Chapter 794: The End of Ethpeal Hayle
Exit stage left. Enter the triumphant heroes.
I landed in the kitchen with a massive smile on my face, already heading for the back hall and Gram's room.
Almost ran right into Shenka. Who sobbed once and raced for me, hugging me and Gabriel both. I hugged her back, one armed, before pulling away, expecting a smile through her tears.
Seeing only terror.
"Syd," she whispered.
And then, I felt it.
Or didn't.
And I knew then what Gram had really given up. Raced past my second, spun around the bottom of the stairs, burst through my grandmother's door. Saw Lula and Phon, both collapsed in the corner, eyes glazed, energy depleted.
Sassafras perched on the pillow, silver fur mingling with wispy hair.
Mom kneeling beside her bed, Gram's limp hand between hers, sobbing.
Sobbing.
Everything froze: time, breath, life, death. There was only this snapshot of a moment.
My mother.
My grandmother.
Emptiness and darkness.
A purr broke through, unraveling time, waking me from the moment. Amber eyes caught mine, the rattling sound of Sassafras's magic through his voice surrounding Gram.
"She's alive," he grated through his purr. "But you'd better damned well hurry."
Exhausted, his power. I fed him some of mine even as I set Gabriel down at last, on the side of the bed. My son crawled immediately to Gram, cuddled against her as Mom looked up. Spotted him.
Cried harder.
"Syd," she choked. "Oh, Syd."
So much sadness and happiness. How could we bear it? I fell next to Gram, felt her eager power ready and able. Dove inside her, felt her heartbeat, slow and steady. Alive thanks to Sassafras.
I would so kiss him later.
If I'd only known, I would have rushed home. Or never let her do it-
Stupid girl, her power snapped. You needed me.
I did, I sent. But it's time for you to go home.
Demetrius crouched next to me, gentle face streaked in tears. But he smiled up at me and nodded as I thrust Gram's power back into her body.
Felt it wriggle around, like a kid in a car seat trying to get comfortable.
And sigh as Gram's body rejected it.
Lula's voice broke through my shock.
"She's too weak," the young healer whispered, dragging herself to my side. "Her body too broken."
No.
No, I brought her power back. I tried again, coaxing, as Gram's magic did the same, begging, fighting, struggling.
Failing.
"Syd." Sassafras's hiss came with a stutter of power as he began to falter again. "Do something."
But there was nothing.
Nothing I could do.
Gram's power wept over her and returned to me even as I covered my face in my hands and cried.
No. Not after all we'd been through.
No one deserved a happy ending as much as Gram.
I felt Gabriel stir, watched him kiss her cheek.
"Ethie," he said.
She stirred, but didn't wake, her heartbeat failing further as Sassafras finally stopped purring.
And let her go.
Gabriel's power flared, a soft shimmer around my grandmother. I understood then, what he offered. The Gateway to death, without strife, sweet and gentle. A gift to the great-grandmother he'd never get to know.
I couldn't stand it. Couldn't breathe.
It would NOT end like this.
Would NOT.
Demetrius sighed beside me, leaned in and kissed Gram's cheek. "You have a choice, my love," he said. "You always have. But you need to take it, now." He brushed his fingers over her hair. "I don't want to lose you again."
Da-dum.
I turned to him, desperate hope in my heart. "You can fix her?" Like she was a broken clock or a fussy engine.
He nodded. "If she'll finally accept what she really is," he said.
What?
Da-dum.
"Gram." I grasped her hand as Mom choked on tears, both of us pouring power into her, her magic trying one more time. "Please, don't leave me. I need you." Sob. "I can't let you go."
Da-dum.
Da-
Silence.
I held my breath. Listened for another beat. Hugged her heart with my power where I'd crushed Ameline's life from hers. Begged it to start up again. Saw the flicker of glow and knew what it meant as Gram's soul began to rise, slowly from her body.
Demetrius leaned back. Nodded. "You leave me no choice," he said.
Opened his power. Detached the magic I'd given him in the maji chamber.
And drove it directly into Gram's heart.
She gasped, her spirit slamming back inside her. Gabriel sat up as my grandmother choked on air, the black swarming her. I almost screamed at Demetrius, demanded to know what he'd done.
Only to catch my breath as she collapsed back onto the bed.
Breathing. Blue eyes no longer faded, but crisp and bright, wispy white hair now deep, thick black.
Glaring at Demetrius like she was going to kick his ass.
"How dare you." She shook where she lay, looking more like Mom and me than her old self. Gone was the thin old lady I knew. This woman was forty if she was a day, skin glowing with good health. If it weren't for the fuzzy socks on her feet and the thin, flowered dress hugging her body, I would have sworn this wasn't my grandmother.
What the hell?
"I dare," Demetrius said. Smiled and took her hand from me. She tried to pull it away, but he didn't let her, his power brushing mine on the way to her.
To hers.
"You're a sorcerer." I gasped the words as Mom stared, Sassafras stared. And Gabriel laughed.
Hugged her around the neck.
Her face softened as he did, her tension easing. Gram met my eyes.
"And you wondered where you got it from," she said.
A thought crossed my mind. "Gram," I said, "were you supposed to be the Light One?"
She stilled then shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "I don't think so. But all of the power I had bypassed Miriam and went to you." She smiled at Mom. "Sorry, Mir."
Mom laughed, kissed Gram's cheek, still crying. "I think we both did a good job on Syd," she said. "So I'm okay with that."
Gram shuddered as her sorcery settled. Sat up after stroking Sassafras's fur and kissing his head. Hugged Gabriel to her who kissed her firmly on the cheek.
"Ethie," he said.
"Gabriel," she said.
"Good, Ethie." And hugged her back.
Gram glared at Demetrius again. "You've carried my secret for years," she said.
"There's nothing to be ashamed of." Demetrius's blue eyes shone. "And you're not an Enforcer anymore."
"Or a coven leader," she whispered.
"Is that why you hid it?" I looked back and forth between them while Mom pulled herself together.
"Mother," she said. "Why?"
"Because Enforcers aren't sorcerers," Gram said, a bit of her old self showing through in her tart reply. "There was a time it was frowned on." She met Mom's eyes. "I had to hide it or I would have been kicked out of the order."
"Is that how you two met?" Curiosity burned as much as my poor eyes. So the tears had been sad at first. But now the happy had shown up.
Wicked.
"That's a long story," Gram said while Demetrius said, "In a way." The pair exchanged a look, his soft and loving, hers irritated.
And then they laughed.
"So when you became coven leader..." I could only imagine.
"This family was in a disaster," Gram said. "And I couldn't afford any doubts." She hesitated, turned to Demetrius. "Nor could I choose the person I really wanted to marry."
Gape. Ing.
"Sorry?" I shook myself. "What?"
Mom stared, too. "Mother!"
Gram shrugged even as Demetrius kissed the palm of her hand.
"I understood," he said, soft, focused on her as though we weren't in the room. "Though I worried Ivan wasn't the right man for you." He sighed. "You broke my heart, Ethpeal Hayle."
Tears stood in her eyes, anger flashing. "That's why you went undercover in the Brotherhood." She freed her hand and smacked his shoulder. "When I found out..." she trailed off, voice choking. "I would have kicked your ass if I'd known."
He nodded. "I had nothing to look forward to," he said. "My heart was lost. And so, I did the only thing I could. I dedicated my life to my work."
And we all saw where that got him.
Then again... I was kind of glad, in a way.
Because I wouldn't be sitting here without him.
Gram met my eyes and I felt her power, the witch power she'd given up, sigh inside me. I could still feel my grandmother, but it was different, through the emptiness of sorcery.
"I'm not a Hayle witch anymore," she said. "Imagine."
"You will always be a Hayle." I surprised myself with the intensity of my tone. Saw her lips twitch into a smile.
She might not be part of the coven anymore, but I had my grandmother back.
I could live with that.
***
