I hugged myself and walked across the room to the little couch by the fire. My legs still felt unsteady, so I sat slowly. The last thing I needed was to tumble off the couch.
I kept the folded letter between my fingertips and let out a deep breath.
The cottage was small enough that no one ever felt far away. Keegan walked over to the mantel and leaned against it. His arms were folded but relaxed, and he was watching me the way he always did when I was trying to hold myself together. Caleb lingered near the door and glanced toward the windows every so often. My father sat next to me and patted my knee.
Twobble stood at the edge of the rug, quiet in a way that wasn’t like him at all, and it made my heart ache a little more. I motioned for him to come over, but he stayed put as I tried to let the truth settle in my bones.
Cindy sat on his shoulder, but a sparkling ring sat around her. He patted her shell and let out a deep sigh, but he didn’t move.
And I wondered if my mom knew this would happen. If she understood what her actions would do to everyone involved.
My mom purposefully walked away from Stonewick. She didn’t run or struggle on her way out. She chose to move toward Shadowick, alone.
Chose.
“She believes she’s doing the right thing,” My grandma said gently.
I looked up at her and narrowed my eyes. “You don’t sound all that surprised.”
“I’m not.”
“She is one of the bravest women I’ve ever known,” Elira continued quietly. “Stubborn. Protective. Fierce in ways she doesn’t always show. She loved Stonewick and Frank so much, but she loved you more. That’s why she left all those years ago.”
I swallowed the lump in my throat. “You knew she might do something like this?”
“I felt she had been thinking about it.”
“I had no clue,” I said, sighing. “None.
My grandma tilted her head slightly. “You would have stopped her.”
I pressed my lips together and let my silence answer for me.
“She has always believed she could walk into danger if it meant someone else didn’t have to,” Elira said softly. “She also made a habit of walking away from it if she thought it would save the ones she loves.”
My father rubbed a hand along his jaw and nodded as his gaze caught mine.
“She’s not reckless. Your mother doesn’t move without thinking. If she walked toward the Priestess, she had a reason.” He kept his gaze on me, and I nodded.
“But that doesn’t mean it was a good choice,” I muttered.
“No, but it was hers to make.”
I could see the pain in his eyes. He’d lost his wife once, got her back, and lost her again.
The fire popped gently in the hearth, and somewhere outside in the dark, the sound of paws moved through dried grass. Above us, Karvey and the others adjusted their weight on the roof and then went still again.
“We shouldn’t rush after her,” Caleb said at last. His voice stayed calm, careful. “If the Priestess expects anything tonight, it will be a reaction or movement.”
“She always pulls the strings,” I said.
“You’ve been pulling them too,” Caleb replied, and Keegan nodded once. “Don’t forget that you’re allowing us to come together and to unite. That will bring more strength than anything.”
“But it’s fragile,” I added.
“For now.” Caleb nodded. “But time together will strengthen our bonds. We just need time.”
I stood and paced near the fire to warm the constant chill in my bones.
