Though I held tightly to the stone, it did little to silence what had taken residence in my head. The brush rustled even louder from all around us where the light of the flames couldn’t reach, and all the sounds melded into a familiar voice I hadn’t heard in years.
“A real mother would never abandon her child to a cold and heartless world.”
Though my own mother would have never used those words, the way she spoke was so convincing, like a knife through the heart. There was nothing I could do but bear the full brunt of their manipulation while struggling to hold onto my resolve.
“My sweet baby boy. I know I’ve made mistakes, but nothing you could ever do would make me love you less.”
Tears streamed down my cheeks as Adam and Austin stared, eager for my next order.
“Come on,” I said, waving them after me. “Stay close.”
“I watched you grow into a handsome young man. I’m so proud of you.”
The more she spoke, the more everything around me dissolved into a dream-like void. That voice wasn’t my mother’s, but I wanted it to be.
We wandered farther from the fire before the embers disappeared. The trees heaved as though they were breathing, but I put one trembling leg in front of the other. As long as I held the stone, the witches couldn’t get me, and if the vironoct didn’t break, they couldn’t manipulate Adam. That was what I was most afraid of, and I kept glancing back to make sure he was still following.
“I’d never let the world hurt you. You’re safe in my arms.”
Every step was like walking through a waist-deep mire, the ground sapping what little strength I had. Ahead, a gentle purple glow caught my eye. It flitted and sparkled, and a slender, womanly figure emerged from it.
“Stay with me, Cody. Don’t leave me all alone in the cold forest. Don’t abandon me.”
There was genuine terror in her voice as I drew closer to the source of the light. She didn’t want me to see it, or was this a trick? I slowed my pace and looked back at the blackness. The trees had morphed, reshaping and melting as though made of liquid.
“Cody,” Willa’s voice called out from the light.
“Come home.”
The woods took the shape of a cozy cottage I didn’t recognize and the silhouette of a woman with flowing hair welcomed me with open arms.
“Come home, Cody.”
A hand fell on my shoulder, and I screamed.
“It’s me, dear,” Willa whispered, taking my hand. “We need to get to the beacon now before it disappears.”
“Our fallen sister will lead you to destruction.”
My feet didn’t move. It became harder for me to trust my own senses. Was this really her, or was it another hallucination?
“What do you see?” Willa asked.
“My mother,” I said, wiping away the tears.
“Throw the stone at the vision.”
“They’ll get me.”
“Not if we run,” she said, shaking me out of my stupor. “But I can’t pull you all out of here while you hold it. It affects me just as much as it does the coven.” She looked back at Adam and Austin. “Tell them to run to the light, and when you throw the stone, follow them and don’t look back, no matter what you hear.”
I nodded, pointing to the way ahead. “Both of you run.”
Without a word, they sprinted ahead, and I reared back, ready to throw the stone.
“Cody…”
The voice let out a heartbreaking cry.
