Chapter 21 Maggie
Maggie
For the first few hours, I thought he followed right behind me, ready to step out of the shadows, wrestle me into his arms and whisk me back to his plant-filled bower to beg my forgiveness.
Determined, for all of an hour, I struggled to act like I was just returning the mount to Evie.
But as the salamander kept plodding along, my heart slowly fractured and doubt came pouring in.
There wasn’t really anyone to see me a broken mess so I gushed and sobbed like my life was falling apart by my own hand…
again. I cried for the entire ride back to Harrowood and Evie’s Keep.
Getting it together for my walk inside proved an effort, but a wasted one because as soon as I saw my sister, fresh tears welled up and spilled over my cheeks like I hadn’t dried myself out just a few minutes before.
The cozy sitting room filled with my ugly hiccups.
Amazing human that she was, my sister climbed off her mate’s lap and ran into my arms. I sank into the softness that I had stripped out of myself and collapsed into Evie.
“You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me.” I snuffled in her hair, trying not to goo all over her.
“Uh… hello?” she said into my ear, rubbing my back like Rue used to do when I burst into her cottage.
“I missed you.”
She pulled back and poked at my face. “Is this my sister or an Elf changeling?”
When I didn’t bat her hand away, or try to bait her, expression grew serious and she resumed the best hug I ever could have asked for–more than I deserved.
She talked to her mate as we hugged on the floor. I could tell by the slight static of magic against my skin. I refused to think about my own incomplete bond. How would I ever explain to everyone else all that had happened? All that was left unfinished.
Evie pulled away to look at me, took my hand and scraped me off the floor. “Whatever it is, it can wait until you’ve had a decent night’s sleep and some food. Ward went to the kitchen to tell Fallon to make something.”
“Is she your servant now?” I asked in as teasing a tone as I could manage with my nose a mess of snot.
“I couldn’t pry her out of there if I tried,” Evie said with a satisfied smile.
She looked down at our linked hands and rubbed her thumb across my inky knuckles.
“That’s new.”
“Permanent,” I said and checked my well of power. Yep, still full. Even this far from Noth. At least that hadn’t changed.
Evie led me through her home and I noticed the touches she had added. Parts of her collections were displayed in the open as they should have been all along. They made the Keep cluttered, but homey.
“You’ll have to tell me about it,” she said. Like I deserved a moment of her time.
I forced back more tears. She would throw me in the dungeon for being the changeling she claimed.
“I would like that.”
Evie cautiously side-eyed me as she showed me to my old room and used her dragon magic to freshen it up, all the dust disappearing in a poof.
She worked it so much better now. I found some clothes in my cupboard and took a quick bath while Evie chattered about nothing.
It was so soothing I almost fell asleep in the warm water until Fallon came bursting in with a tray of food.
Lugging enough goodies to feed a large man-army, I laughed as I got dressed and fell onto every morsel on offer.
Evie put her hand on my forehead, checking my temperature. “Now I know you’re a changeling. You wanna slow down on the food, sis?”
“Let her eat,” Fallon said. “I take it as the greatest compliment.”
“It is amazing, Fallon. Thank you.”
Then both of them stared at me like I had sprouted another head.
The chatter didn’t stop and surprisingly we didn’t fight.
There was too much to catch up on from the thicket to the Elven palace.
We demolished the giant tray despite the fact that Evie and Fallon probably already had dinner.
This was about eating as a family. She assured me that Ward would have her work it off without me saying anything and I didn’t want to know how, even if I could guess.
“Well, I’m going to check with Ward to see if I hit my head and am hallucinating a different difficult sister.”
“Declan will tell me if I spent too much time inhaling Madder Berry Juice while it brewed.”
I just smiled at them like an idiot. It was good to be back.
Breakfast proved just as delicious and I ate my own body weight while the table of assembled monsters watched me with slack jaws. Fallon was missing, but Evie explained that that had been happening more often. One day she looked normal. The next she remained shut in her room.
Noth had clearly let the rest of them know I was with him on his quest and was on my way back because there weren’t many questions about my adventures that the previous night’s session hadn’t taken care of.
That suited me just fine because before I had to muster up the courage to talk to Evie, I needed to put my past behind me.
She didn’t follow me out to the paddock, but then I hadn’t ever welcomed something like that before. I had slipped out often enough to see Rue on my own. I needed to do it one more time.
Riding out on the salamander to our old human village might not have been the smartest thing, but I had some of Yaya’s training under my belt and a well full of deadly magic.
Well, hearth witch magic, but it could still be lethal.
The journey gave me time to think about Noth and all the Elves he might be taking to his bed because I was stupid enough to mess up what we had. It was a miserable ride.
Now abandoned, a lonely breeze blew through the only main road in the village.
Empty thatch-covered houses stood as a testament to my childhood.
Memories of playing with Evie in the streets rolled over me.
I spotted the one hiding spot Evie went to without fail and counted under my breath for the hundred seconds I always gave her while I pretended to search for her.
I vowed to have those easy times back again.
I followed the road out of town to the edge of the settlement and found Rue’s cottage leaning toward the warm sun.
It was a bit sad to see it empty, gathering dust, when it had been so important to my life.
I dismounted and tied the salamander to the crooked hitching post. The walk to Rue’s cairn was somber.
My hand brushed against her resting place and I piled a few rocks back on it, drawing a sigil to hold them together more firmly.
I pulled on Noth’s magic to turn her kitchen garden into a proper burial ground, the flowers and herbs and secret poisons lushly filling in.
Are you okay, Pumpkin? Was all Noth asked.
When I sent him an affirmative, he slipped from my mind again.
Birds chirped at me as I forced open the swollen door to Rue’s cottage.
The main room, her kitchen, huddled largely undisturbed if dusty.
The only sign of a struggle was the tipped-over kitchen chair on the floor.
My memory said this place was a wreck–herbs and dishware scattered everywhere–but that must have been my emotions smashed to pieces.
Calm filled me. All that running had landed me back at this cottage. I couldn’t help but think that that was exactly where I was supposed to be.
My eyes ran over all the nooks and crannies of Rue’s kitchen and workspace until they rested on her witch’s secretary.
The rectangular wooden box opened from the side to fold out a small altar space before the drawers and cubbies inside.
I never thought to look inside it or take it. That was Rue’s most sacred place.
Opening it, a letter fell out onto the green baize. The words Took you long enough… scrawled across the envelope before magically disappearing again. I laughed at Rue’s last admonishment and opened the letter.
Dearest Magpie,
I know that not telling you I was sick will come as a disappointment to you, but I didn’t want my very natural end to hang over your young and vibrant life.
I want my ghost to be a friendly one you remember fondly so I hope you can forgive an old woman for her secrecy.
This is only the next stage of my journey.
You made the last years a joy and filled me with a purpose I didn’t think I would find again in my third stage of life. Even though you’re a grumpy, disgruntled young woman with a passion for disregarding my sage advice, I couldn’t love you more.
I will always be proud of you, no matter what you become. Even if that’s just a pain in someone else’s ass. Keep practicing your magic and your meditation. Who knows? Someday it may pay off.
Yours in life and death,
Rue
P.S. You didn’t think I just left you words. Did you? Check in our spot.
I set down the letter, my heart full, throat thick. That was the bench by the door where she always started my mindful practice of cleaning and preparing her space for magic.
I unhinged the seat of the bench, finding Rue’s long, tattered scarves and hats.
Her garden clippers that belonged outside and a few random socks.
But when I dug my hand deeper, I came up with a black velvet pouch.
Opening the drawstring, I spilled diamonds across my palm, their glitter reflecting my awe.
The stones sang to my power, amplifying, grounding, purifying all my years of anger and rage into what it was supposed to be.
Love. I clutched the bag and her tangle of scarves, desperately trying to keep her with me.
They didn’t smell like her anymore and my heart broke all over again.
Tears started. This was becoming an uncomfortable habit.
They plopped into the dust of my mentor’s home and finished the work of hollowing me out for something new.
I could have received no greater gift from Rue and now it was time to use it.