Page 132 of A Bolt of Magic

43

McColl

“Grandmother!” I scream. My eyes fly open as I sit upright in bed. “Grandmother, no!”

Panic claws at my chest. Something bad has happened. I know it. I feel it.

“Thank the goddess, you’re awake.” Strong arms wrap around me, pulling me against a familiar chest. “It’s alright, McColl. You’re safe. I’m here.”

Kian’s voice, warm and alive and so wonderfully real, cuts through my panic. I turn in his embrace, my hands frantically searching his face, his shoulders, his chest, needing to confirm that he’s truly here.

“Kian?” My voice comes out as a whisper. “You’re…you're really back? You’re okay. You’re you again.”

His beautiful green eyes meet mine. I am relieved that there is no artificial glow, no vacant stare. Just Kian, my Kian, looking at me with such tenderness that my heart nearly bursts.

“Yes, it’s me,” he says softly, his hands cupping my face as he searches my features. “Thanks to you. You saved me, McColl.”

I melt into his warmth, letting his solid presence anchor me to the present moment. He’s here. He’s safe. He’s himself again. The nightmare is over.

But as he pulls away slightly, I take in our surroundings and realize where we are. My grandmother’s room. Her bed. The familiar floral wallpaper, the old wooden furniture, the scent of lavender she always liked so much.

It all comes rushing back.

“No,” I breathe, turning to look at the other side of the bed.

I reach across, touching nothing. The sheets are empty. The pillow still bears the faint indent of a head, but she’s not there. My grandmother is gone.

“My grandmother, she…she…” The words tear from my throat in a broken whisper.

Kian nods once, his expression filled with gentle sorrow. “I’m so sorry. She passed peacefully yesterday, just before dusk.”

The grief hits me, stealing the breath from my lungs. I double over, clutching my stomach as sobs wrack my body. She’s really gone. My grandmother, my champion, the woman who loved me unconditionally. She’s gone.

Of course, I knew it deep down inside.

Kian’s arms come around me again, holding me close as I cry. He doesn’t try to hush me or tell me it’s going to be okay. He just holds me, his hand stroking my hair, letting me grieve.

“I brought you here to her bedroom,” he says quietly when my sobs begin to subside. “I thought…I thought you should be with her. That you’d want to be close to her. You were…you were dying, McColl.” His voice breaks.

I nod against his chest, unable to speak yet.

He clears his throat. “The strange thing is,” Kian continues, his voice filled with wonder, “the moment she died was the moment you started coming back. Your color improved, your breathing got stronger, your heart rate steadied. It was like…”

“Like she gave me her life essence,” I finish, my voice hoarse from crying. “She did. I saw her, Kian. It was on another spiritual plane.” I shrug. “I know I sound crazy, but it’s true. We were in the most beautiful orchard, picking fruit. She looked young and healthy and so alive.” Fresh tears spill down my cheeks. “She told me it wasn’t my time. That I had too much life left to live. She gave me everything she had left so that I could come back.”

Kian’s arms tighten around me. “She saved you.”

“Yes,” I whisper. “She didn’t have much left to give, but it was enough, and I’m grateful. I’m mostly grateful that I got to say goodbye to her.”

“I’m happy for you and so very sorry for your loss.”

I swallow thickly, and we sit in silence for a time. I’m lost in thoughts of my grandmother.

“Thank you,” Kian finally says, his voice rough with emotion. “For what you did for me. For giving up your life essence to bring me back. I am beyond grateful, McColl, but I’m also absolutely furious with you.”

I pull back to look at him; his jaw is set, and his eyes are blazing.

“We spoke about this before. What you did was generous but also dangerous,” he continues. “You could have died. You nearly did die. You would have if not for your grandmother. I’m going to need you to promise me, right here and now, that you will never do anything like that again. Promise me.”

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