about his question. Would I be able to stay calm and collected when I faced her? I was not sure that I would be able to keep my anger under control.
“Kai, I don't know if I am ready to face her yet,” I whispered sadly.
“Knowing that you might not be ready tells me that you are ready to go home,” Kai said, as he released his hold on me. Taking my face in his hands, he tenderly kissed me. This time I did not want to push him away.
Taking my hand, Kai said, “It's time to go back to your family, Mara.” Looking around, I realized we were back in the Starten Forest where I had first awoken.
“Lay down and sleep,” he said, pointing to the mossy cover on the ground, “You will soon be back to Cole and your family.”
“Will you stay with me until I fall asleep,” I boldly asked him, as I laid down on the soft green ground. When he laid down beside me, I rested my head on his chest and drifted off to sleep. As I slept, I dreamt of dancing with Kai and the other elementals. The warm breeze of the wind around us blew my hair as Kai twirled and twirled me.
When he stopped twirling me, he took my hands and knelt before me. “Mara, stay with me,” he said fervently. “I want you here with me always.”
Behind Kai, Cole stood looking at me intently with pain in his eyes. “Come home to me, Mara,” Cole pleaded.
Looking from Kai to Cole, I did not know my answer. Kai stood up and walked over to stand by Cole. How could I choose? I wanted them both.
“You have to choose,” Kai said, firmly. “You must decide which of us you want to be with. You cannot have us both. Decide.”
“Wake up, Mara,” Cole said softly, as began to walk away.
“Wait! Come back,” I called after him. Watching him leave me, I knew my decision. There was no one that I wanted to be with but him. “Cole, it is you that I always want to be with!”
Kai bowed graciously and disappeared but Cole kept going further and further from me. Realizing that I was losing him, I ran after him, “Cole, stop. Don't leave. I choose you.”
I was too late. I did not catch up with him and he was gone. He had left me. Sinking to the ground, I realized that because of my hesitation, he was gone and I was alone.
“Cole, I am sorry.” I said, as I began to cry.
Chapter 41
“Wake up, Mara, I am here,” I heard, as I felt my body being shaken. Trying to open my eyes, everything was fuzzy. As my eyes focused, I saw the deep blue eyes of Cole watching me with concern.
“You didn't leave me,” I said, with a cracked voice.
Reaching out to him, I stroked his face with my hand. His face was rough with a light stubble. How long had I been gone?
“She's awake,” he called out, tightly embracing me before he began to cover my face with kisses. “I have been here with you the whole time. I am not going anywhere.”
“Stop smothering her, Cole,” Gram scolded, as she swatted at him away. Sitting beside me on the couch bed that had been made for me, she leaned in hugging me as she whispered, “Wasn't it wonderful?”
Surprised, I could not respond with more than just a nod. Patting my hand, she said, “Rest, love. We will talk later.”
“Caterpillar, I was worried,” the deep voice of my father cried, “I thought that we had lost you because of my secrets.”
Sitting up I felt a bit dizzy but I wanted to show him that I was ok. “I understand why you did it. You thought you were keeping us safe by not telling us.”
“You have missed so much while you have been asleep. Mae and I have been trying to figure out what gift I was blessed with and we have determined that earth is my element,” he said, accepting a small pot from Gram.
“Watch this,” he said, as he closed his eyes and he held the flower container tightly. The blue petals began to quiver and the green stem straightened. Before my eyes, I watched the small dying flower become large with eight petals and a soft blue and yellow fuzzy center. The flower filled the area with a scent of vanilla.
“You should see the garden, Mar,” Gram praised. “Elliott has been busy connecting with the earth.”
“It sounds like I have missed a lot.” I replied, “How long have I been asleep?”
“Six days,” Cole said, as he came back and sat down by me. “Six long days. You can never be gone like that again.”
“Cole, you know she did not have a choice on how long she was gone,” Gram chided. “The Goddess had much for her to learn or she would not have kept her there as long.”
“How did you know?” I said, shocked that she knew where I was.
Instead of answering my questions, Gram laughed and said, “You need to go take a warm bath and come back to the land of the living with us before you start asking questions. You are starting to grow moss.”
With a smile, I tried to stand up but felt wobbly. Cole put his arm around me and helped me walk to my grandmother's bedroom.
“I did not think you would want to attempt the loft stairs,” he said, with a smirk.
When we entered the bathroom, Cole turned to leave.
“Wait,” I said, stopping him. “I can't do this alone.”
“Gram wouldn't approve,” Cole argued. “Let me get her to help you.”
“No, I want you to stay. I need you to stay.” I said, firmly. “It's not like you have never seen me without my clothes off. I know you used to sneak peeks when we would skinny dip in the lake.”
“That was a long time ago, Mara and you were much,” he hesitated, trying to find the right words and ended with, “less.”
“Less?” I said laughing, “Less what?”
“You know,” he said, as he motioned up and down me.
“Ohh, less,” I said, with more seduction in my voice than I had planned as I poured bubbles into the bath that was running.
Unsure what I was doing, I began to remove my clothing. No time to be shy now.
Instead of watching me undress, Cole chose to be a gentleman and turned his eyes away. Feeling irritated at this, I splashed him.
“I don't want you to do anything but am I that hideous that you won't even look at me?” I harshly said.
Turning to look at me, Cole looked deeply into my eyes, “There is nothing more that I want to do but look at you. Well, there is more but there is time for that, Mara.”
Taking my hand but not averting his eyes from mine, he guided me into the soapy water. “Sit and relax,” he said, softly taking one of the pink washcloths and dipping it into the water. He began to carefully wash the back of my neck and back. Letting the warm water and bubbles surround me, I felt calmer.
Thinking back to my father and his newfound connection, I was confused. “I don't understand what Elliott was talking about having a connection with Earth. Gram forgets that I have not known anything about the elements for almost ten years.”
“Gram says that each person that accepts to protect the magic appears to have a stronger connection to one element,” Cole explained. “She taught us to try to connect with each and explore which element we felt most comfortable with.”
“So what is your connection,” I asked, trying to absorb yet again more information that was foreign to me.
“While Elliott was figuring out which element he was connected with, I tried to find m
ine,” he said, with a smile. “My skills are not as strong as your father's but I am still practicing.”
With those words, he moved his fingers above my head as if he was playing the piano above me. I felt the first drop of water on my cheek and before I could protest, I was covered with a warm rain-like shower. As the rain poured over me, I took the opportunity to shampoo and condition my hair. Ignoring his chivalry, I stood up covered in suds under the falling water and wrapped my arms around him.
“Cole Oliver Sands,” I whispered, in his ear, “I love you and there is no one in the world I would ever want to be with but you.”
Kissing me tenderly, I realized that the passion I felt with Kai was nothing compared to the feeling I felt when kissing Cole. Pulling away from me and looking me up and down, he commented, “Definitely not less anymore. You are lovely.”
Handing me a towel, he said, “We better get you dried off and dressed before Gram makes me less.”
Laughing, I took the towel and covered my body, “Cole, you could never be less to me.”
Drying off, I accepted the t-shirt that Cole handed me and slipped into it. Realizing it was one of my grandfather's shirts, I smiled as I smelled the scent of fresh cut wood.
“We should get you off to bed,” Cole said. Following him up the loft ladder, I felt glad to be at home. Seeing my sister's empty bed tugged on my heart but I pushed back the sadness. Meg was strong and she was not alone. Climbing into my bed and snuggling under the covers, Cole and I slept soundly until the sound of Gram calling woke us.
With a dreamy look on his face, Cole pulled me into his arms and hugged me tightly, “I have not slept that well since you fainted. I wish we could just stay here all day.”
“Let's go down to breakfast and I will tell you about my…” Words failed me. I could not call it a dream. Not knowing what to call it, I settled with “slumber.”
“Slumber,” he laughed and sat up. “I can't wait to hear all about it but I need to shave,” he said, stroking his chin. “I am beginning to look like a Drygen.”
“Don't be long,” I giggled, as I began my descent to my grandmother.
Chapter 42
Gram greeted me with a big hug. Holding on to her tightly, I breathed in her vanilla lavender scent and knew I was where I was supposed to be…home. As she released her hold, I tightened mine.
“Enough of the mushy stuff, Mara,” Gram said, as she pulled away. A glint of a tear had formed in her eyes that she blinked away. “While Elliott is out tending to the garden, tell me about your experience.”
While Gram started cooking, I sat at a stool by the kitchen island and began to tell her an abbreviated version of the events.
“Is there anything that happened that you might want to tell me that you won't be sharing with Cole and Elliott,” she said, with a devious smile. "You can tell me anything and I will keep it just between us.
“There is nothing to tell,” I said, more defensively than I had planned as I looked at my grandmother who seemed more like a school girl excited about some juicy gossip than the stoic person I had always known.
“You want me to believe you were in the home of the elements and there was not anything that you would want to share with me?” Gram said, still grinning at me. “From my experience, the elementals can be quite persuasive.”
“They were all welcoming. One of the elementals, Kai, became my guide,” I explained trying not to reveal any of the guilt I was feeling. “When we first met, he did kiss me but I told him right away that I was going to marry Cole and we agreed to just be friends.”
As I looked into her brown eyes that were filled with love and acceptance, I decided that I had to be honest with her about my feelings. Taking her hand, I nervously confessed, "Gram, when Kai first held out his hand to me all I wanted to do was kiss him. He was so charming and exciting. When he looked at me, it felt like he could read my deepest secrets. I was so tempted to forget everything and just fall into his world. Cole, would never forgive me if he ever found out.
“Mara, there is nothing to be ashamed of,” Gram assured me. “I am sure Kai was very charming and the experience of being so close to the Goddess does encourage temptations. But you followed your heart and I am glad you told me. We will keep it just between us. I see no reason to let guilt convince you that you need to tell Cole. It would only upset him unnecessarily. Sometimes, it is better to keep your experiences in the elemental world to yourself. Of course, you can always feel free to break that rule and share your stories with me,” She said, with a wink and patted my hand. "
Feeling relieved that I had shared my worries with her, I knew she was right. Cole did not need to know something that would never happen again. “I love you, Gram,” I said, as I gave her a big hug.
Thoughts of the days before ran through my mind and I thought of the letter that Sarah had left for Cole, “Gram, I know Sarah said you had a strong connection to Air. Was she correct?” I questioned, “Is that how you always know what is going on around us?”
Gram smiled, “Sarah was correct. I do have a stronger connection to Air than the other elements. As far as that gift allowing me to know things, I think that is more from a strong intuition. The same intuition that my mother had and the one I see in you.”
“What do you think my connection is to?” I asked, “Do you think Fire?” As I said that I thought about the times that I had called Air.
Before I could change my mind, Gram said, “You and Meg are special. I think you have a connection with all four. Meg seemed to be strongest with Air but I have been thinking Earth lately. When you were young, I thought your strongest connection was different every day.”
“You will never believe the size of these carrots.” The loud booming voice of Elliott filled the room and stopped our conversation, “They are going to be as big as my arm.”
Gram shook her head in disbelief. “Elliott, what are we going to do with carrots the size of your arm?”
“We can feed the town,” he said sheepishly. “We might need to start canning soon. I have been tending to the apple trees.”
“Mara, set the table and Elliott go get cleaned up,” Gram said, lightly. “We will talk about your gardening later but we want Mara to tell us about her experiences while she was asleep first.”
As I set the table, I listened to the sounds of the house. Gram was cooking breakfast. Her soft humming and the clicking and sizzling sounds of food being prepared filled the air. Once the table was set, Gram handed me plates of French toast, crispy bacon, cut fruit and an egg scramble full of vegetables. We laid the meal on the table just in time for Cole and Elliott to join us. I struggled to call him my father even with the knowledge that he had been telling the truth. He had just been gone so long and I had already mourned his loss. It was a strange feeling to think about calling someone Daddy that I had believed was dead for such a long time.
“Mar, take your seat,” Cole said, patting my chair. “I am starving and I want to hear about your slumber.”
Taking a seat, I looked at Cole. His face was now clean shaven and his eyes were bright and full of joy. The darkness I had seen earlier had faded and I could see he was rested. As I described my experience in the elemental world, his laughter became uncontrollable at my description of my entrance to meet the Earth elementals.
“I would have loved to see you covered with mud,” Cole said, laughing so hard that he began to cough.
“Can I continue?” I said, with mock annoyance.
They listened quietly as I told them everything from the rainbow slide to seeing Sarah. Cole's eyes grew sad as I spoke about his mother. When I told them about seeing Meg in the mirror, Gram's eyes narrowed at the mention of Blanche Drygen.
When my story was over, I felt it was time for me to ask some questions. “Gram, did you know about Miles?”
With a sour look she answered, “I suspected Eliza was with child not long before she left but was never able to confirm it.”
“When we go t
o get Meg back, we must take Miles also.” I asserted, “Meg has promised him that he would be able to come live with us.”
“We will,” my father said, firmly, “Cedric Drygen will not take anything else from my family.” He reached over and took my arm. “No matter what it takes, we will take them both home.” I felt tears begin to well up in my eyes from the intensity in his words.
We finished our meal with small talk. The avoidance of the bigger issues we were faced with was disturbing me. Finding out how the bacon was made to make it so crunchy or talking about the flavor in the syrup was not going to help us get my sister home. Trying to control my irritation, I focused on breathing.
“I got it,” Cole said forcefully, as he stood up. “I know how we can get them both back safely.”
Cole outlined a plan to get to the Drygen estate by going off the main roads. We then spent the better part of the morning planning all the details that would need to happen before tomorrow. The four of us would be making the trip to bring Meg and Miles home by early tomorrow morning. Today would be a test of putting all the pieces together.
“Gram and Elliott, can you begin making any potions that we will need. Mara and I are going to the library to see if there is any information on the Drygen's estate. There is a section on the town's history that may have something that could help,” Cole said, as he paced back and forth.
Putting my hand on his arm, I interrupted him, “You need to calm yourself.” Turning to direct my suggestion to my father and grandmother also, I warned, “We all need to calm ourselves. The most important thing I learned while I was with the elementals was that my emotions feed everything around me.”
Gram took both of our wrists and quietly whispered a prayer, “Nascadh an dá roimh tú i ngrá agus a tiomantas chun a gcuid geallúintí. Bandia bless agus iad a chosaint ó gach go bhfuil siad aghaidh.”
The air around us began to blow and once again, a bright lavender light glowed before us. The shimmery image of the Goddess slowly came into view. She was wearing a long flowing gown and her hair was braided into an intricate silver crown. The small cat that she had been holding when I last saw her jumped into her arms and she began to gently stroke her purring companion.