I throw my head back, welcoming the sickness into me and all the prejudice against me—even Darla’s hate. I draw them forth, almost begging for them to fill me.
Let there be nothing left of me if this is the only way. I will absorb this evil, and then Owen will be free.
Nausea bubbles in my guts, and my chest feels tight. I can barely draw a breath anymore, but I don’t care. The words ofthe ritual have been spoken, and there is nothing else to do but become a vessel for all the evil that has infected the pack.
I can’t do anything about Darla; she isn’t part of Diamond Springs. Her hatred feels like daggers striking my soul, but thankfully, she isn’t part of my spell.
As the nausea rises and my chest gets tighter, my blood turns ice cold, and I can’t feel my heart beating. I realize that this is what happened to all the others, that they felt just like this before they died.
No.
I open myself up even more, calling the curse to me. New resolve sparks in my heart, and even though I feel worse than before, I keep drawing in the curse, faster and faster.
Take this out of Owen’s people, every single one of them. Give it to me, give it all to me…
Through the pain, a bright glow draws me in. To my surprise, it’s a memory, and the effect is like looking through a distant window. The room around me darkens as if curtains have been pulled around me, and I peer into the little square of light.
To my surprise, I see myself. It’s a warm Sunday afternoon, and I’m in my kitchen making chocolate fudge squares. My hair is messy and loose, and I’m still wearing my pajamas. I can hear myself humming happily as I think about reading all evening and eating my snacks, going to bed late, then working with my friends the next day.
The pain in my body fades, just a little, and suddenly I can feel and not just see the vision. I’m completely relaxed, free of pain, and there is no conflict in my heart.
I could just step through!I realize.I could go back!
I hover on the edge of the threshold, almost ready to jump. At the last moment, I remember the rows of bodies in Owen’s infirmary. I pull back, grabbing hold of the spell again.
No. I am not a coward. I will finish this.
The pain increases, and I feel like I’m going to vomit up everything in my stomach and then the organ itself. My breath rasps in my throat and my body slowly goes cold until I’m slumped forward, holding myself up on my hands.
“Trina?” I hear Owen’s voice, but I can’t respond. One of the other elders says something I can’t follow. There is a sudden sense that the trail of dark magic has run out, and the torrent of sickness has stopped pouring into me.
Now. This is when I have to banish it.
Sadie told me that my witch blood would be immune to the curse, and once I had absorbed the sickness, it would be relatively easy to banish it.
I can’t remember what she said… she said there was something I had to do…
A wave of pain rolls through me, making me gag. From my perspective, the only thing I can do right now is collapse and die. There is no strength left in me for anything else.
“Sweet girl,”a little voice sings.
“What?” I gasp.
“Love is the way. It is the only way.”
“I don’t understand.”
“Let him love you. That is all you have to do. The darkness isn’t done yet, my dear, but you are close, so close. Two of three seals are undone. Keep on, little daughter. You are so close!”
“Mom?” I whisper.
Through the bright presence, I feel love and comfort, but I also know this isn’t the mother I lost.
It’s a witch… a soul that’s tied to this house. Somehow, I share my heart with her!
A soft moan slips through my lips as I collapse onto the floor. The words mean nothing to me; I’m in too much pain. I can’t remember what Sadie told me, and the only thing I know for sure is that I have absorbed the curse, setting Owen and his people free.
Goodbye, my love. I’ve done all I can. Live for me.
