That only left his aunt. He’d known she was out of power when the kangaroos had been chased away. If she’d had any strength, they would have fought the wolves. But they’d scattered and would hopefully be rounded up by the wolf pack.
But what about her?
He crossed over to her and saw that a cop had his hand pressed against her chest wound, his expression stoic as he said, “Ambulance is on its way.”
He looked down at her open eyes, at the pain that glazed them. “Nephew,” she rasped, and there was love in the word.
Walter knelt beside her while Bing crept forward. He was a big wolf, but he managed to maneuver himself so that his nose touched Walter’s elbow and one front leg pressed gently against Walter’s leg.
There was support there, and comfort. Walter was grateful beyond words for it, but right then, his attention was on his aunt.
“Auntie Sandra,” he said, his voice thick, “do you want to live like this? Even now, you are strong enough to push Sand out.”
He didn’t know if he’d gotten through to her. Her breath a hard rasp, and her eyes were vague, but then they abruptly widened. Her mouth moved in halting jerks, as if she was fighting something inside herself. But when she spoke, it was loud enough for all to hear.
“I’m so sorry.”
Walter leaned forward. “When Monkey got it wrong, he always fixed it.” He lifted her frail hand in his. “There’s still time to fix this,” he said. “You can still—”
“Leave me, General Sand,” she rasped. “I cast you out.”
Walter’s breath froze in his chest. He knew what his aunt risked. She was riddled with cancer and had just been shot. There was little chance she could survive without Sand’s magical energy, and yet she cast the spirit out anyway.
Beside him, Bing yipped, as if to say,It’s leaving. Sand is leaving her body.
And then, to Walter’s horror, the woman seemed to cave in on herself. Not fully. Just slowly and in tiny fractions. Where she had seemed strong moments ago, she now looked frail. But her eyes did not. They shone bright and strong as she looked at him.
“Favored nephew,” she mouthed.
It was her. It was his aunt, free from Sand. “Stay strong, Auntie,” he said. “The ambulance is coming.”
Her eyes were soft, her hand weak as she tugged at the hideous necklace she wore. “Destroy it,” she said.
He nodded. “I will.” He carefully twisted it on her neck to find the clasp. He would not have the cursed thing touching her for one second longer. But as he worked, her fingers squeezed his wrist. She barely had enough strength to touch him, but he felt it nonetheless.
“Walter,” she whispered.
“Yes?”
“I fixed it. Like Monkey.”
He nodded while tears blurred his sight. “All fixed.”
Then she died.
